Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 7/22/26

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 7/22/26

By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton

Fishing from shore went through quite a transformation during the previous fortnight as industrial strength dingy water persisted because of unrelenting westerly winds. And to make matters worse, a prolonged cloudy period plus upwelling from those winds caused Gulf water temperatures to plummet 5 to 8 degrees! The third strike was the huge tide differential (near 2 ½ feet) we experienced the week of mid July which helped keep the coastal waters stirred up. The situation was exacerbated by dipping spikes in the oxygen content of the seawater, especially around the passes. That one-two-three punch many Gulf species did not care for, prompting some species (like king and spanish mackerel and tarpon) to vacate the area almost entirely.
Fortunately, some fish did not seem care, or at least adjusted better to these unusual conditions. Speckled trout and flounder have been variably available from the beaches west of Gulf Shores to Fort Morgan, mostly from where the waters have cleared some. Many were caught using lures, like MirrOdines for specks and plastic tail jigs for flounder. But some were bycatch for folks pompano fishing, though pompano have been relatively rare, even for this time of year.
As coastal waters continue to clear, and gradually warm back into the more typical middle 80s, we should see more pompano action. Though it may be a tradeoff with increased bycatch of ladyfish, blue runners, etcetera. But that would beat all the hardhead catfish surf fishers have been dealing with for the past couple of weeks.
One recent bright spot from shore was a decent spanish mackerel bite experienced from the seawall at Perdido Pass during the phase of longer hours of morning rising tides prior to the NEAP tide (July 18 and 19). There will not be a NEAP tide in this fortnight until August 3.
So, perhaps the spanish mackerel will return to Perdido Pass during the last week of July. Coincidentally, this would occur right around the full moon July 29th. Moonlight is another factor to include in the equation of why fish schools move around, and it often triggers spawning periods for fish (like spanish mackerel, speckled trout and whiting) that lay eggs intermittently thoughout the spring and summer.
Also by then, the bite at the Gulf State Park Pier may also return to what we typically expect to see in late July, with some larger spanish mackerel and perhaps even kings showing up again. Otherwise, and in addition, the pier action around the outer octagon should primarily be a mix of species like big jack crevelle, bull redfish, and even the occasional tarpon.
Inshore, we typically see speckled trout, redfish, flounder, spadefish, ladyfish, blue runner, whiting, and intermittent pompano. Again this is contingent upon the water clearing at least some. We also need to see bait schools return inshore including young-of-the-year LYs (Scaled herring) and othe small fish that will help attract larger fish around the pier. And hopefully the shark schools and dolphin pods will stay away from the pier. And maybe the jellyfish won’t get too thick as to affect fishing, though that often happens about this time of year. But is that too much to ask?
Finding the sandbars and judging water depth has not been easy during the recent dingy water episode, especially once the Gulf calmed down. Sandbars that make waves (less than two feet high) break are often good indicators of where to fish and place your bait for pompano and other game fish. At least it is a starting point when the Gulf is relatively calm and you have to wait for a bite.
But don’t spend too much time at a spot if it does not produce for you in 20 to 30 minutes. Then it is probably better to move on to try another likely location.
Fresh bait is often critical to get pompano to bite, and sand fleas are one of the more prefered natural baits in summer. Second best would be fresh dead shrimp, so it helps to have some Fishbites or Fishgum on hand to try or supplement your natural bait, especially if that keeps getting nibbled off. Last choice would be frozen shrimp (always), so avoid using that.
This is the beginning of our mid summer transitional period when identifiable patterns of gamefish feeding become more difficult to find or follow. But IF you can find what is working, stay with it until the weather or water pattern changes and that bite ceases. Often though, this is the time of year when simply early and late in the day have the most fish feeding activity. Then predatory fish may leave the pier or surf zone area or become more lethargic during the middle of the day when it usually gets hot and still.
Sometimes a break in the short term weather pattern, like a wind shift, or cloud cover from a nearby thundershower may trigger a short lived bite, so keep an eye out for that too. But be ever wary of the possibility of a lightning strike!
So far this summer, it seems the most exciting fishing action from shore has been the intermittent runs of large jack crevelle and bull redfish at the point near Fort Morgan. This has become fully a catch-and-release-only fishery since the Alabama Marine Resources Division did away with the allowance of one red drum over 26 inches.
But that actually makes it easier on the anglers who have to walk a mile or more from the parking lots to get to the fishing grounds.
All they need now is to carry water, a few lures and essential rigging equipment in a bag so they can travel lighter and faster without pulling a cart or toting a ice chest. That is a good thing as we ease into August, and it is also healthier for the fisheries.
Once we get into August, bluefish often edge out speckled trout from the near shore troughs, so keep that in mind if your lure gets cut off while plugging from shore. Blues can be a lot of fun on topwater plugs early and late in the day when the Gulf is near slick. And you never know when a big trout, red, or jack might crash your lure either.
Many surf plugging anglers add a short leader of heavier fluorocarbon or clear monofilament line to ward off loosing their hefty investment. It seems there is no such thing as a cheap lure theses days!
Lastly, keep an eye out for stinging jellyfish as you wade fish, and as always be mindful of stingrays. There are some huge stingrays in the surf during mid summer, so watch where you put your feet. It is not the best idea to wadefish in water where you cannot see the bottom.