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Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report for August 7 – 13, 2026

August 9, 2026

On this week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, host Butch Thierry covers an improving August fishing pattern across the Alabama Gulf Coast with David Thornton, known as the Pier Pounder, Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters, and Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore Charters. After weeks of rough water, suspended sediment, unusual wind patterns, and a very weak neap tide, the coast is beginning to settle back into a more typical midsummer rhythm.

David reports improving water clarity and better prospects for Spanish mackerel, pompano, whiting, speckled trout, flounder, and other pier and surf species. Offshore, Capt. Kendall is seeing red grouper pushed into a wide depth range, steady trolling action, mahi opportunities, and manageable current on the bottom-fishing grounds. Inshore, Capt. Shane reports excellent flounder numbers, dependable puppy drum action, more tripletail sightings, and scattered but encouraging redfish and speckled trout opportunities.

Conditions Recap

Conditions are finally trending in a more favorable direction along the Alabama Gulf Coast. The water has been slow to recover after the recent tropical system stirred the Gulf with large waves and left heavy suspended sediment behind. A weak neap tide then limited water movement and slowed the clearing process even more. David Thornton says the water has now improved a little each day, and the clearing trend should continue as tidal movement strengthens.

The upcoming pattern looks much more typical for August, with lighter south and southeast winds, a better morning tide window, and isolated summertime showers rather than widespread squall lines. The stronger tidal range should create an early rising-water opportunity before the heat builds, followed by another potential feeding window late in the day as current slows near low tide and the sun drops lower.

Water clarity is improving in the surf, the Sound, and nearshore Gulf waters. Butch also reported a productive recent morning with Capt. Branden Collier and Greg Sample of Slick Lures, where speckled trout responded well to topwater baits and Slick Lures before the crew switched to flounder fishing. Offshore, Capt. Kendall said the water has generally been green rather than cobalt blue, but it improves with distance from shore and has supported mahi, flying fish, mackerel, and other pelagic activity.

August heat is still a factor, but recent mornings have felt less oppressive, and the combination of calmer wind, improved water movement, and clearing water should give anglers more options from the beach to offshore reefs. Thunderstorms remain possible, so anglers fishing exposed beaches, piers, and open Gulf water should continue watching radar and avoiding cells that contain lightning.

Gulf State Park Pier, Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel, and Surf Fishing Report With David Thornton

David Thornton, the Pier Pounder, says shore and pier anglers have been waiting for the Gulf to clear after the tropical system stirred up the bottom and left the water unusually dingy. The combination of suspended sediment, west wind, weak tidal movement, jellyfish, and drifting spaghetti bryozoan made fishing difficult, but each day has recently looked better.

At the Gulf State Park Pier, David found Spanish mackerel early in the morning even while the water was still dirty. The mackerel bite faded after sunrise, but blue runners, ladyfish, spadefish, pinfish, and other mixed-bag species kept rods bent. He emphasized that midsummer fishing often rewards anglers who stay flexible instead of becoming locked into one target species. Blue runners can be bled and iced immediately for food, while ladyfish can also be used for fish cakes or other preparations.

The beach report is improving as well. Anglers have been picking up occasional pompano and good whiting, while Fort Morgan has produced bull redfish and large jack crevalle. Speckled trout and flounder remain possible around cuts, troughs, points, sandbar edges, and other areas where bait collects. David expects pompano and whiting to remain viable around Dauphin Island, including the West End and Pelican Peninsula, as the water continues to settle.

One of the most important post-storm adjustments is to rescout the beach. Large waves can completely reshape sandbars, cuts, troughs, points, and drop-offs. David recommends stopping near the dune line before setting up and reading the surf. Look for where waves break across a bar, where they stop breaking over deeper cuts, and where the trough or backside of the sandbar creates a natural gathering point for bait and predators.

When the first location does not produce, anglers should decide whether to change bait, move 50 yards down the beach, or relocate to a completely different access point. In post-storm conditions, a historically productive spot may no longer have the same bottom structure it had before the waves arrived.

David expects Spanish mackerel fishing to improve again at the state pier as bait returns and water clarity increases. An incoming tide around daybreak should also improve the chances at Perdido Pass. Tarpon season is past its historical peak, but fish are still being hooked from Florida Panhandle piers, so Alabama pier anglers may still get another opportunity as conditions improve.

For lure fishing along the beach, David likes a half-ounce silver casting spoon such as a Mr. Champ or Acme Kastmaster. He often fishes the spoon on six-pound monofilament tied directly to a snap swivel. With braid, he recommends adding roughly a foot and a half to two feet of light monofilament before the snap swivel. The light presentation produces more bites, especially when Spanish mackerel, trout, bluefish, and other predators are feeding on very small bait.

Low-light periods remain especially important. The blue hour around daylight can produce fast action, and cloud cover can extend that window. David has also seen afternoon rain temporarily recreate dawn-like lighting conditions and trigger trout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish on topwater baits even during the middle of the day.

Products and gear discussed in this report included half-ounce silver spoons, Mr. Champ spoons, Acme Kastmaster spoons, six-pound monofilament, light monofilament leaders, snap swivels, and topwater lures for low-light surf and pier fishing.

Orange Beach Offshore, Red Grouper, Red Snapper, Mahi, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, and Bottom Fishing Report With Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters

Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters has been running a mix of short trips, full-day trips, snapper trips, and trolling opportunities out of Orange Beach. He says the recent tropical system appears to have helped shake up the offshore fishery without sending a major amount of dirty freshwater onto the grounds.

One of the most noticeable changes has been an increase in red grouper. Kendall has been seeing them primarily south and southeast of Orange Beach in depths ranging from roughly 70 feet to around 165 feet. Many are undersized, but legal fish are mixed in, and the numbers have been encouraging compared with areas farther west.

The overall water color has been green but fishable, with better water farther offshore. On a recent trip approximately 40 miles out, Kendall’s crew found free-swimming mahi. Flying fish have also been visible beyond roughly 30 miles, which he considers a positive sign for pelagic activity.

Current has been manageable on the bottom-fishing grounds Kendall has worked recently. In the depths he has been fishing, 10- to 12-ounce sinkers have generally been enough to reach bottom. He has not needed the much heavier weights that can make bottom fishing difficult for charter customers.

Nearshore trolling has also been productive. Kendall is seeing a shallow thermocline close to shore, with more consistent marks and bites once the boat moves beyond that layer into better water. Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bonito, and other trolling fish have all been available, with bait and bird activity helping identify productive stretches.

Kendall varies the trolling spread based on what the fish have preferred over the previous few days. He uses size-one and size-two planers, spoons in several colors, and small dusters. Hot pink has been productive, along with blue and green. Farther offshore, he mixes larger wahoo lures with smaller dusters so the spread can still catch smaller mahi while remaining capable of drawing a strike from a larger pelagic fish.

When a school of mahi appears, Kendall recommends avoiding panic and keeping the fish engaged. His crew throws a small amount of bait into the water immediately, gets the fish feeding, then rigs rods and anglers while the school remains around the boat. If possible, keeping one hooked fish in the water can also help hold the school nearby. The same general principle can apply to amberjack.

Bottom fishing requires the same level of adjustment. Instead of simply stopping directly over a waypoint, Kendall watches the direction of the wind and current and positions the boat so the anglers’ lines actually reach the productive portion of the reef or natural bottom. Sometimes moving only a short distance on a larger area can turn a slow stop into a productive one.

He also cautions against leaving too quickly when the sonar shows fish but the crew has not started catching. Charter clients may need time to adjust to the bite, current, depth, and tackle. If baits are being stolen or fish are showing on the machine, staying patient and making a small positional move can be better than immediately running to another reef.

Products and gear discussed in this report included 10- to 12-ounce bottom-fishing weights, size-one and size-two planers, trolling spoons in hot pink, blue, and green, small trolling dusters, larger wahoo lures, light tackle for mahi, bottom-fishing rigs, and live or cut bait used to hold schooling pelagic fish near the boat.

Mobile Bay Inshore, Flounder, Puppy Drum, Tripletail, Redfish, and Speckled Trout Report With Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore Charters

Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore Charters says the inshore bite took a little extra work immediately after the storm, but the fishery bounced back quickly. He has been spending less time on dedicated trout trips and more time targeting redfish, flounder, tripletail, and puppy drum as the summer heat builds.

Flounder have been one of the strongest patterns. On a recent trip, Shane and his client put 16 flounder in the boat by around 9:00 to 9:30 in the morning. Many of the fish have been small, but the overall numbers are encouraging, and Shane believes the abundance of smaller fish is a positive sign for the fishery.

Most of the flounder have come around hard structure on paddle-tail jigs in natural colors. Shane also experimented with a much larger hot-pink Gambler Flapp’n Shad in an effort to discourage smaller fish and draw a larger bite. The change in both size and color immediately produced his biggest flounder opportunity of the day, although the fish came unhooked beside the boat.

Flounder bites have not all felt the same. Some fish strike hard, while others simply make the lure feel heavy or cause the line to begin moving sideways. Shane recommends paying close attention to the line and setting the hook whenever something feels wrong. His simple rule for clients is that casts and hooksets are free, so when in doubt, swing.

Puppy drum have been a dependable fallback species, especially on trips with children or anglers who simply want consistent action. Shane has been finding them around rocks, concrete, submerged structure, barnacle-covered cover, and areas loaded with small crabs, minnows, mullet, and pogies. Live shrimp has been the primary bait.

In shallow water, he will fish shrimp under a cork. Around deeper or harder cover, he prefers a simple hook with a relatively large split shot rather than a heavy Carolina rig pinned tightly to bottom. The lighter presentation can be hopped naturally across the structure while reducing some of the snags and breakoffs associated with rough cover.

Tripletail, often called blackfish locally, have also been showing well. Shane says he has seen more free-swimming fish this season than he can remember. On one recent trip, he ran over a fish in open water, stopped to search the area, and then spent several hours finding additional tripletail around floating debris and nearby habitat without needing to leave a relatively small zone.

Pogies have been an important clue when searching for tripletail. Shane has found concentrations of fish around areas holding large amounts of bait, and in stained water the dark fish can be surprisingly visible near the surface. He also noted that good polarized lenses matter when sight fishing and said his Smith fishing sunglasses have helped him pick out fish that others in the boat were not seeing.

One buoy produced a roughly 15-pound tripletail after Shane and his client worked through several depths with a slip cork. They began shallow and gradually moved the bait deeper until the fish committed. Other free-swimming tripletail have been much more difficult, sometimes following a shrimp without eating it and refusing repeated presentations.

Redfish have been less predictable. Shane has seen plenty of very small fish along with occasional pockets of quality reds. On one recent trip, his crew found a concentrated group of approximately 20-inch redfish holding along the edge of shade near structure. The fish occupied an extremely small feeding zone, and casts only a few feet outside that area went untouched.

Speckled trout produced one of the biggest surprises of the week. During a recent afternoon trip, Shane stopped around an old wreck in roughly 10 feet of water at about 2:30 p.m., when sunlight was high and tide movement was limited. A live shrimp under a cork was immediately eaten by a quality trout, followed by another fish on a small paddle tail. The crew stayed and continued catching trout through the afternoon, including heavy female fish followed later by males.

For late-summer inshore fishing, Shane recommends keeping live bait available. Shrimp is the most versatile choice, croakers remain valuable for trout, and live pogies can completely change a big-trout bite when fish are keyed on larger forage. With artificials, he generally recommends staying toward the smaller end of the size range until the fish show a reason to upsize.

Products and gear discussed in this report included natural-color paddle tails, the hot-pink Gambler Flapp’n Shad, live shrimp, croakers, live pogies, popping corks, slip corks, split-shot rigs, small paddle tails, topwater lures, and Smith polarized fishing sunglasses.