Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 1/22/24

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 1/22/24
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton

The coldest air of the year (so far) invaded our area around the end of the previous fortnight, so who knows what is in store for this period or how it will affect the fishing? From a historical standpoint this isn’t anything unprecedented nor all that unusual, but thank goodness we never get used to freezing weather hanging around for very long. The water temperature in the Gulf has been relatively warm (middle 60s) up to now, but we typically see that drop to around 60 by the end of January.
There can be quite a contrast between the temperature of shallow backwaters and the deeper open Gulf though. Occasionally this time of year that can exceed 20 degrees, which does a great job of concentrating fish into areas that are more advantageous for their survival. Being cold blooded, even our native species seek out spots that suite them best to find sufficient warmth, protection from predators (birds and dolphins), and every now and then find food for themselves. The metabolism of fish is much slower now, so most species may only feed once or twice a week as they respond to their cooler environment. And if the water temperature changes too quickly (more than 5 degrees in a day or so), they may shut down completely until things warm up again or they have more time to adjust.
The crucial trick for shorebound anglers this time of year (besides dressing appropriately for the weather) is to find the sites and situations where these fish will be active enough to bite whatever they are offering. That requires at least a basic knowledge of spots in the surf zone along the beaches, and tactics plus timing to fish them productively. This is THE most critical time to have the right tackle (rod, reel, and line) to reach the fish you are seeking, with the potentially best terminal gear (rig, sinker, hook, leader). And using the best possible lure/bait (live or FRESH dead) is the “Coup de grâce” that seals the deal to give you the best odds of catching whatever fish are available wherever you go.
We are fortunate to have a nice variety of well stocked, locally owned and operated bait and tackle stores in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Perdido Key, and Innerarity Point to fully outfit anglers with the proper gear to be successful. And they have the local knowledge and expertise to answer your specific questions. Some even have guides on staff or they can refer you to if you are just starting out and want to kick start your education in saltwater surf or shore based fishing during this most challenging time of the year. When you get it right it can be fun, but anybody who tells you that catching fish from shore is easy in January and February is kidding, or worse.
Not that it is impossible to catch fish on your own right now, but if you have luck that good right off the bat, you may want to drive across the state line and pick up a lottery ticket too.
Just saying, successfully fishing blind, so to speak has that kind of odds. One of the easiest fish to catch from the beach or the pier now is whiting (Gulf kingfish), simply because they are usually the most plentiful fish feeding in the surf zone during midwinter.
And they are a school fish that often move nearer to shore than other species as they look for small invertebrates like ghost shrimp whenever they are mood to feed. They may respond to offerings of small pieces of shrimp too, but generally freshest is bestest, as we say, and even whiting can get finicky when it is really cold.
Occasional pompano may be caught incidentally by whiting fishers, or they may be targeted with jigs or double dropper pompano rigs. These usually have small, colorful floats or beads to help attract fish to the bait (and hook), and may even be fished farther from shore requiring longer rods and heavier gear (weight).
If natural bait is used, a piece of Magic Thread wrapped around it will help keep the soft bait on the hook during a hard cast. Often anglers add a piece of Fishbites or Fishgum to the hooks, as they stay on the hook well while slowly dissolving release a scent trail back to your hook. Solitary large black or red drum are a fairly common bycatch with these methods, but they can be targeted on medium heavy or heavy tackle with cracked blue crab. Larger invertebrates like crabs are the natural prey of these big drum, but they rarely pass up a tasty morsel of fresh shrimp or ghost shrimp. As one old fisherman said, “Elephants eat peanuts, don’t they?”
Sheepshead are the mainstay of the live bait industry along the coast through the winter, either in the form of live shrimp or fiddler crabs. These baits are very popular, and at times demand may outstrip the supply with inclement weather often the main culprit. Some of the local bait and tackle stores may even have live bait imported across state lines this time of year. And some folks gather their own bait, even slurping ghost shrimp which sheepshead also eat when they are schooling near the bottom.
Sheepshead can be quite skittish feeders though, especially in clear or shallow water. So at times they must be approached with stealth, even employing light or ultralight tackle when conditions call for it. They are fun fighters though, repeatedly diving for cover around barnacle encrusted piling or rocks which they often feed off of.
Sheepshead are quite tasty fish, increasingly gaining a reputation as fine tablefare, with their flaky white flesh fit for anything from sashimi, to sit down suppers. Sheepshead are routinely caught from the Gulf State Park Pier, Fort Morgan Pier, along the seawall at Perdido Pass and especially from the jetties on either side of the pass.
Flounder are another species in our waters that anglers may target from the piers, seawall, or jetty this time of year. Though far from their peak of abundance, flounder can still be caught from these locations using live shrimp or especially live bull minnows (occasionally available from area bait shops), or by using various lures like scented shrimp imitations such as Berkley Gulp on a weighted jig head.
Speckled trout are another winter over species that may be available via a specialized approach and presentations. They will readily take live shrimp either suspended under a float or freelined in their vicinity. A variety of lures work on trout too, from topwaters to diving jerkbaits, and even soft plastic jigs fished along the bottom. Often the most difficult thing about catching specks is finding them, as they do tend to school rather tightly as they feed in a variety of situations, even in the dead of winter.