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Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report for May 8 – 14, 2026

May 8, 2026

This week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report featured Riley Ludlam, Capt. Richard Rutland of Cold Blooded Fishing, and Capt. Tanner Deas of Dauphin Island Fishing Charters.

The big theme this week was flexibility. Riley broke down a strong Dauphin Island beach trip where a low tide forced him to adjust until the water rose enough to make the right troughs and dropoffs productive. Capt. Richard Rutland shared the story behind Riley’s first swordfish, a major offshore catch made even more meaningful because it contributed to ongoing Gulf swordfish research. Capt. Tanner Deas closed the report with a detailed inshore and nearshore update from Dauphin Island, where trout, redfish, flounder, puppy drum, pompano, Spanish mackerel, and oversized whiting are all part of the same spring mixed-bag pattern.

Across all three reports, the message was the same: fish are around, but anglers need to work with tide, water depth, wind protection, bait movement, and presentation instead of getting locked into one spot or one species.

Conditions Recap

The Alabama coast is in a strong spring transition, but conditions are still driving the bite more than the calendar. Riley reported one of the best weather windows the beach has seen in weeks, but the morning tide was lower than expected. That low water made some of his usual beach spots too shallow to fish effectively, so he had to wait for the tide to rise enough for the fish to feel comfortable on the edges and deeper pockets.

Water quality is also split by location. Capt. Richard said the south end around Dauphin Island has looked very good, while Riley noted that the north end of Mobile Bay looked muddy after recent rain. More rain was in the forecast around Mother’s Day weekend, so anglers should keep watching river levels, wind direction, and water clarity before picking a starting point.

Offshore, Capt. Richard found good water to the east near the Spur, with plenty of life around the FADs, including small amberjack, dolphin, and Sargassum. Current and drift speed were important during the swordfish trip. When the boat started drifting faster, heavier weight became necessary to reduce scope and keep the bait working properly at depth.

Inshore and nearshore, Capt. Tanner said the front beach and leeward areas around Dauphin Island are producing, but anglers need to be willing to sort through bycatch. Redfish are using ledges, trout are feeding around mullet and baitfish, flounder are mixed in, and quality whiting have been a standout bonus fish for anglers simply trying to bend a rod and put together a fish fry.

Onshore and Beach Fishing Report

Dauphin Island beach fishing, flounder, puppy drum, and tide timing with Riley Ludlam

Riley Ludlam joined the show as a new contributor after spending the last couple of years fishing with Capt. Branden Collier and Capt. Tanner Deas. At just under 17 years old, Riley is already running beach trips under Dauphin Island Fishing Charters, and his report showed how much attention beach fishing requires when tide and depth are changing quickly.

On his recent beach trip, Riley said the fish had been doing what they were supposed to do and the beach was starting to set up the way he likes it, but the tide was lower than expected early. Several normal spots were simply too shallow to fish, so he moved until he found enough water and then continued watching the tide as it rose. The first stop produced a flounder, a trout, and a few missed fish, but the better bite came once the water filled in over the shallower areas he had passed earlier in the morning.

Riley’s main setup on the beach was a Carolina rig with very small live shrimp. He said those tiny shrimp, often only around an inch long, were ideal for the puppy drum and flounder that were using the dropoffs. He also had one angler fishing a popping cork with live shrimp, and that cork produced a flounder and several bites. The key was not just the bait, but where it landed. When his anglers put casts right on the transition from shallow water to deeper water, bites often came quickly.

Once they found the right dropoff, the bite turned on. The group caught multiple flounder, including fish around the 20-inch mark, along with puppy drum and other beach fish. Riley said the deeper edge was the ticket, especially after the tide gave those fish enough water to move into the troughs comfortably. After putting enough fish in the cooler, he gave the group the option to keep catching and releasing on the beach or move to roadside flounder spots with artificials. They chose to explore, and the deeper roadside areas gave up a few more smaller flounder.

Gear recommendations from Riley’s report included small live shrimp on Carolina rigs, live shrimp under a popping cork, and darker artificial colors for the roadside flounder spots. His biggest practical tip was to keep moving until you find what is different. On the beach, a slight hole, trough, color edge, or depth change can be the reason several fish are holding in one small stretch while similar-looking water nearby stays quiet.

Offshore Report

Gulf swordfish, daytime drops, and research samples with Capt. Richard Rutland of Cold Blooded Fishing

Capt. Richard Rutland’s offshore report centered on Riley’s first swordfish, a fish that took about two and a half hours to hand-crank and became the biggest fish Riley has caught outside of sharks. The trip was also a research trip with the University of South Alabama Marine Sciences and Fisheries Ecology group, which made the catch valuable beyond the fight itself.

The crew ran east toward the Spur because Hilton’s Realtime Navigator showed good clean water and because that area gave them multiple pieces of structure and bottom to work without being locked into one small zone. On the way, they stopped at a FAD and immediately found life, including small amberjack, dolphin, and plenty of activity. A few dolphin were kept and turned into fresh strip baits for swordfish drops.

The overnight bite was slow. Capt. Richard said the drift was awkward and made it hard to fish as many rods as he wanted. They caught an oilfish in the morning on a dolphin strip bait, then continued making daytime drops as the weather kicked up and the boat started drifting faster. Before the final productive drop, they changed several pieces of the presentation. Instead of continuing with strip baits, they dropped a fresh squid. They also moved to a heavier five-pound weight because the faster drift was creating too much scope in the line.

That adjustment produced the bite. Capt. Richard described it as an unusual swordfish bite that did not show up like a classic rod-tip hit. The fish likely came up and ate the squid quickly, and the crew did not know it was hooked until they wound tight. Riley got the fish up relatively fast at first, but the swordfish repeatedly dove after seeing the boat. The fish stayed stubborn in the last stretch, hanging between roughly 25 and 50 feet under the boat before the crew finally finished the fight.

Capt. Richard also gave a useful swordfish rigging explanation. When fishing multiple rods, he often uses a sacrificial weight made from rebar or window weights rigged with a straightened coat hanger so the bait and weight drop cleanly without tangling. When fishing one rod, he may troll the bait out behind the boat with tension on the line, then let it sink in a controlled way so the bait stays away from the stay weight. In fast drift conditions, he prefers enough lead to keep the line more vertical and the bait in the intended zone.

The research side of the trip focused on collecting data from swordfish that can help scientists better understand the Gulf fishery. Capt. Richard explained that samples are used for age and growth work, including otolith analysis, as well as mercury testing and future tagging efforts. He encouraged offshore anglers who release swordfish or catch undersized fish to connect with the researchers if they are interested in helping with tagging.

Capt. Richard also shared an inshore update during his segment. Speckled trout are showing up around the gas platforms, on the beaches, and in Mobile Bay. He has been seeing good shallow-water opportunities, but one recent trout trip reminded him not to assume a croaker will always get eaten. In one area, upper-slot trout would not touch tight-lined croakers but immediately ate live shrimp under a popping cork. He also mentioned success with mullet and glass-minnow-style artificials, including Slick Lures, the Slick Junior, and MirrOlure Little John and Little John XL profiles worked through the middle of the water column.

Inshore and Nearshore Report

Dauphin Island trout, redfish ledges, slip corks, and mixed-bag fishing with Capt. Tanner Deas of Dauphin Island Fishing Charters

Capt. Tanner Deas has been splitting time between his Blackjack boat trips and the beach program that Riley is now helping carry. He said the boat trips have opened up new options, and lately he has been spending a lot of time around Dauphin Island, poking out front, fishing leeward areas, and approaching each day as an “anything fishing” trip instead of trying to force only a trout bite.

That change has helped. Tanner said he had been spinning his wheels trying to dial in speckled trout, but when he started focusing on bending rods and fishing the whole mixed bag, the trout bite actually seemed to get easier. Recent trips have produced trout, redfish, flounder, puppy drum, bonus pompano, Spanish mackerel, and some excellent whiting.

For trout, Tanner usually starts early with a trout-oriented plan. Topwater has been productive in the low-light window, and he has also caught fish on slip corks, popping corks, free-lined shrimp, and artificials. One of the biggest gear notes from his segment was the six-inch pearl Coastal Brew Baits Dart. Tanner said that bait has become a staple on his boat and has even outperformed live shrimp on some trout trips. He has been fishing it high and fast when trout are willing to feed near the surface, then shifting into a mid-strolling retrieve as the morning progresses.

For that mid-strolling technique, Tanner is keeping the bait in the middle of the water column rather than dragging bottom. In four to five feet of water, he wants the lure running around two to three feet deep. He said a 1/8-ounce jighead has helped him stick more fish with that presentation. He also mentioned Hogie screw-lock jigheads built on 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks as a good way to extend the life of soft plastics, while still noting his loyalty to Eye Strike Fishing jigheads in other situations.

For redfish and the mixed-bag bite, Tanner has been fishing ledges with Carolina rigs. His go-to setup has been a three-quarter-ounce egg sinker, a 12- to 15-inch leader, and a 1/0 Owner SSW hook, usually paired with pieces of shrimp or whole small shrimp when bait shops only have smaller seed shrimp. The redfish are not always the first fish to bite. Tanner said patience has been important because anglers may have to sort through hardheads, whiting, Spanish mackerel, or other bycatch before the right redfish pushes through.

Slip corks were another major part of Tanner’s report. He said some days the slip cork has outperformed the Carolina rig, even for fish anglers normally expect to catch near bottom, such as whiting and puppy drum. By suspending the bait around a foot off the bottom and letting it drift naturally over bars, ledges, and current seams, the slip cork can show fish a different presentation than a bait pinned to the sand. He has also mixed in Fairhope Rattles popping corks, free-lined shrimp, croakers, and topwater lures depending on tide stage, current speed, and where fish are feeding in the water column.

The whiting bite deserves attention on its own. Tanner said the whiting available out front right now are quality fish, with many running 12 to 13 inches or better and one recent trip producing a 19-inch whiting. For families, kids, or anglers looking for steady action and good eating fish, he said this mixed-bag pattern can be more productive and more enjoyable than forcing a single-species target.

What to Watch Next

The next stretch should continue to reward anglers who adapt quickly. On the beach, watch the tide closely. If the water is too low over the troughs and bars, Riley’s report showed that it may be better to wait, move, or fish deeper edges until the water rises enough for flounder, puppy drum, and trout to get comfortable.

Inshore, the trout bite is building around Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, the gas platforms, and nearby beach areas. Live shrimp, mullet imitations, glass-minnow-style artificials, and mid-column retrieves should all stay in play, but Capt. Richard’s croaker lesson is a good reminder to change baits before leaving fishy water.

Nearshore and around the front side of Dauphin Island, Capt. Tanner’s report points toward a strong mixed-bag opportunity. Ledges, bars, and current seams are holding fish, but anglers should expect to weed through bycatch. That is not necessarily a bad sign. Right now, hardheads, whiting, Spanish mackerel, puppy drum, pompano, trout, and redfish may all be using the same general zones.

Offshore, the swordfish bite is worth watching. Several quality swords have been caught recently, and Capt. Richard believes the fish are on the chew. Anyone making deep drops should pay close attention to current, drift speed, bait freshness, weight size, and line angle. The bite can happen after a long slow stretch, so somebody needs to stay focused on the rod tip every minute the bait is down.