This week, host Butch Thierry checks in with Capt. King Marchand, Capt. Shane Traylor, and Chris Vecsey for an action-packed Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report.
Conditions Recap
Co-host Angelo DePaola of The Coastal Connection reports crystal-clear water and high salinity thanks to limited rain. Bait is thick—LYs, pogies, and finger mullet in marinas, along grass lines, and at creek mouths. The same clear, blue water is pushed in close along the beach, helping pelagics slide shallow. Cooler mornings, light crowds, and clouds of bait have fired up the bite from the Causeway to blue water. Expect strong inshore action for redfish, trout, and flounder, plus nearshore shots at cobia, triple tail, and the occasional sailfish. Offshore, blackfin and yellowfin tuna are chewing, with wahoo strikes mixed in.
Offshore Report with Capt. King Marchand
Capt. King Marchand of Capt. Mike’s Deep Sea Fishing is sliding into fall with variety and volume. Blue water is very close—roughly 7–8 miles—and even short trips are producing. On a recent eight-hour, the crew boxed a wahoo and raised more bites; nearby boats reported the same.
Tuna: Nighttime blackfin action is hot, with sunrise yellowfin feeds developing after a brief early-light lull. King hunts for individual “pencil marks” on the sounder, then camps on them rather than spot-hopping. Fewer freebies are more: tossing 8–10 live baits out-performs “chum dumping” 50–60 at once. Watch for frigate birds sliding off the up-current side of rigs—he’s consistently found yellowfin under them.
Wahoo: Pull a purple/black Islander (Flasher series) behind a ~16-oz trolling lead at ~12 knots. Quality skirts matter—cheap copies tangle and mat after a few days. With blue water stretched across depths, he’s had strikes from 80 to 200 feet; troll between bottom spots and slow down around grass, birds, or debris.
Amberjack: Close-in reefs are so bait-rich that AJs can be picky. For more consistent bites, push to larger structures 40+ miles out when weather allows.
Inshore & Nearshore Report with Chris Vecsey
From creek mouths to 12 miles out in a skiff, Chris Vecsey of Sam’s Bait & Tackle covered it all this week. Calm seas let him chase sailfish (one ate a skipping ballyhoo), a 40+ lb cobia that finally crushed a dark swimbait after dozens of presentations, and triple tail on floating debris. Nearshore reefs held bonita and amberjack, with Spanish mackerel and bluefish along the jetties.
Grass-flat game: Reds are stacked in 1–2 feet along sawgrass and needle rush, especially with moving water. Chris leans on wake baits for search duty—the Southern Salt “Goat” and Berkley WakeBull—noting that action and vibration matter more than color. Expect incidental trout and the odd flounder on these baits. When water dirties or light is low, a steady “throw-and-reel” cadence covers water quickly.
Snook update: Tagging efforts continue with the Sea Lab. Many local fish run 16–24 inches, but larger breeders are cruising flats and pier lines. Target current-swept points, creek mouths, and grass-edge potholes. Proven lures include 3–3.5″ jerkbaits like the Berkley Cutter and Rapala X-Rap; topwaters and plastics also produce.
Inshore Report with Capt. Shane Traylor
Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore Charters has bounced from the north end of Mobile Bay to Mississippi Sound, keying on areas with obvious life—mullet, pogies, glass minnows, and even seed shrimp flipping in deeper stretches. When you see life, fish it; if it’s dead, keep moving.
Redfish & flounder: Some days shrimp profiles out-fish live pogies by a mile. Shane’s crews have done work with pre-rigged shrimp (e.g., Savage Gear Manic Shrimp) when fish get selective. Flounder are showing in traditional fall lanes near river mouths and along current seams.
Trout & white trout: Plastics are shining over mid-bay structure. A Little Slick on a jig head (the bright chartreuse “Swamp Thing” color) has been a difference-maker. In 8–12 feet, water movement is critical; bites often spike during solunar majors/minors, so plan stops around those windows when you can.
Triple tail: Still around crab-trap lines, cans, and channel markers, with bigger fish likely into October. Run the lines while transiting and pick off the low-hanging fruit.
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