Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 3-27, 2026

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook Sept. 2-16, 2026

By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton

This has been one long, hot summer up til now. And fishing sure suffered through the previous fortnight as heat, humidity, and dingy water conspired against shorebound fisherfolks making circumstances mighty difficult to catch keeper fish in any numbers.
As usual for this time of year though, there were good numbers of undersized regulated fish along with some oversized fish. So, those are good signs for the future of these fish stocks. Also we have seen plenty of pinfish, blue runner, small bluefish, and ladyfish around the Gulf State Park Pier which offer folks new to the sport at least something to try their luck with.
Early weather predictions for September indicate better fishing conditions as long as we continue to be spared any additional interference of a tropical nature.
The Gulf waters are finally clearing and seasonal abundances of baitfish and other small prey items should lure more predatory species back within range of pier and shore fishers. The days are getting noticeably shorter now, and the Gulf water temp, now around 88 degrees should begin edging back down within the next few weeks.
Of course, we have the specter of devastating hurricanes which occurred in the past during this fortnight, but a strengthening El Nino effect may prevent this year from being plagued by such aspirations. We can only hope and pray that is so!
On fully a positive note, the recent spell of hot, still air has calmed the Gulf waters and winds enough to allow the inshore water to clear so we can witness one of nature’s marvels. Thousands of female blue crabs invade the surf zone all along the northern Gulf Coast this time of year to hatch their eggs in the warm, fertile, salty shallow waters just off our beaches.
These crab babies quickly morph into swimming forms which soon vacate the Gulf for the back bay estuaries where they spend their first year.
The crabs molt and grow during warmer months when food is more available, and mate during the last molt each female undergoes. She carries the seed of future generations inside her as she spends the rest of her life in the Gulf.
Males remain in the estuary for all their lives to breed with new females each year.
e underside of the female crab expands to expose an orange egg cluster. They are protected from harvest at this time until their eggs hatch and swim away. Then the next generation begins their life cycle all over again.
Blue crabs are quite abundant, but are subject to regulations protecting the overharvest of this valuable resource. They help clean the sea bottom and provide nourishment for a variety of fish species along with humans of course.
Vast schools of young-of-the-year Scaled herring (called LYs) and Gulf menhaden (pogies) are also in the mix, providing a rich food source to innumerable fish species inshore, offshore, and along the shore of the Gulf.
This time of year many predatory fish invade the surf zone or shallow bays in search of these snack sized baitfish. Lures that imitate these 2 to 3 inch silver sided little fish (like spoons, jigs, or plugs) work pretty well to fool the gamefish.
But it is more difficult for them to resist the real thing, and these baits can easily be gathered by anglers themselves with cast nets (where permitted or practical), with small sabiki rigs, and the amazing ribbon rigs.
Nobody knows for certain how they were invented, or by whom, but ribbon rigs have been used for over 50 years at the Gulf State Park Pier to catch herring of all sizes.
Likely the herring dart at the red ribbon to dislodge parasites from their gills and get hung up in the net in the process. The baitfish are then removed and put in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator for later use. Or they are used immediately by hooking the baitfish and casting it out in view of the predators.
The flash and struggle of the small fish is often too much for hungry predators like king or spanish mackerel, redfish, speckled trout, bluefish, ladyfish, jacks, and a plethora of other species. Anything that can, will voraciously gobble up these hapless baitfish, especially the schooling species which exhibit school envy and competitiveness.
This method has often been employed from the seawall and jetties at Perdido Pass with equal effectiveness, especially when the bite on lures has slowed down.
Just about any small fish available to anglers can be used target specific gamefish species. For instance, the plentiful pinfish can be used as live bait for redfish or bluefish on bottom. And it can be cut into strips and used as cut bait for smaller species like white trout, grunts, or mangrove snapper. The same can be done with mullet, as the smaller ones are great used live for a wide variety of small and intermediate sized gamefish. While larger mullet make excellent cut bait for any number of larger predators such as redfish.
Speaking of larger predators, the mostly catch and release fishery for adult jack crevelle and bull redfish continues from the beach at the point near Fort Morgan. Since this is a full pressure battle on heavy tackle with an emphasis on releasing the catch afterwards, anglers are encouraged to mash down the barbs on their lure hooks. This expedites unhooking the tired fish so it can more quickly be returned to the water to make more of its kind.
Meanwhile, the junior versions of these jacks (in the 8 to 12 inch fork length range) usually terrorize the surf zone this time of year. They quickly become THE most commonly hooked fish for surf fishers more intent on pompano or whiting through September into October. But they also offer great sport when targeted on light or ultralight tackle using small jigs or spoons. Again the barbs of the hooks can be mashed down to facilitate the catch and release, of which there can be literally be endless hours of.
It is the same way on the pier, and often a sabiki brigade sets up a gauntlet along the rail, pulling in multiple numbers of these tasty little jacks on each cast until they quit biting or get their ice chest full! So far the fecundity of jack crevelle has kept the species fairly abundant, but fast growing popularity and increasing mortality from humans may be affecting the species and some measure of protection might be needed in the future to ensure they can continue to terrorize the surf zone each summer!
Remember, all Alabama fishing licenses expired August 31. Do you have your new license yet?