This week on the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, host Butch Thierry brings in three of our regular contributors for an excellent late-fall roundup: Captain Richard Rutland, Bama Beach Bum, and Captain Shane Traylor. Speckled trout in the Delta, big pompano and whiting in the surf, and steady inshore action across the tidal rivers all made for strong November fishing.
Conditions Recap
A sharp cold snap pushed morning air temps to freezing levels early in the week, producing water temps ranging from the upper 50s in the lower Delta to low 60s up top. The front briefly pushed fish deeper, created noticeable thermoclines, and concentrated bait and predators in creek mouths, river channels, and around bird activity. Despite the chill, high pressure and stable weather ahead should keep the late-fall pattern rolling.
Delta & Mobile River System
Captain Richard Rutland, of Cold Blooded Fishing, reports an excellent bite across the Delta despite the week’s cold blast. With temps falling into the low 30s at daylight, trout shifted deeper early on, and drifting jigs became the main tactic. Richard found fish relating to the bottom early, then rising into mid-water later in the day as things warmed.
Birds told the story all week. Even small groups of gulls or terns signaled shrimp and pogies, which helped Richard set up on long points, bars, and island edges. The key was starting several cast-lengths off the structure and easing toward it—many fish held well off the tips rather than tight to the marsh.
As waters warm back into the 60s, Richard expects the shallow-water pattern to fire up again. For now, the deep-jig program is still producing. His top baits were the Slick Jr in Swamp Thing, Croaker, and Arkansas Shiner on 1/4–3/8 oz jigheads. The lure often gets crushed on the fall thanks to the tail’s fluttering action. He notes that anglers must drift corks naturally in current—“the shoals drift”—to keep baits in the strike zone.
Richard also noted a scattered but steady bull red presence. Instead of Dixie Bar, he has been finding schools roaming fast over long bars east and west, with birds giving them away. Heavy jigheads (2–4 oz) with curly tails have been the key to reaching them as the schools move quickly.
Surf Fishing
Bama Beach Bum reports a consistent pompano bite, with fish averaging 16–18 inches and extremely fat for this time of year. He is averaging 1–3 pompano per trip, but the size has made up for the numbers. Water has remained clear despite grass issues, though bait-stealers (likely pinfish and crabs) remain active but have slowed since the temperature drop.
Matthew has been downsizing and simplifying rigs—just a single-drop rig with no floats or beads and pieces of Fish Gum or Fishbites, especially when natural bait won’t survive more than a few seconds. Pompano are coming off the backside of the bar near the color change, while whiting are stacked close to the beach. Most whiting have been 12–14 inches with some 15-inch fish mixed in.
He expects solid surf fishing to continue another month, with December often producing good pompano, whiting, and flounder (once the season reopens). January and February, however, traditionally bring the toughest surf bite of the year.
Mobile Bay, Tidal Rivers & Creeks
Captain Shane Traylor, of Bona Fide Inshore Charters, has been picking off trout, reds, and flounder from the Delta down through Dog River, Fowl River, and the east-side tidals. He’s seeing excellent fishing on some days, followed by scattered fish on others—all typical for late fall as shrimp and pogies move deeper into the system.
Shane stressed fishing these rivers with an open mind. Even historic spots can go cold overnight, so he searches until he finds life—birds, mullet, pogies, or shrimp. Once he locates activity, he covers the water column in thirds: a popping cork for the top, light jigheads for the mid-column, and heavier jigs for the lower third. This approach has produced consistently, especially with bright colors such as chartreuse and Swamp Thing in the Slick and Slick Junior.
Afternoon incoming tides have been strong recently, especially when low tide sits midday. Clean water and warming afternoon temps have helped extend the bite into late day.
What We Learned This Week
This week highlighted how powerful bird activity has been from the Delta all the way to the beach. Captain Richard broke down how to adjust presentations when trout shift from shallow to deep, especially after cold snaps that create thermoclines. The Slick Junior continues to shine in both stained and clean water.
On the surf, Bama Beach Bum kept things simple with single-drop rigs and synthetic bait, which helped avoid constant bait-stealer issues. Afternoon incoming tides were the best windows for pompano and whiting.
Captain Shane reinforced the value of covering the entire water column when searching tidal rivers, using different jig weights and a popping cork to locate feeding trout. Chartreuse remained one of the most consistent colors system-wide.
