– Advertisement / Advertise with Us –

Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report for August 14 – 20, 2026

August 14, 2026

On this week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, host Butch Thierry is joined in studio by Dr. Dylan Kiene, AKA Dr. Doormat, for a wide-ranging late-August report covering cobia and tripletail research, nearshore red snapper, speckled trout, flounder, redfish, deep-drop grouper, swordfish, and offshore electronics. The episode also features Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle, Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing, Capt. King Marchand of Capt. Mike’s Deep Sea Fishing, and Mitchell Smith of Pike Consulting Group.

Dylan explains a new Gulf-wide cobia and tripletail tagging project that is using conventional reward tags, acoustic transmitters, and eventually satellite tags to learn how these fish move across state lines. Chris reports surprisingly good nearshore red snapper fishing around Perdido Pass, hot-water flats tactics for redfish and trout, plenty of smaller flounder along the beach, and a recent Louisiana trip that produced a 100-pound-class cubera snapper. Patric has found nearshore snapper on live pogies, strong speckled trout action, improving flounder opportunities, and productive tripletail fishing while helping with the tagging project. Offshore, King says the tuna bite has been unusually poor, but daytime swordfish, deep-drop grouper, triggerfish, and beeliners are providing excellent alternatives. Mitchell closes the show with a boating-safety discussion and a look at how Pike Consulting Group helps businesses build stronger workplace safety and OSHA-compliance programs.

Conditions Recap

Mid-August conditions are being defined by extreme heat, relatively light wind on many mornings, very warm inshore water, and slowly improving water clarity. Dylan reported water temperatures around 91 degrees in the Mississippi Sound, while Chris Vecsey has seen shallow inshore water reach roughly 93 degrees. Those temperatures are making fish noticeably more lethargic on the flats and increasing the value of smaller, subtler presentations.

Nearshore and offshore water quality is beginning to look more encouraging. Chris has seen clean water pushing closer to the barrier islands and Perdido Pass, and Butch reported large numbers of flying fish farther offshore. The amount of bait and improving clarity suggest the coast could be setting up for a productive fall if favorable current continues pushing cleaner, higher-salinity water toward the beach.

Current has been inconsistent and remains one of the biggest variables. Chris found nearshore red snapper noticeably easier to catch when there was enough current and bait movement to activate the fish. Capt. Patric Garmeson has also benefited from moderate current around nearshore gas platforms because it allows chum and live baits to remain in the productive zone without being swept away too quickly.

Inshore, speckled trout continue to be one of the most dependable fisheries of the summer. Flounder numbers are encouraging, although many of the fish being caught along the beach are undersized. Redfish have been less consistent in some areas. Offshore, the tuna fishery remains unusually slow, while sharks have made some rig fishing difficult. The bright spot has been swordfish, with Capt. King Marchand calling the daytime bite one of the best he has seen.

Cobia and Tripletail Tagging Project With Dr. Dylan Kiene

Dr. Dylan Kiene says one of the most important projects underway this summer is a Gulf-wide effort to learn more about cobia and tripletail movement, survival, reproduction, and fishery dynamics. The project is funded through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and involves researchers and anglers in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

Both species remain relatively data limited despite supporting popular recreational fisheries across the Gulf. Dylan says that is one reason the project is especially important. Cobia and tripletail routinely move across state boundaries, so understanding what happens to a fish tagged in Alabama may require tracking it hundreds of miles away months later.

Some fish are being fitted with conventional high-dollar reward tags along with acoustic transmitters. Dylan says the tripletail acoustic tags are designed to operate for roughly three years, while the cobia transmitters can last for roughly six years. Some fish are also expected to receive satellite tags, which can provide another layer of movement data.

Anglers who catch a tagged fish can play a major role in the project. Dylan says anglers should follow the instructions on the tag and report the recapture. The conventional reward tags can be removed and returned for the stated reward even if the fish is released. If a tagged fish is harvested, researchers also want the acoustic transmitter returned so it can potentially be redeployed in another fish.

Early recaptures are already showing just how mobile these species can be. Dylan says some tagged cobia and tripletail have moved surprising distances in very short periods, reinforcing how important Gulf-wide cooperation is when studying and managing these fisheries.

Research equipment discussed in this segment included conventional reward tags, acoustic transmitters, and satellite tags.

Orange Beach, Perdido Pass, Nearshore Red Snapper, Flounder, Redfish, and Speckled Trout Report With Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle

Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle recently returned from a 36-hour Louisiana trip that produced one of the biggest fish of his life. Fishing heavy tackle in roughly 300 feet of water, the crew landed two large cubera snapper, including a fish in the 100-pound class, along with marble grouper and other deepwater species. Both cubera and the marble grouper were successfully released with a descending device.

The heavy-bait setup for cubera fishing was built around Shimano Talica 50 reels, extremely heavy leader material, and large natural baits. Chris says anglers targeting these fish have to be prepared to lose tackle while working through amberjack, barracuda, and other species before getting the bite they want.

The same trip produced an excellent queen snapper bite in more than 600 feet of water. Chris says the most productive jig was the JYG Pro Strike 340-gram jig in White Crackle. Queen snapper were often suspended well above bottom and would intercept the jig during the drop. Unlike many deep-drop species, they continued fighting all the way back to the boat.

Back home in Alabama, Chris has been surprised by the quality of red snapper available close to shore. On a recent trip he caught legal snapper around Perdido Pass, including a fish around 20 inches, without making a traditional offshore run. Live LYs worked, but fresh strips of ladyfish were also effective because the larger bait helped discourage some of the smaller fish competing for food.

In the cleaner nearshore water, Chris was using approximately 20-pound leader. He believes 30-pound material would still produce bites, but lighter leader can be valuable when the water clears and fish become more cautious.

The shallow-water pattern has been more difficult because of the heat. Redfish and speckled trout are still available on the flats, but fish can become extremely lethargic when water temperatures reach the low 90s. Chris recommends downsizing to subtler presentations such as Bugs jigs, Ned-style shrimp baits, and other small soft plastics. Dylan added that translucent soft plastics with light metallic fleck can outperform louder colors during the hottest periods.

Flounder remain available along the beach and on the Eastern Shore. Chris says anglers can catch good numbers by working soft plastics through the first troughs in the surf, although a large percentage of the fish are currently below the legal size. He views the number of young fish as a positive sign for the future and expects larger fish to become more common as September approaches.

Products and gear discussed in this report included Shimano Talica 50 reels, 200-pound-class line and leader, JYG Pro Strike 340-gram jigs in White Crackle, slow-pitch jigs, descending devices, 20- to 30-pound leader, Bugs jigs, Ned-style shrimp baits, translucent soft plastics, live LYs, and fresh cut ladyfish.

Mobile Bay, Nearshore Red Snapper, Tripletail, Speckled Trout, Flounder, and Shark Report With Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing

Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing has been covering a large section of the coast from Dog River and Fairhope south to Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and nearshore structure inside roughly nine miles. His recent trips have focused on keeping rods bent and showing clients a variety of species rather than becoming locked into a single target.

The nearshore gas platforms have been especially productive. Patric has caught quality red snapper up to roughly 13 pounds, with live pogies clearly producing his best bites. Live croakers are useful for adding variety to the baitwell, and larger live shrimp can also be productive depending on the day.

Patric likes to keep one pogie freelined or use only a small split shot when current allows. Most of the snapper have come on a simple Carolina rig with roughly 1.5- to 2-ounce weights, a two-foot leader, and a 4/0 to 6/0 circle hook. He has been using relatively light nearshore tackle, including 5000- to 6000-size spinning reels, 30-pound braid, and approximately 40- to 50-pound leader.

Sharks have added another layer of action around the platforms. Patric’s clients recently encountered spinner sharks, blacktips, a large finetooth shark, and an estimated eight-foot hammerhead. He also harvested a couple of Atlantic sharpnose sharks. When keeping a legal shark, he recommends bleeding and icing the fish immediately. Dylan noted that soaking shark meat briefly in buttermilk can help mellow the flavor before cooking.

Patric also joined Dylan and the research crew for tripletail tagging. The group used both live shrimp and pogies, but the best bites came on live pogies beneath slip corks. Electronics helped them see how fish were positioned around structure and how other tripletail reacted after a hooked fish was lost or broken off.

The tripletail work reinforced one of Patric’s longtime observations: breaking a fish off can sometimes shut down an entire school. He has seen the same behavior with redfish. Catching and releasing a fish may not stop the bite, but a fish that breaks the line appears capable of changing the behavior of nearby fish almost immediately.

Speckled trout have been the most dependable inshore target. Patric has caught them on slip corks with live shrimp and then switched successfully to the Pure Flats SLICK Jr. once the school is active. Trout have also been striking Z-Man soft plastics while he is targeting flounder. Many of the trout have been quality fish in the 18- to 20-inch range.

Flounder have remained productive whenever Patric slows down and works baits near bottom. Redfish, however, have been frustratingly inconsistent this summer. Rather than forcing the redfish bite, he is waiting for them to begin appearing more regularly as bycatch around his trout and flounder areas before shifting more trips specifically toward them.

Products and gear discussed in this report included live pogies, live croakers, live shrimp, Carolina rigs, 1.5- to 2-ounce sinkers, 4/0 to 6/0 circle hooks, 5000- to 6000-size spinning reels, 30-pound braid, 40- to 50-pound leader, slip corks, Pure Flats SLICK Jr., and Z-Man soft plastics.

Dauphin Island Offshore Swordfish, Grouper, Triggerfish, Beeliner, and Tuna Report With Capt. King Marchand

Capt. King Marchand says the traditional late-summer tuna pattern has not developed the way he expects. August through October is normally one of his favorite windows for tuna, but yellowfin and blackfin have been unusually hard to locate for the past several months. Heavy shark pressure around offshore rigs has made the situation even more difficult.

Instead of burning time waiting on a tuna bite that may not happen, King has been building overnight trips around red snapper, triggerfish, deep-drop grouper, and swordfish. Snowy grouper and yellowedge grouper have been productive in approximately 600 to 700 feet of water, while daytime swordfishing has been exceptional.

King says the biggest factor separating productive swordfish trips from frustrating ones is understanding the electronics. In extremely deep water, a swordfish rarely appears as the clean, obvious mark anglers expect from a snapper or amberjack. Instead, he looks for small anomalies, scattered dots, diagonal marks, bait concentrations, and subtle changes near the bottom that do not match the surrounding water column.

Because the transducer cone covers such a wide area at depth, the fish may be well away from the boat even when a mark appears on the screen. King says anglers have to spend enough time studying their sonar to develop confidence in what those subtle marks mean.

His basic daytime setup includes a tip rod and a buoy rod, often using a sacrificial weight to get the bait down cleanly. Squid and eel remain dependable swordfish baits. King does not like aggressively teasing the bait away when a fish first starts biting. With hundreds of feet of leader and more than 1,000 feet of water between the angler and the fish, he would rather leave the bait in the strike zone long enough for the swordfish to fully commit.

King has also experimented with rattlers and other vibration-producing additions to swordfish rigs. Dylan noted that swordfish have relatively small ear structures but large lateral lines, raising the possibility that vibration may be an important sensory cue in deep water.

Deep-drop grouper have been productive when King takes time to search for smaller areas that show only a few strong fish marks rather than large fuzzy clouds close to bottom. He recommends fishing a productive spot for roughly 20 minutes, then moving once the fish stop biting even if they remain visible on sonar. Returning to the area later can produce another quick flurry.

For bait, King prefers durable offerings that can survive the trip to the bottom, including hardtails with the tail clipped, butterflied white snapper, and bonito fillets. He generally avoids fragile live baits such as cigar minnows for deep drops because they may not reach bottom in good condition.

Beeliner fishing has also improved. King says anglers do not need a giant reef to find good vermilion snapper. Even very small pieces of structure can hold them in the right area. After filling a red snapper limit, he recommends downsizing to small hooks and small pieces of squid for beeliners and triggerfish.

Products and gear discussed in this report included deepwater sonar and fishfinder electronics, tip rods, buoy rods, sacrificial weights, squid, eel, rattlers, hardtails, white snapper fillets, bonito fillets, small beeliner hooks, and small squid baits.

Boating Safety and OSHA Compliance With Mitchell Smith of Pike Consulting Group

Mitchell Smith, president of Pike Consulting Group, joined the show for a special safety segment. Mitchell is an Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report listener and recently spent time fishing with Butch and Tanner, where several previous podcast safety discussions convinced him to make changes to his own boat.

One of those changes was consistently wearing his engine kill switch. He also added a Garmin inReach satellite communicator to his offshore safety gear. Mitchell shared a real-world example from the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo when a family member received an urgent alert while the boat was roughly 13 miles offshore. The inReach allowed the crew to contact family onshore even though normal cellular communication was unreliable.

Mitchell also uses SiriusXM Marine weather on his chartplotter for offshore radar and lightning information, and he carries a well-stocked ditch bag with food, water, signaling equipment, an emergency beacon, rope, lights, and other survival gear. His 24-foot Everglades is also equipped with a Seakeeper Ride system, which Butch says made a noticeable difference in rough-water ride quality.

The second half of the conversation focused on Pike Consulting Group and workplace safety. Mitchell says Pike works primarily with construction, manufacturing, industrial, and other small- to medium-sized businesses that need help understanding workplace safety requirements, training employees, documenting that training, developing written safety programs, and improving overall safety culture.

Mitchell emphasized that employers should not wait until an injury, employee complaint, or OSHA inspection occurs before addressing safety. Pike helps companies develop environmental, health, and safety programs, document employee training, perform assessments, build job-safety procedures, and respond when regulatory issues arise.

His biggest recommendation for business owners is to start with the basics: determine whether the company has a written safety or EHS program, confirm that employees have been trained for the work they perform, and make sure the training is properly documented. He also stresses that safety culture has to begin with ownership and upper management rather than being treated as something workers are expected to manage on their own.

Pike Consulting Group offers a no-obligation consultation for businesses that want to evaluate where they currently stand and identify areas that need attention.

Products and safety equipment discussed in this segment included a Garmin inReach satellite communicator, SiriusXM Marine weather, engine kill switch, ditch bag, emergency beacon, strobe and signaling equipment, and the Seakeeper Ride system.