Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton
Winter-like temperatures have finally arrived along the coast. And they are predicted to stay around for at least a little while. At the same time, the area is predicted to be mostly dry as well. This should bode well for coastal anglers hot in pursuit of our resident fish species in the drum family. Red and black drum are the bigger and more dominant ones. But croakers and king croakers (called whiting and ground mullet), though smaller, are much more numerous in the surfzone. Pompano, bluefish, and sheepshead round out the list of fish from-shore anglers are most likely to target. Though we can never ignore encounters with the ever present scourges like hardhead catfish, rays, and skates along with other less-than-desirable species such as striped burrfish, lizardfish, and pinfish. Some days you might be weeding through the by-catch, while other days you might just be looking for a bite. Adjust to the conditions and rise to the occasion!
Probably the most challenging period of the next two weeks will be around the NEAP tide occurring December 8th and 9th. NEAP is an acronym for Near Even As Possible. And many anglers avoid it like the RONA. Of course angling success depends much on the wind direction and speed at any time. But most folks new to the game struggle to catch fish when the tidal changes are so slight. Especially at these times, wind driven currents can hurt or help your cause. My advice is to check the wind and seas forecasts and scrutinize the tide table to better anticipate the small details that may provide a temporary feeding location for otherwise lethargic fish. Then adjust to what you see as the day goes by. Seek out locations with the most favorable conditions!
Most days the least tidal current and lowest water level will occur near the middle of daylight hours. So we would expect this to be when many fish are least actively feeding along the beaches. But low tide, especially on days with little or no surf is ideal time to seek out ghost shrimp for bait. Look for the mounds marking the tunnels of these soft-shelled saltwater crayfish on emergent sandbars near sandy points along the Gulf beaches. Early and late in the day, try to fish near these locations which may bring feeding fish within casting distance. And don’t hesitate to relocate to find schools of feeding fish, or move 50 or 100 yards or more to stay with them as the water level and sun angle changes. Late afternoons with a rising tide, can be quite fruitful as a variety of fish may feed closer to shore. Especially when the wind has turned and blowing in an onshore direction.
The bite really cleans up this time of year once the water temperature is below 70. Though the amount of action may not be quite as robust as in previous weeks. Still, king croakers, pompano, redfish, drum, and bluefish will be dependable targets for surf anglers during this fortnight. Fishing multiple set rigs in a staggered distance pattern is the proven way to locate and stay on a cooperative bite. Hand tied double drop pompano rigs with #4 or #6 kahle hooks (or similar sized circle hooks) are ideal terminal tackle. Adjust the weight to the conditions, and vary the color and flavor of attractants to establish a pattern feeding fish prefer on any given day.
The water temperature should follow the air temperature downward as a procession of fronts usher in cooler, drier air. But the effect on the deeper Gulf is delayed. So the water temperature can be expected to linger around 70 for another week or so. Still, it is often relatively warmer than the air. Which on some cold, early mornings may exceed 25 degrees difference. That’s when sea smoke is most likely to occur. As the cold, dry air moves over the much warmer water you may observe steam rising from the surface for a few hours. An eerie sight, but often a harbinger to good fishing conditions as well.
Once the water temperature falls a little below 70, pinfish and pigfish are usually less of a bother to anglers using live shrimp to target sheepshead along the seawall and jetty at Perdido Pass. At least for now, some of the prime seawall spots are still off limits due to damage from Hurricane Sally. But the remaining open space (about a quarter mile of it, plus the rock jetty) offers anglers a LOT of potential fishing area. Just tread carefully if you venture onto the jetty. A long handled landing net is a valuable asset to prevent loosing tasty fish like sheepshead. Mangrove snapper are still available, but their numbers wane as the water temperature drops. Also savvy rock-hopping anglers may still catch pompano, speckled trout, redfish, drum from the jetties and remember that flounder reopened for harvest on December 1.