One of the least-expensive yet best places to fish this fall is the 1,540-foot-long Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The big action on the pier on the Gulf of Mexico this fall is monster-sized king mackerel and 20-pound-plus redfish. According to the unofficial mayor of the pier, Pete Aguon, “Don’t forget that anglers have been catching big Spanish mackerel that have weighed from 2 to 5 pounds for the last 3 weeks, and they should be here at the pier throughout the fall. Too, we’ve had anglers catching king mackerel by the bucketfuls.”
Another big advantage you’ll enjoy when you’re fishing the Gulf State Park Pier are the pier rats, the affectionate name by which the men and women who fish the pier weekly or even daily year-round are known. They’ll offer free advice on how to rig your rods to catch the different types of fish from the pier. They also can tell you what baits to use. They have gaffs and nets readily available to help anglers land the fish they hook. If you’re a first timer at the pier, walk all the way out to the end of the pier, and introduce yourself to the men and women who look and act like they know what they’re doing. You’ll learn that they’ll gladly help you catch fish from this longest pier on the Gulf of Mexico. In 4 days of fishing last week, 14 nice kings were caught by pier fishermen. Aguon reports, “On some days during October and November, you can expect to see as many as 4 to 10 anglers battling king mackerel and redfish at one time on the pier. When a big school of bull reds comes down the beach, just about every line on the end of the pier will be bent with fish on them.”
Near-shore fishermen (closer to the beach) on the pier should catch plenty of ground mullet, whiting and speckled trout. The best trout bite is just before daylight or just after dark at this time of year. Flounder, sheepshead and bluefish are continuously caught on the pier on good days. For more information on the Gulf State Park Pier, which is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, call 251-967-FISH (3474).
Visit the Shrimp Festival:
Also remember that the 39th annual Shrimp Festival starts October 7th and runs through October 10th on the main public beach in Gulf Shores. The festival is free to the public, offering over 300 arts and crafts vendors, two musical stages and a Children’s Activity Village. For more information, call 251-968-7220, or go to the website at www.nationalshrimpfestival.com.
Fish Offshore:
Many festival goers also will take offshore trips to fish on one or more of Alabama’s 5,000-plus artificial reefs. Because fishing was halted for most of the summer, due to the oil spill last spring, the reefs are loaded with big red snapper, averaging 8- to 12-pounds each, along with plenty of smaller snapper to keep rods bent all day. Red snapper fishing for catch and keep runs from Friday to Sunday until 12:01 am on November 22. But on those days you also can keep a limit of king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, triggerfish, vermilion snapper, amberjacks and other members of the snapper family, besides your limit of American red snapper. During the week, Mondays through Thursdays, you can catch and keep all these fish, except the American red snapper, which you must release on weekdays. The chances of catching a 15- to 20-pound-plus red snapper, having your picture taken with the fish and then releasing it are extremely good during the week. And, don’t forget how good all these fish are to eat. You can catch a mess of fish and have your fresh catch cooked by one of the many local restaurants that also will provide plenty of side dishes and drinks at reasonable prices. To learn more, click at Top 25+ Nightlife & Bars in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. For more information, call Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism at 1-800-745-SAND (7263), or visit Top 100+ Fishing Charters & Tours in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. To get the weekly fishing report, visit the “What’s Biting?” column athttp://www.orangebeach.com/fishing/biting/. For more information on fishing guides and charter boats, go to: Top 100+ Fishing Charters & Tours in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach