Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 2/5/25
Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 2/5/25
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton
The previous fortnight was certainly one for the record books with 6” to 8” of snow and air temperatures dipping into the teens, as a slug of rare polar air pushed clear across the Gulf. The sharp temperature contrast caused shallow water bodies to quickly give up their heat to the frigid atmosphere. This resulted in iced over canals and bay shorelines, and eerie wisps of sea smoke rising over the nearshore Gulf waters creating as foreign a scene on the water as the thick snow layer was on the land.
Mammals and birds struggle to survive in such extreme conditions, while fish and other cold-blooded creatures have an even harder time staying alive. Fish may go into thermal shock if the water temperature falls faster than their bodies can adjust. And in this case some fish just stopped swimming and breathing. Probably the best known example of this was the high mortality of silver (white) mullet widespread around the region.
Especially hard hit were shallow dead-end canals that iced over during the night of January 21-22 when the temperature fell into the teens. Similar incidents occurred during the sudden freezes of 2018, the ice storm in 2014, and others in the past. There were other scattered die-offs this time as well in Little Lagoon proper, most tidal rivers and creeks around the area, and even in Mobile Bay to a lesser extent. We are fortunate though, that Mother Nature is resilient enough for species to survive, continuing even when many individuals perish during such trials.
Since then, warmer than average air temperatures the last week of January aided the water temperature to rebound from the extreme lows that led to the die-offs. Water temp and salinity readings have both increased in Perdido Pass recently. And even the Gulf water temperature 12 miles offshore is once again above average (back into the middle 60s). A string of mostly sunny days during and after the freeze helped relieve the situation as the sun’s rays grow stronger even as each day grows longer, allowing these shallow waters to absorb more warming solar rays. This trend may well continue into early February with mild weather and little rain in the forecast. Not that winter is over, but it’s likely we have seen the worst of it. A period of false spring will do wonders in helping sealife recover.
Unfortunately, at press time it seems the fish have yet to get the memo, as “catching” has been extremely slow during this recovery period, especially in the surf. But once benthic organisms like ghost shrimp and other invertebrates become more active in the warming surfzone, fish activity should increase there too. Reports from surf fishermen have been dismal lately, with NO pompano reported, and not much else since the big freeze.
In similar past scenarios the action in the surf returned only slowly, with large black drum and a few isolated bull reds at first, then whiting returning in numbers, and lastly pompano which seem to have the least tolerance of water below 65 degrees.
Salinity is another feature that has a profound effect on fish in the surfzone whenever it is lacking. The snow melt, much like a widespread rainfall, lowered the salinity of the back bay estuaries for a period, even affecting the Gulf waters near passes because of the prolonged period of lower than average water level. The freeze events just happened to occur during a NEAP tide period, which may have further exacerbated the situation with fish dying inshore.
But in the days following, once the tide flow started increasing, coincident with a slow rise in water temperature, the fish kills ceased and the recovery began. Hopefully, by the time you read this, more fish will be returning to the surf zone and getting hungry as their metabolisms respond to their warming environment. The Gulf State Park Pier reports a few black drum and sheepshead and an occasional keeper flounder through many more undersized.
Bluefish are another native species that are tolerant of low water temperature. There should be some around the jetties at Perdido Pass and perhaps the Gulf State Park too. Best bet for catching almost anything now more than ever is live shrimp. IF you can get them!
Frozen bait should be avoided now more than ever, because the fish are likely to still be lethargic enough to only be tempted by the real thing. If and when you get a bite, be sure to give the fish plenty of time to eat your bait, especially if it is a large live shrimp. Softer baits like shucked oysters, clams, and mussels along with ghost shrimp are going to be much easier for these lazy fish to eat. The bite should become more regular once the water temp moderates. But for now at least, start fishing low and slow.
This holds true for sheepshead too, especially during this transitional time. They may look to be swimming normally, but their metabolism may take longer to recover. Often in circumstances like this, sheepshead may skip over crustaceans (crabs and shrimp) in favor of algae or other vegetation, or even barnacles and mussels. IF you can see them, observe and note their behavior to try to exploit it to your advantage. The Pier and west jetty at Perdido Pass should be the best spots to try for sheepshead now. Presentation details are critical to get a bite from a lethargic sheepshead in clear, calm water. Lighter line and smaller hooks, with just enough weight to put your bait in their decreased zone of awareness may well pay off in more bites and fish being caught.
Of course you have to find them first! Often in trying circumstances like these, where you fish is the first big step to being a successful fisherman. Sharpen the old adage of 90% of the fish being in 10% of the water, to 99% of the fish are now in 1% of the water! Deep water access (often more than 15 feet deep) from shore based venues brings to mind only a handful of spots around the area. Take time to scout around and find venues with these parameters. Another thing that may help you catch fish is concentrating your efforts during the rising tide through the afternoon. The air and water are both usually warmest then, so people and fish often find it a bit more comfortable. All it takes is a little warm up sometimes to get cold fish into the mood to bite.
As the waters generally warm, more surf spots will come alive with fish looking for food, once their prey items become more active, so will the fish. Again, stealthier presentations (like light leader, small hook and terminal gear) are going to get many more bites in these conditions. Be totally aware that your bait is in the best possible spot. And if you are not getting bit there, keep moving it around a little, or a lot until you find what you are looking for, biting fish. There is not much more satisfying than finding that 1% of the water holding fish when most everyone else is eating takeaway fast food.