This week’s Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is hosted by Tanner Dees alongside Dylan King, filling in for Butch Thierry as he recovers for an upcoming wade-fishing trip. The show features inshore insights from Captain Jay O’Brien of Irish Wake Fishing, nearshore and mixed-bag action from Chris Vecsey of Sam’s Bait & Tackle, and a deep dive into fly fishing with Sam Sumlin of Community Fly Supply. From mullet-pattern trout to beach-run blackfin tuna to redfish on the fly, this was one of the most diverse and information-packed weeks of the year.
Conditions Recap
This week brought warming weather, high salinity in upper bays and creeks, and water temps holding in the 70s. The abundance of baitfish—especially mullet and small minnows—has kept fish scattered across rivers, deltas and beachfronts.
Tidal rivers are holding more consistent groups of trout and redfish, but neither species is tightly bunched due to the warm spell. Nearshore, shifting currents from recent fronts temporarily moved bait offshore, but heavy shore-side bait returned quickly, bringing blackfin and even yellowfin tuna right back into casting range. On the fly-fishing side, clear, stable water has made shallow flats and surf zones ideal for sight-casting redfish, black drum and pompano.
Inshore Report – Captain Jay O’Brien, Irish Wake Fishing
Captain Jay O’Brien reports a strong mix of action between the Mobile Delta and local tidal rivers, though fish are spread out due to unusually warm water temps and heavy bait presence. Trout and redfish are holding to mullet in two ways—either actively feeding on larger mullet or simply using mullet schools as cover while eating smaller minnows. Knowing the difference has been key.
For larger mullet-feed patterns, Captain Jay has been steadily producing with the OG Slick from Pure Flats, noting excellent bites from quality trout and mixed redfish. When fish are keyed on smaller minnows, he downsizes to the Slick Jr. or Little Slick as well as the K-Wigglers Wig-A-Lo, which has been extremely consistent. He emphasized that the profile matters far more than color, though productive shades included Mansfield Margarita, Swamp Thing, Payment, and The Mistake.
Captain Jay stresses dialing in the cadence daily—sometimes a bottom-bounce, sometimes a twitch-twitch-pause—and switching jig head weights according to tide strength. Light heads (1/16–1/8 oz) are preferred when possible, but strong tides this week called for 1/4–3/8 oz.
Anglers targeting eating-size fish should note that white trout are abundant throughout the system. Upsizing soft plastics helped eliminate small fish and consistently produced one- to two-pound fish for the cooler.
Gear Recommended: Slick Lure, Slick Jr. and Little Slick; K-Wigglers Wig-A-Lo; light to mid-weight jig heads depending on tide.
Eastern Shore/Nearshore Report – Chris Vecsey, Sam’s Bait & Tackle
Chris Vecsey reports one of the most unique fall tuna migrations in recent memory. Massive schools of bait pushed right to the beach, drawing in blackfin tuna and even several yellowfin tuna into 25–65 feet of water. Fish have been hooked from kayaks, piers, and small boats trolling just 0.5–1 mile off the sand.
Trolling speeds of 4–5 mph with Rapala X-Raps, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows, and other deep- or shallow-diving plugs have been the ticket. Chris strongly recommends upgrading hooks and split rings, with Berkley Fusion 3X trebles being his go-to due to strength and corrosion resistance. Fluorocarbon leaders from 40–50 lb are preferred for reduced stretch and durability.
When tuna erupt on the surface, keep a rigged spin rod with a popping lure or metal casting jig ready. Surface feeds are brief, but a fast cast usually earns a hookup.
Inshore, the warm temps and extreme salinity have kept trout, redfish and mangrove snapper pushed far up creeks and rivers. Topwaters are still producing early; later in the day, jerkbaits and soft plastics do the heavy lifting. Snook continue to expand locally, with Chris tagging several 17–22 inch fish and observing numerous larger ones.
Gear Recommended: Rapala X-Rap, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, Berkley Fusion 3X trebles, jerkbaits for snook and redfish.
Fly Fishing Report – Sam Sumlin, Community Fly Supply
Sam Sumlin reports redfish absolutely everywhere on the fly right now, with black drum, flounder, pompano, and dock-light trout also in play. He primarily fishes Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, mixing in ICW creeks and flats.
An 8-weight rod with floating line handles the majority of inshore situations; a 7-weight with intermediate line is ideal for beach work. Leaders in the 16–20 lb range are standard, with shorter leaders preferred in surf for better control of sinking patterns.
Productive flies include redfish crack variants, shrimp patterns, weighted baitfish patterns such as the Gravity Minnow, and small crab patterns for selective drum. Sam highlights that subtle, natural movement at rest is key—flies must “breathe” on their own for picky fish.
For dock-light trout, nothing beats tiny glass minnow imitations, which land silently and perfectly match what specks feed on at night.
Gear Recommended: Redfish crack patterns, Gravity Minnow, Flexo or micro-crab flies, marabou baitfish patterns, glass minnow imitations.
What We Learned This Week
The big takeaways: Always identify the forage first—mullet schools determine whether to fish big or small profiles inshore. Profile matters more than color in trout and redfish patterns, though cadence is equally important. Nearshore, bait presence is everything; when it’s on the beach, tuna follow. Hard baits with upgraded hooks are essential for nearshore pelagics. And for fly anglers, stealth, subtle movement and appropriate leader lengths make all the difference when sight-casting skinny-water fish.
From traditional lures to specialty fly patterns, versatility is the key theme this week. Adjusting lure profile, cadence, and presentation style will consistently outperform sticking to a single approach.
