This week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report with host Butch Thierry covers a mixed-bag pattern shift: a tough trout bite, strong sheepshead opportunities in clean water, and plenty of bull reds on the beach flats. Capt. Branden Collier of Capt. Collier Charters, Drew Giles, and Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore Charters break down what’s working right now and how to build a Plan B (and C) when specks won’t cooperate.
Conditions Recap
Expect winter volatility. Offshore, tuna pushed in closer than summertime, but boats ran long distances to get on them and ran into heavy shark pressure. Inshore and in the tidal rivers, low water and strong north winds have made running some areas tougher, and the most consistent theme has been finding clean water (often several feet of visibility) plus enough current movement to turn the bite on. Water temperatures ranged from the low 50s at the island early to about 70°F offshore, while river trout zones were described in the high 40s during the cold stretch, with fish sliding deeper and sticking closer to the bottom.
Offshore: Tuna Run Meets Shark City (Capt. Branden Collier)
Collier made a long run (about 90 miles one way) chasing tuna and found plenty of life—along with acres of sharks blasting pogie schools. The best reports were early, and by the time they arrived the bite window had largely passed, with sharks even eating poppers and swim baits. His main takeaway for anyone wanting to try: be in position at daybreak, bring binoculars to work birds, and don’t run-and-gun right on top of the fish if the fleet is stacked up—ease in, read the direction of travel, and cast ahead of the school when possible.
When the tuna plan went sideways, they pivoted to meat fishing on natural bottom in roughly 200–250 feet. Collier leaned on a Seymour mapping chip to identify bottom relief, then confirmed life on the sounder before dropping. The most efficient “fill the box” setup was simple: squid on a two-hook rig with circle hooks and heavy bank sinkers (around 10 ounces) to stay pinned when current picked up. The payoff was a mixed bag including porgies, lane snapper, and tilefish.
Beach Flats: Bull Reds by the Hundreds (Capt. Branden Collier)
With speckled trout being inconsistent, Collier’s most fun bite was sight fishing giant schools of bull reds roaming shallow flats near the barrier islands. He used a drone to confirm just how many fish were present, then worked the schools on sunny, clear-water days when visibility was good enough to spot “dark patches” and position for a lead cast.
For lures, Collier likes smaller, finesse-style profiles when fish get picky—especially buoyant ElaZtech-style baits that can “dead stick” and still look alive in current. Examples mentioned were Z-Man options like the Trout Trick, Thick Trick, and a shrimp profile, rigged light enough to present naturally. Black drum were also present in schools, but far more finicky than the reds; they often slid off baits even with careful lead casts and slow retrieves.
Inshore: Sheepshead in Clean Water (Drew Giles)
Giles stayed on a sheepshead pattern but had to adjust around wind, low tides, and dirtier water in parts of Mobile Bay and the Delta after rain. The consistent trend has been hunting clean water (roughly two feet or better visibility; he noted around four feet in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach zone on a recent trip), then fishing structure while staying as protected from the wind as possible. Rather than camping one “money spot” all day, he recommends bouncing around until you locate the right combination of depth, current, and water quality.
His go-to bait has been fiddler crabs, and the key rigging tweak was going lighter to reduce hang-ups on oysters and rough bottom. Instead of heavier sheepshead jigheads wedging into shell, he shifted to a split shot and a small hook (mosquito hook or circle hook) so the crab rides a little more naturally and the weight is the main contact point. He prefers setting up down-current and fishing near bottom, bouncing the bait rather than letting it sit completely still. The slowest days tended to line up with minimal tidal movement or a harsh post-front swing; when current was moving—especially around bigger bridges with deeper water and heavier flow—the bite improved dramatically.
Tidal Rivers: Trout Search, Then Switch Gears (Capt. Shane Traylor)
Traylor’s trout report matched what many anglers are feeling: more slow days than “on fire” days, with lots of slaps and short strikes on artificials. On charter trips he starts with trout early, but quickly transitions to other targets when the fish won’t commit. The biggest difference-maker for him has been committing to electronics before committing to a spot.
In shallow water (around five to six feet and less), he leans on side scan to search a wide zone off the boat for bait, shadows, and fish marks—because down imaging is looking at too small a cone and often shows you what’s already been spooked. As he moves into deeper pockets (10–20 feet), he switches to down imaging and traditional sonar to find what he calls “footballs” (fish marks). Before the coldest stretch, he saw trout suspended mid-column; during the colder water (high 40s), he found them stacked closer to bottom along the deeper parts of the main channel rather than only in the very deepest holes.
When fish are pinned near bottom, his approach is slow and controlled: quarter-ounce to three-eighths-ounce jigs (he goes as light as conditions allow), long drops to get straight down, then gentle “pop-pop” hops to stay about a foot off bottom. He’ll drag occasionally, but prefers to avoid constant snags. Lure and color notes leaned natural in the clear water: a “mad mullet” look, with mentions of Pure Flats Slick-style baits, Coastal Brew’s Deceiver paddle tail, MirrOlure’s Heavy Dine, and a classic Zoom Super Fluke in baby bass (often trimmed slightly to fit the head better and sometimes creating a shorter profile that can help when fish are picky).
Plan B and C have been productive. For redfish, he targets cover and “purpose” structure in tidal rivers—stumps, laydowns, docks, and older pilings with visible barnacle growth—especially where the channel swings tight to a cutaway bank. He’s leaned on the “cheat code” of live shrimp when needed, but noted dead shrimp can be just as effective. Around docks at slack tide, sheepshead have been chewing, and he’s also been picking up flounder as consistent bycatch on the same shrimp-and-split-shot presentations. He also mentioned a swing-style jig head with a swivel and octopus hook (a great crossover terminal setup for vertical dock fishing, bull minnows, and flounder-style presentations).
