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Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report for May 1 – 7, 2026 – Part 2

May 1, 2026

This week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report featured Capt. Richard Rutland with Cold Blooded Fishing, Capt. Branden Collier with Capt. Collier’s Charters, and Chip Duepree from McCoy Outdoor Company. The big theme this week was that Alabama’s saltwater fishing is spreading out in a big way, with trout showing up from the upper bay to the barrier islands, flounder becoming a stronger target, redfish feeding aggressively along the beaches, and offshore anglers finding quality snapper, triggerfish, beeliners, and grouper.

Capt. Richard Rutland opened the report with a strong inshore update focused on speckled trout, flounder, and redfish. He explained how the dry spring has kept enough salinity in the north end of Mobile Bay to hold trout farther north than usual, while fish are also beginning to group up around the lower bay, Mississippi Sound, Dauphin Island, and the barrier islands. Capt. Branden Collier followed with a wide-ranging report covering trout on rocks and grass, free-lined shrimp around bay structure, nearshore Spanish mackerel, and offshore bottom fishing. Chip Duepree wrapped up the episode with a look at McCoy Outdoor Company’s long history in Mobile and the rods, reels, fly gear, lures, and local tackle they carry for Gulf Coast anglers.

Conditions Recap

Conditions across the Alabama coast are setting up for a strong late-spring bite. Capt. Richard Rutland said the lack of rain has kept salinity higher than usual in the northern part of Mobile Bay, and that has allowed trout, flounder, redfish, shrimp, and bait to remain farther north than anglers might normally expect this time of year. He also noted that some of the trout he has caught are already full of eggs, which suggests the spawning pattern is getting close.

Down south, trout are beginning to show up around Dauphin Island, the beaches, Mississippi Sound, grass beds, oyster shell, and likely some of the gas platforms. The upcoming May full moon should continue to push fish into more recognizable spring and early-summer areas. Bird schools are already producing in Mississippi Sound, and shrimp have been a major part of that pattern.

Wind is still a factor, but both captains emphasized that anglers should not let it completely shut them down. Capt. Rutland said a little wind actually helped one recent trip, turning on the bite after a slick-calm start. His advice was to use the wind to your advantage, fish protected shorelines, and make longer downwind casts to cover more water.

Offshore and nearshore, the water is pretty, Spanish mackerel are showing around nearshore structure, and red snapper are thick on many reefs even though snapper season is not open yet. Beeliners, triggerfish, and other bottom fish are feeding well, and Capt. Collier said snapper season looks promising based on the size and number of fish he has seen offshore.

Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound Inshore Report

Capt. Richard Rutland said he has been fishing a little bit of everything lately, but the north end of Mobile Bay has been one of the more interesting areas. The causeway area and nearby parts of the upper bay have produced trout, redfish, and especially flounder. The trout bite up that way has been a little more day-to-day, but the flounder fishing has stood out as one of the better surprises.

The dry winter and dry spring appear to be playing a major role. In a more typical year, heavy rain and river flow would push saltier water and many of these fish farther south by now. This year, with less freshwater flushing the system, there is still enough salinity up north to hold fish and bait. Richard said it is interesting to see trout full of eggs that far north, and he believes the habitat in that area could be very good for fry if those fish do spawn there.

At the same time, fish are also showing up down south. Richard said trout are being caught around Dauphin Island, on the beaches, up and down Mississippi Sound, over oyster shell, and around grass beds. He also expects some fish to be grouping around gas platforms. His overall message was that the coast is close to one of those windows when a lot of favorite spring and early-summer spots can suddenly turn on.

Bird schools have also been worth watching. Richard got on bird schools in Mississippi Sound where the trout were feeding on shrimp, and he said the key is to keep a bait in the water once the fish are around the boat. If anglers immediately start chasing the birds with the trolling motor, they may leave fish behind. When the fish are feeding around the boat, keep casting, keep the cork popping, and keep the school fired up. If everyone stops fishing to unhook, measure, or move around, the bite can fade and the school may have to be found again.

Products and gear mentioned in this section included popping corks, topwater plugs, MirrOlure, Slick Juniors, Little John XLs, quarter-ounce jigheads, and Pro-Cure. Richard specifically mentioned catching redfish on topwater, Slick Juniors, full-size Slicks, and Little John XLs in colors including Truth and Opening Night.

Redfish have been outstanding on the south end. Richard said one recent morning produced roughly 35 to 40 redfish by 9:30. The fish were right up on the shoreline on the Gulf side, so tight to the beach that anglers had to cast almost onto the sand and drag the lure back into the water to get bit. They were not picky, but the lure had to be in the right zone. The giveaway was mullet. When he found big schools of mullet pushed against a beach or marsh edge, there were often redfish or trout nearby.

Flounder are also becoming more consistent. Richard has found them around rock piles, jetties, wrecks, beaches, and steep drop-offs. On the beach and around southern structure, the best setup has been finding a sharp ledge where ankle-deep water quickly drops into four to six feet. Casting up onto the shallow side and working the lure down the break, or running it parallel to the ledge, has been the best approach.

One important flounder tip from Richard was to change angles if a spot looks right but does not produce. On one trip, he started by casting up-current and bringing the bait back with the flow but did not get bit. When he moved to the other side and worked the lure against the current, the bites started. His point was that a fishy area may still be holding fish even if the first casting angle does not work.

For marsh flounder fishing, Richard likes to start in search mode with a quarter-ounce or 3/8-ounce jighead, covering water until he gets a bite. Once a fish bites, he slows down and tries to understand why that fish was there. It could be a point, a small drain, oyster shell, a depth change, or another ambush spot. Around docks, rocks, and pilings, he often switches to a lighter jighead, such as 1/8-ounce or 3/16-ounce, because it glides more naturally and is easier to pop free when it hangs up.

Mobile Bay, Barrier Islands, Nearshore, and Offshore Report

Capt. Branden Collier said he has been all over the place lately, from Wade fishing around the barrier islands to fishing rocks in the bay, working deep-water structure with shrimp, and running offshore for bottom fish. His overall report was simple: fishing is really good right now.

Speckled trout have been scattered across a wide range of areas. Branden caught quality trout way up in the bay one day, then went to the barrier islands and Mississippi Sound the next day and caught them there too. Some of those trout have been heavy, including a six-pound fish from one of the barrier islands.

In the bay, Branden has been targeting rocks with bait nearby. On one trip, he started with topwater and had a few blowups, but the bite never fully committed. After moving along the rocks and finding a section with a little overflow into a back pond on a rising tide, he switched to a four-inch Z-Man Big BallerZ and immediately started catching trout and flounder. A 19-inch flounder came early, followed by more flounder in the 15- to 17-inch range.

Branden said the switch from topwater to subsurface made the difference. In shallow water, he worked the bait with a hop similar to how he would fish for flounder, but a little faster. He was throwing pearl white and noted that the fish were feeding on bait that matched that jerk shad-style profile. One fish spit up a croaker, and another spit up a squid. He also said he has seen more squid lately, likely due to the high salinity, and mentioned the Nomad Design Live Ops squid-style lures as an interesting option for anglers who want to imitate squid.

Branden also had success around Mobile Bay gas rigs and other vertical structure. He had not fished that pattern much since last year, but he looked at water temperatures, checked past photos, and decided it was time to try it again. When the current was light and there was a little chop, he preferred free-lining shrimp instead of fishing a slip cork. His rig was a small treble hook, 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon, and a split shot sized to the current. When possible, he goes as light as he can get away with.

Before stopping on a rig, Branden likes to use side scan or down scan to make a circle around the structure and confirm there are fish present. He does not need to see it completely loaded, but he wants to see something worth fishing. On this trip, free-lined shrimp produced a two-man limit of trout, with keepers from around 16 inches to over 20 inches. Overslot redfish were also around the structure, and they broke off several times before Branden tightened the drag and told his anglers to put more pressure on the fish early.

Products and gear mentioned in this inshore section included topwater plugs, four-inch Z-Man Big BallerZ, pearl white jerk shad-style soft plastics, Vudu Shrimp, popping corks, MirrOlure MirrOdines, 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon, size 8 treble hooks, split shots, free-lined shrimp, croakers, and squid-style lures.

Nearshore, Branden found quality Spanish mackerel around some of the rigs. It was not hot and heavy, but there were good Spanish in the area, along with plenty of spadefish. He also tried wacky jigs around pretty water for pompano, a pattern that worked for him last year, but did not find pompano on this particular trip.

Offshore, Branden ran about 25 to 30 miles with a friend from Archangel Marine and found a strong mixed bag in a short window. The trip produced a four-man limit of beeliners, giant triggerfish, a red grouper in 110 feet of water, a foul fish, and a red snapper that maxed out a 30-pound Boga Grip. He said the snapper are going to be strong this season, with some spots so loaded that baits could not even get halfway down before snapper came up to meet them.

For offshore bottom fishing, Branden said the snapper were eating just about anything. He was not targeting them because the season was not open, but they were hard to avoid. For grouper and bigger fish, he likes big live bait, including live croakers. For beeliners, he agreed that the bite has been outstanding. His best advice is to find either high-relief structure such as wrecks, barges, or big metal, or small low-relief bottom that does not mark a ton of red snapper. If a spot is loaded with red snapper, anglers may need to move until they find beeliners without constantly fighting through snapper.

Gear and bait mentioned in the offshore section included chicken rigs, small pieces of squid, circle hooks in the 2/0 to 3/0 range, live croakers, live bait, Fishbites squares, wacky jigs, Boga Grip, and offshore electronics. Branden said small squid pieces about the size of a thumbnail are important for beeliners and triggerfish. Big pieces of squid often just get picked apart. He also mentioned that Fishbites squares can work well because the mesh helps them stay on the hook through multiple fish.

Branden also gave a Wade fishing update from the barrier islands. Grass is starting to show up, and on clear sunny days anglers can see the grass and potholes well. He has been targeting bald spots and potholes in the grass by casting past them and working lures back through the open areas. Mullet were holding right over the grass, and every few minutes trout would push through and scatter them. The bigger trout have been shallower, while deeper casts produced more numbers in the 15- to 18-inch range.

Sharks have also been plentiful around the barrier islands. Branden mentioned wearing Sharkbanz around his ankle while Wade fishing, especially when carrying fish on a stringer. He said it gives him more confidence when sharks are around and is a smart piece of safety gear for anglers fishing those areas.

McCoy Outdoor Company Spotlight

Chip Duepree joined the show to talk about McCoy Outdoor Company, one of the newest sponsors of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report. McCoy has been part of the Mobile outdoor community since 1975, starting on Broad Street before moving through several locations and eventually landing at its current store on Spring Hill Avenue. Chip has been with McCoy for about 18 years and has deep roots in the local fishing community, including roughly 10 years of guiding around Dauphin Island with Bobby and Joey Abruscato.

Chip said McCoy’s connection to the local community is everything. The store has served generations of Mobile-area anglers, hunters, fly fishermen, and outdoorsmen, and the staff tries to stay current with the tackle, gear, and local knowledge people need before heading to the island, the Gulf, the bay, or the beach.

One thing that separates McCoy from ordering online is the ability to put rods and reels in your hands before buying. Chip said anglers can match a reel to a rod, feel the balance, compare options, and talk with staff who actually use the gear. That kind of first-hand help is hard to replace with a website.

Products and brands mentioned in this section included Shimano, Shimano Stradic spinning reels, Shimano Curado and Curado DC casting reels, G. Loomis, G. Loomis IMX-Pro Green, GCX Inshore, IMX-Pro, and NRX rods, St. Croix rods, St. Croix Triumph, Mojo Inshore, and Avid Inshore rods, Cashion rods, TFO travel rods, Zebco, Daiwa, Sage, Redington, R.L. Winston, Orvis, Nautilus reels, Bauer reels, Scientific Anglers, Z-Man, Z-Man ChatterBaits, Z-Man Prawn StarZ, Southern Salt, Coastal Brew Bait Company, Slick Lures, and Wapsi fly-tying materials.

McCoy carries traditional inshore and nearshore tackle, fly tackle, rods, reels, line, lures, terminal tackle, fly boxes, fly lines, leaders, tippet, and fly-tying supplies. Chip said the shop also carries firearms, optics, Sitka gear, and a strong hunting selection, though they do not carry camping gear. For anglers looking for local knowledge, new tackle, or a chance to compare gear before buying, McCoy remains a go-to stop in Mobile.

What to Expect This Week

The trout bite should continue to improve as the May full moon approaches. Fish are already showing from the upper bay to the islands, and if the weather allows, anglers should be able to find them around rocks, grass beds, bird schools, oyster shell, barrier island potholes, and bay structure. Topwater can still be a good search tool, but both Capt. Rutland and Capt. Collier showed that switching to subsurface soft plastics can turn a few strikes into a much better bite.

Flounder are becoming a more dependable part of the report. Look for steep drop-offs, marsh drains, ledges, rocks, jetties, wrecks, and structure with bait nearby. Cover water with heavier jigheads in open marsh areas, then slow down and fish lighter around rocks, docks, pilings, and tighter structure.

Redfish are feeding hard along the south end, especially where mullet are pushed against the beach or marsh. Anglers who find active bait should be ready with topwater plugs, Slicks, Little John XLs, and similar soft plastics. Offshore, beeliners, triggerfish, grouper, and other bottom species are worth targeting when the weather opens up, and red snapper season looks like it could be strong based on the number and size of fish showing on offshore reefs.