Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 3, 2024

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 3, 2024

Yes! The long wait is finally over for anglers to fish the entire 1540 feet length of the Gulf State Park Pier. The pier reopened unceremoniously August 19 at 7 a.m. much to the delight of several dozen anglers and a few sightseers. The observation platform will not be accessible to the public until the elevator that serves it is working, in order to be in compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations.
But the decision was made to go ahead with a “soft opening” (unofficial) until the elevator can be made operational. Then an official ribbon cutting type ceremony will take place, hopefully sometime in September. And the entire pier will be accessible to all, we hope to see you there!
On opening day fishermen caught lots of ladyfish, several jumbo bluefish, some spanish mackerel, spadefish, speckled trout, redfish, flounder along along with other assorted species. Just a few sharks and dolphins were seen around the pier, and predation has been minimal so far.
As of deadline, no king mackerel have been landed, though at least one was reported to be hooked and lost. Jack crevalle have been the premier large fish landed on the pier, though they have been spotty, as has been everything else. The water temperature has decreased from near 90 degrees, down to about 86, which is about average for early September.
Not much live bait (called LYs, aka herring) has been available from the pier lately, but the baby LYs have been around at times closer to shore. There, speckled trout, redfish, flounder, pompano and whiting are possible catches though the bycatch of pinfish, small jacks, and baby jack crevelle are still bothering anglers, especially when using live shrimp. The presence of baitfish seems to be the main ingredient to finding concentrations of feeding fish lately, especially schools of the three inch long young-of-the-year herring (LYs).
Some mornings they are pinned against the beach by attacking ladyfish and bluefish, shoaled around the pier in shallow water, or even pressed against the seawall and jetty at Perdido Pass by spanish mackerel. Just about everything that swims in the Gulf right now is taking advantage of this plentiful food source.
Traditionally anglers do too, either by matching the hatch and throwing spoons that imitate these baitfish, or catching them to use for live bait. A castnet is quite effective in gathering large numbers, though the popular 3/8 inch mesh size is better at gilling the small LYs. Pier anglers have long since learned to take advantage of this tendency by making red ribbon rigs from pieces of old 3/8 inch mesh castnet.
A piece of red ribbon is strung through the middle of a two foot long by six inch wide piece of netting and tied to each end with a weight added on one end. The trap is lowered into a school of baby LYs and when they strike at the ribbon they get gilled in the webbing. Then they are reeled up, carefully removed and put in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator until used for bait.
The current direction and speed have the keys for fishing success at Perdido Pass and jetties, with the incoming tide being the best for mackerel. Unfortunately the incoming tide doesn’t present itself during daylight hours until late in this fortnight, which is coincidental with the full moon on the 17th. NEAP tides center on September 4th and again on the 18th. Tidal differences will be least around those dates.
The Mobile Street parking lot access at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is reported to be reopening soon (September) according to a BS-NWR post on their Facebook page. Note that parking on Mobile Street proper is still illegal, though some have been doing that anyway at risk of being fined or towed. No word on how fishing has been in the area since the closure but this is generally a good time of year for bluefish and whiting with a few pompano and redfish. Even speckled trout are not out of the equation as long as the water stays relatively calm and clear.
We have enjoyed a rather prolonged lull in tropical activity in August, but cannot let our guard down as the average peak of tropical activity in the Atlantic basin often doesn’t occur until near the middle of September. We can only hope and pray, and continue to be prepared for the next storm. Perhaps the dry continental air incursion we experienced in the wake of hurricane Eduardo in August will set a precedence for more periodic dry periods through September and keep any storms that form out in the the Atlantic, far away from us and the fine fishing and weather we have been experiencing. It has been a bit hot at times, but after all it is still summer along the Gulf Coast. The fly in the ointment (literally) with this dry weather has been occasional bouts with biting flies on the beach. They come out mostly whenever the wind is from the north, and have been really a bother to surf fishermen and beach goers at times. There are reported to be some commercially available products which have varied effectiveness, perhaps due to the body chemistry of individual people.
Not unlike the occasional encounters with sea-nettles (stinging jellyfish) swimmers and wade fishermen have had to deal with. There are also some commercially available products that can alleviate the effects of a sting, and ease the pain. Currently though, most of the jellyfish present in the warm Gulf and bay waters are reported to be the milder species like moon jelly and comb jelly. Generally the numbers of jellyfish tend to decrease with the lowering of water temperature.
Reminder:
All Alabama recreational fishing licenses expired the end of August. So you must renew, 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 to ensure our State Department of Conservation receives its fair share of Federal tax refund dollars. Info: dooralabama.com.

/licenses /saltwater-recreational-licenses.