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In this week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report, host Nick Williams checks in with Darren Shirah, Jimmy Styles, and Brenton Grace with Hooked Up By The Bay for a wide-ranging look at spring fishing across the Delta. The big theme this week is that stable, dry weather has created some unusually good spring conditions, with bedding panfish starting to pick up, bass settling into productive warm-weather patterns, and flounder and crappie offering a strong mixed-bag option around the causeway.
Conditions Recap
The biggest overall story this week is how different this spring has felt compared to a lot of recent years. Water levels are low, the weather has stayed unusually dry, and anglers are seeing the benefits in several parts of the system. In the Delta, that means clearer water, easier access, and fish that are easier to pattern than they often are during a wetter spring.
That said, conditions are not perfect everywhere. Darren noted that the brim spawn looks like it is still building toward the next full moon, while Jimmy said drought conditions are putting real pressure on smaller ponds and making some areas in the uplands fish smaller and more concentrated than normal. Brenton also reported that strong wind has made fishing tougher at times, even though the bite itself has been encouraging. The overall takeaway is that fishing is good, but anglers still need to work around wind, water position, and the effects of this dry weather pattern.
Panfish Report with Darren Shirah
Darren Shirah said the panfish bite has been solid, with goggle-eyes especially standing out right now. He believes the first full moon in April was a little early for the bull bream to really commit, and he expects the next moon phase to push the brim spawn into much better shape. In the meantime, he has been catching plenty of goggle-eyes on the bed and said the action should only improve as the next couple of weeks unfold.
Darren explained that different panfish species overlap this time of year, but they do not always use the same exact habitat. Bream tend to gather in bigger colonies on more open beds around ditch mouths, points, pockets, and reed lines, while goggle-eyes are more often associated with wood, cypress trees, and heavier cover. He also said stump knockers and other sunfish can overlap with both, which is why anglers may catch several species in the same general area once the spawning activity really gets going.
For anglers trying to find bedding fish, Darren recommended covering water with a beetle spin first, then slowing down with crickets once you get a few bites and build confidence in an area. He stressed that there is not always a perfect pattern to where brim bed, and sometimes they will set up in places that seem to make no sense at all. His best advice was simple: keep moving, keep looking, and pay attention to ditch edges, reed lines, and small points where fish can stage and bed nearby.
He also made an important point about pressure on bedding fish. Darren said some historic bedding areas have not replenished the way they once did, and he strongly encouraged anglers not to clean out every fish from a good bed. Leaving a few fish behind matters, especially in places that see repeated fishing pressure year after year.
Bass Report with Darren Shirah
Darren has not been bass fishing as heavily as he has been targeting panfish, but he said the bass bite has still been good when he has gone. He described the post-spawn period as a little inconsistent for him personally, but said topwater action is producing and that frog fishing has been especially fun around heavy cover.
His preferred setup for frog fishing is straightforward and practical. He likes a lower gear-ratio reel, at least 40-pound braid, and a 4/0 wide-gap frog hook. Darren said one of his favorite choices is the Ribbit frog, especially when he can skip it under overhanging limbs, brush, and shady cover. He would rather fish those tight targets than open water because the strikes are more explosive and pulling a good fish out of thick cover is part of the appeal.
He also said anglers should keep a plastic worm close at hand, because that bait still produces consistently even when fish are not fully committed to topwater. A swim jig and swimbait have also gotten bites, although he said the frog and worm have been the better producers lately. As the weather keeps warming, Darren expects the best daytime bass fishing to center more and more on shaded banks, deeper creeks, and spots with thick overhanging cover.
Outdoors Update with Jimmy Styles
Jimmy Styles joined the show for a different kind of Delta segment, focusing on Alabama’s natural history and the broader outdoor world that surrounds fishing in this region. He talked about a new children’s book that he and his wife have released as part of the Alabama in Five Nature Series, a project that uses five turtle species to tell the story of Alabama’s biodiversity. Jimmy emphasized that the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is one of the most important turtle habitats in the world and said one goal of the book is to help kids better understand and appreciate the wildlife that makes Alabama special.
He also discussed the severe drought conditions affecting ponds and smaller waters in some areas, noting that while creeks are still fishable, some ponds are already drying up and concentrating fish heavily. Jimmy said that has made for some very productive action in places, but it also shows how serious the dry conditions have become in parts of the state.
Another useful topic from Jimmy’s segment was snake safety. He said many snakebites happen around homes and camps rather than deep in the woods, and he encouraged people to stay calm, remove anything restrictive like rings or watches, and get to the hospital quickly if they are bitten. He also mentioned the training classes he has been helping lead for first responders around the state.
Causeway Report with Brenton Grace
Brenton Grace with Hooked Up By The Bay reported a fun mixed-bag pattern around the causeway, with flounder and crappie both giving anglers something to work with. Despite strong wind, he and his dad were able to put together a good day by targeting flounder around familiar points and bridges south of the main Delta, then switching gears and catching crappie around the bridge pilings.
Brenton said the flounder bite is still a little early, but the fish they caught were thick, healthy fish around the 17-inch mark, and the overall trend is encouraging. He expects that bite to keep improving as more fish move in. He and his dad caught their fish on the Tensaw Delta curly tail, with white and red working for him and pink and chartreuse working for his dad. He said live bull minnows are still one of the best flounder baits you can use if you know fish are in the area, but they were able to do it with artificials this week.
He also pointed to strong bait presence as a good sign, saying there are plenty of small minnows around the shop and nearby shoreline. That suggests the food chain is active, and he said that kind of life is one reason he thinks the inshore bite is shaping up well. He even mentioned a friend who recently found quality speckled trout and redfish around the mouth of Blakely, which is another good sign for what may be ahead.
After the flounder bite slowed down, Brenton and his dad switched to crappie and found fish around the bridge pilings using live shiner minnows. They were not trying to do anything fancy. They simply eased up to the pilings and dropped baits straight down, picking off a handful of quality fish before the wind made it too aggravating to keep at it. Brenton said it had been years since he had really spent time crappie fishing, and the trip reminded him just how much fun that style of fishing can be.
He also said the bluegill bite around Bay Minette Creek is beginning to come on, which should be welcome news for anglers looking for easy spring action close to the launch. Brenton emphasized how convenient that whole area is for anglers in boats and kayaks alike, with access to freshwater and saltwater opportunities all in the same general part of the causeway.
Bait and Tackle Update
Brenton said live bait availability has been challenging, especially with shrimp, but the shop has been working hard to stay stocked when possible. He noted that they had received a fresh drop of shrimp and were also keeping bull minnows on hand. He said water temperature has likely played a role in the difficulty many shops have had getting shrimp lately, but he expects that situation to improve as conditions continue to warm.
He also shared that Hooked Up By The Bay is in the process of rebranding to Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle, with a new logo, new shirts, and a new sign coming soon. For anglers heading to the causeway, that is worth keeping in mind.
What to Expect This Week
Panfish anglers should be getting close to one of the better brim windows of the spring, especially if the next moon phase pushes more fish onto the beds. Goggle-eyes are already biting well, and bluegill action should continue to improve in the coming days. Bass anglers can expect decent frog and worm fishing around thick cover, especially as daytime shade becomes more important.
Down around the causeway, the flounder bite looks like it is just getting started, with enough keeper-sized fish already showing to make it worth a trip. Crappie remain available around the bridge structure, and the mix of freshwater and inshore opportunity in that part of the system makes it one of the better places to fish right now if you want options.
