Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 18-October 2, 2024

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 18-October 2, 2024
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton
We sort of dodged another bullet from the tropics in the last fortnight when hurricane Francine came ashore far enough west of us to minimize its affect on the coast and coastal fishing. There was some rain with gusty winds and maybe a couple of feet of storm surge on the Gulf beaches which were buffeted by Francine’s 10 foot swells over night. But we certainly escaped from the worst, and may God bless those not so fortunate. Of course we still have perhaps another couple of months to go in this tropical season, but at least we have made it over the hump, so far and God willing we get through this.
Francine did not interfere with the official reopening ceremony for the Gulf State Park Pier, unlike her sister Sally, who really made a mess of things four years ago. The pier has been open and running smoothly this month despite having to wait a little while longer to get new benches and the elevator installed. Until then, the observation platform will have to remain closed. Also, the public access parking lot at Mobile Street is still being worked on as is the replacement boardwalk. No definitive date has been given by the National Wildlife Refuge as to when the facility will reopen. What has reopened is Little Lagoon Pass. After a brief stoppage, backhoes and other equipment dug out the sandbar to restore flow of about 4 feet at the south end of the seawalls. As mentioned in a 1992 Court Order, the state highway department (ALDOT) is required to keep Little Lagoon Pass dredged to a depth of at least three feet to allow free flow of saltwater into the 2480 acre Lagoon. Hopefully the effects from Francine may have helped the situation and not exacerbated it.
Even though air temperatures have been a little above average, Gulf water temperatures are in the lower 80s, about where they typically are this time of year. A return to calm weather through the end of September would go a long way in restoring the stretch of good fishing anglers enjoyed prior to Francine stirring the pot. Usually as winds abate and waves decrease to less than 2 feet, the waters clear and fishing gets good. Prior to the big storm, there was a pretty good run of king mackerel at the Gulf State Park Pier. Some nice sized ones were landed including a 38 pounder by Lloyd Cluster from Fairhope. A great deal of pier fishing knowledge can be gleaned by watching and talking to some of these more experienced pier fishermen who have been fishing this pier since it opened in July 2009 or before the sharks started over running it about 10 years ago. Even rarer are the pier anglers who fished the original pier before it was destroyed by hurricane Ivan in 2004. The easiest way to learn is to ask those who have been fishing here the longest and the most, and are out-catching everyone else.
While king mackerel are the premier pier fish to be caught right now, they are not the only gamefish in town by far. Plenty of spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, and spadefish along with a few flounder and speckled trout have been caught too. All of these species have their own tackle and tactics that work best, and again watching or asking other anglers is the fastest way to learn about how to catch them. Whether you like to fish with live or dead bait, shrimp, fish, or artificials, having the right rod and reel and terminal tackle will make a great deal of difference in your success rate. So pay attention to what successful anglers are doing, even the small details often make a difference. And avoid repeating the mistakes of unsuccessful anglers.
The Perdido Pass Seawall and jetty is another venue that is packed with potential yet often frustrates newcomers. Communication with other anglers is imperative to discover what species are biting and how to rig up to catch them. Often success is in the details, from bait to tackle and tactics including what time of day is best due to the tide movement. After all they don’t just open the lid and jump in your cooler by themselves, you have to coax them a little.
Fishing from the beaches has been even more hit and miss for anglers, and every time we have a strong storm like Francine the sandbars and troughs get all rearranged. Before the big wind and waves hit there were decent catches of pompano along Perdido Key and the middle of Fort Morgan Peninsula. There are still a lot of pinfish, small jacks and other small fish in the surfzone, so anglers need to try different ways to get around them if they want to target pompano. When you fish with cut shrimp as bait you are going to wind up spending a LOT of time re-baiting or worse, fishing with an empty hook. Using just Fishbites or Fishgum is a good way to circumvent a lot of these small bycatch species. That’s one good reason why there are so many colors and flavors of these synthetic bait strip products. As conditions of sky and water clarity change, so does the preferences of the fish. And keep in mind there are other good gamefish in the surf now too: bluefish, ladyfish, spanish mackerel, slot-sized redfish and who knows what else. Fishing with lures is a great backup to chunking bait.
Reminder: All Alabama recreational fishing licenses expired the end of August. So you must renew that, and/or enter the saltwater registry if you are a resident over age 65, have a lifetime license, or wish to obtain a $10 Reef Fish Endorsement. It is important that every saltwater angler enter the Saltwater Registry annually to ensure our State Department of Conservation receives its fair share of Federal tax refund dollars. Another important item is knowing the Saltwater/Freshwater demarcation line is the State Park Road between Little Lagoon and Lake Shelby. Too many anglers are being ticketed because they only have a Saltwater license while they are fishing the weir on the east side of the road. See more at outdooralabama.com/licenses/ saltwater-recreational-licenses