Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton
It seems shore-bound fisherfolks are still dealing with fallout from the calamities of 2020. But the new year brings another beginning for anglers to assess the great resources we have available even while fishing from shore. The gulf water temperature has moderated into the middle to lower 60s after this latest series of cold fronts brought the first frost and freeze warnings to the region. All the way to the coast. During the interim periods between fronts, the gulf waters have cleared nicely presenting beach anglers good opportunities to explore where new points and sandbars have formed.. But most of our resident fish species have virtually abandoned the shallower waters (less than 6 feet deep), in favor of slightly warmer and deeper waters. Look for deeper troughs near shore to fish in the mornings, while the tide is falling. And save the shallower points and sandbar edges to fish during the afternoon rising tides. Especially whenever onshore winds have chopped up the gulf enough to entice fish like pompano, whiting, redfish and black drum to feed. One to three foot waves, with winds less than 15 miles per hour provide the best ‘window of opportunity’ for anglers intent on catching fish from the beach in late December.
Fresh dead shrimp is still the favorite bait for surf anglers. Of course, the fresher the better. And be sure to use small pieces that are ‘bite-sized’ for the smaller mouth quarry like whiting and pompano. Just don’t be surprised if a large redfish or black drum decides to eat even these tiny offerings. After all, we eat peanuts. And a thumbnail size piece of shrimp is larger than a peanut 😉
Still, the prime winter time bait for from-shore anglers are the beach ghost shrimp that live in the surf zone below the average low tide level. Not available for sale, you must gather your own with a “ghost shrimp pump”. A three foot long PVC pipe with a plunger attachment to create a vacuum which draws the shrimp up out of the sand. You can build your own for less than $20, or buy one from a local baitshop. To locate a colony of ghost shrimp, look for numerous ‘thin black lines’ tracing along the edge of dry sand during a falling tide (through the morning hours). This may sound nasty, but the lines are actually made of tiny ghost shrimp fecal pellets. Cooler waters have much less active bacteria to break down the shrimp ‘poo’. So we see more of it in wintertime. Maybe another reason not to go swimming, and to wear boots or waders when gathering them.
A ghost shrimp colony can be pinpointed by numerous inch high sandy mounds on the bottom that look like miniature volcanoes. In fact these are the top of the ghost shrimp burrows. The two to four inches long creatures are a sort of substrate soft-shelled saltwater crayfish. The burrows may extend down into the wet sand as much as three feet. So extracting a few dozen to fish with may take an hour or more of vigorous exercise. But the fish relish them! And ghost shrimp usually outproduce regular (pinead) shrimp this time of year by factors of 2, 5 or even 10 to one. But they are very soft, and need some help to stay on the hook, especially when casting long distances with heavy weights. To better hold them on the hook, try a piece of small mesh netting (spawn netting or pantyhose). Or use products like Miracle Thread or Magic Thread available at area baitshops. Trust me, this is definitely worth the ‘trouble’.
Sheepshead are another great cold water target species for anglers fishing from shore. The seawall and rock jetty at Perdido Pass in Orange Beach is probably the most popular location. But it may not always be the best. Pinfish, striped burrfish, and other ‘bait stealers’ may still be pesky at times. Sheepshead are also available in the intercoastal waterway and nearby deep waters. So these are great secondary locations to try if need be. Look for hard structures like rocks or pier piling that are encrusted with barnacles. Sheepshead are omnivorous. Feeding on algae growing on the structure along with any small invertebrates (crabs and shrimp) they may encounter. They are often targeted using live shrimp or fiddler crabs, but will respond well to the soft insides of oysters, mussels, clams or barnacles. Again the mesh netting can come in handy. They tolerate cold water quite well. And may even feed during cold and cloudy days. The keys to success are finding them and making a natural bait presentation that doesn’t spook them. They are curious fish, but have excellent eyesight and may be quite finicky at times. Downsizing line and terminal tackle size will usually solicit a response from the more wary sheepshead.

Gulf State Park Pier Update

Repair work continues on the Gulf State Pier to reopen the section still attached to shore. Park officials are still confident that approximately 1040 feet of the pier will be ready to reopen to the public by mid February. Until then, the park is offering hour long guided tours of the pier on Wednesdays and Saturdays through January. These events are by reservation only, with groups limited to no more than 12. Full details can be found on the Gulf State Park Facebook page.
Tight lines and warm thoughts!