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In this week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report, host Nick Williams checks in with Peter Jordan of The Lost Angler Fly Shop, Shannon Wood, and John-Michael Chappelle of Chappelle Excursions for a spring report centered on bluegill, fly fishing, small-boat access, mayfly timing, and the wildlife side of the Delta.
The big theme this week is that the bream bite is turning into one of the best opportunities in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta right now. Bluegill are bedding or very close to it in several areas, small backwaters are producing fish that have seen very little pressure, and anglers willing to fish from canoes, kayaks, or small boats can reach places that larger boats simply cannot fish.
Conditions Recap
This week’s conditions point toward a strong late-spring bluegill pattern across the Delta. The water is fishable in many backwater areas, and some of the clearer, less-pressured lakes, oxbows, and feeder creeks are giving anglers a look at what the system can produce when fish are not heavily pressured. Rain is also in the forecast, but Shannon Wood made the point that anglers should not let rain keep them home. His advice was to be ready to fish as soon as the rain passes, because the bite can turn on quickly after a weather delay.
Bluegill are the main story. Nick and Peter found a backwater bite so strong that they were catching bluegill, shellcracker, stumpknockers, bass, bowfin, and seeing gar in the same general area. Shannon’s tournament report from the Bay Minette side backed that up, with every boat weighing in a 20-fish limit even after a storm delay. Some fish are already on bed, while other big females are still full of eggs and right on the edge of committing.
Rain should also help push insects, crawfish, and other food into shallow areas, which Peter expects to help the frog bite and weedless streamer bite for bass. Meanwhile, John-Michael Chappelle says the wildlife side of the Delta is active too, with brown pelicans nesting on Galliard Island, shorebirds using the island, and spring plants such as wild duck potato showing up along the banks.
Backwater Bluegill and Fly Fishing with Peter Jordan
Nick Williams and Peter Jordan opened the report by breaking down a memorable bluegill trip into a quiet backwater area that they reached by canoe. The fishing was good enough that Peter said it was one of those trips they would still be talking about years from now. The key detail was not just the number of fish, but the setting. They were in public water, but in a place that takes effort to reach, and that lack of pressure showed in the quality and aggression of the fish.
The trip started with the idea of targeting bowfin on fly tackle, but the bluegill were so thick and aggressive that they eventually became the main target. Nick and Peter caught bluegill, a few bass, a shellcracker, stumpknockers, and saw plenty of bowfin and alligator gar. The bluegill were aggressive enough to chase and slap at flies that were too large for them to eat, which told them the fish were guarding beds and reacting territorially as much as feeding.
Nick fished an eight-weight fly rod with a hopper-dropper style rig, using a Ken Edmonds Tokyo Spider as the top fly and a small Wooly Bugger variant underneath it. Peter explained that the heavier rod made sense because it was easier to transport a two-fly rig, turn over larger flies, make longer casts, and handle bycatch like bass or bowfin around cover. He also broke fly rods into two practical categories: lighter rods for presentation and heavier rods for transportation.
For bluegill, Peter liked the idea of giving fish options. One setup used a topwater fly such as a Tokyo Spider, Betts Pop, BoogleBug, or similar popper, with a small dropper fly tied off the hook bend. Another setup used a small baitfish-style streamer with a little Wooly Bugger or nymph trailing behind it. The larger fly gets the fish’s attention, and the smaller trailing fly often becomes the one they actually eat.
The other major lesson from the trip was access. Nick and Peter both stressed that a canoe can be a cheat code in the Delta because it lets anglers reach small backwaters, hidden lakes, and shallow sloughs that do not see much pressure. Nick used a lightweight Wenonah King canoe, while Peter talked about his Esquif T-Formex canoe. They also mentioned the value of trying boats before buying, looking at options through places such as Fairhope Boat Company and Community Fly Supply, and even adding Spring Creek canoe stabilizers for anglers who want more stability for standing, fishing with kids, or bringing a dog.
Bluegill Tournament Report with Shannon Wood
Shannon Wood joined the show with another strong bluegill report, this time from a tournament out of Cliff’s Landing. The morning started stormy enough that the tournament was delayed until about 8:30, but once the weather passed, the fish turned on. Shannon said all nine boats weighed in their 20-fish limit, with the winning weight around 5 pounds, 13 ounces.
The fish were not all fully committed to the beds yet, but they were close. Shannon said they caught some on bed and also caught big females that were still full of eggs. His expectation is that if those larger bull bream are not fully on bed by next week, something unusual is going on. For anglers who live for bluegill fishing, the timing is right now.
Shannon’s bait advice was simple and practical. Crickets will still catch fish close to the bank, especially within a foot or two of the edge, but earthworms were a standout bait when fishing a little farther off the bank in three to five feet of water. He likes fishing worms near the bottom with enough weight to keep the bait down while the cork helps hold the presentation in the right zone. He also mentioned that small channel catfish were thick in the shallows during the rain, and bass were mixed in around some of the bream beds.
One useful tip from Shannon was to pay attention when the bream bite suddenly slows. If a bass or channel cat moves into a bedding area, the bluegill may back off for a few minutes. Catching or moving past that fish can let the bream settle back down and start biting again. If the spot gets disturbed, sometimes the best move is to rest it, ease away, and come back later.
Shannon also talked about a heavy shad spawn up the river and said the bluegill bite often progresses from lower Delta areas first, then up toward places like Prairie Creek and Hubbard’s Landing. He expects the bite to stay good through the end of May, especially as the mayfly hatch gets closer. Around Hubbard’s, he said a good mayfly hatch can make the bluegill fishing outstanding, especially with simple topwater flies or even a live mayfly on a small hook.
Small Baits, Flies, and What to Throw for Bream
Both Nick and Shannon spent time talking through small artificial options for bluegill and shellcracker. Shannon mentioned Trout Magnet and Bream Magnet style baits, especially for shellcracker, and Nick brought up small soft plastics from Creek Life Lure Co. that imitate caddis flies, stoneflies, hellgrammites, wax worms, and other small aquatic forage.
Nick is interested in fishing those small plastics on tiny jig heads, tungsten jig heads, and downsized EWG hooks that have become more available because of the bait finesse fishing trend. Shannon also talked about tying flies on small offset worm hooks and using Mason hard mono for weed guards when tying bass bugs, frogs, and other weedless fly patterns.
On the fly side, Shannon’s current go-to bluegill fly is the Triangle Bug, which he ties in green, sandy brown, and hot pink. His best color lately has been green. Nick mentioned the Tokyo Spider as another simple foam pattern that can be mass-produced and fished effectively around bedding bluegill. They also talked about old-school Pistol Pete style propeller flies and lures, which can draw strikes from bluegill, bass, and other fish when vibration and flash help get attention.
For shellcracker, Shannon pointed anglers toward areas with small rock, pebble, and sand bottom, especially around the lower Delta and Five Rivers area. He said those rockier banks can hold shellcracker, particularly in the two-and-a-half to five-foot range when the water is clear enough to see the bottom.
Delta Wildlife and Nature Report with John-Michael Chappelle
John-Michael Chappelle of Chappelle Excursions rounded out the episode with a look at the wildlife and plant life that make the Mobile-Tensaw Delta more than just a fishing destination. Nick and John-Michael talked about how learning the plants, birds, and food sources in the Delta can make someone a better outdoorsman, whether they are fishing, duck hunting, or just exploring.
One plant John-Michael highlighted was wild duck potato, which is showing up along shallow banks. He explained that it has a white bloom with a yellow center and produces a small tuber that can be eaten. He also talked about wild rice and how important it is not only for ducks but historically as a food source for people. Nick added that learning plants like wild rice can make a big difference for duck hunters trying to understand why birds use certain areas.
John-Michael also talked about the Choctaw spider lily, explaining that it is different from the Cahaba lily. The Choctaw spider lily grows from a bulb and can handle some brackish influence, while the Cahaba lily is more tied to rocky shoal habitat and flowing freshwater. That kind of detail is a good reminder that the Delta holds a huge variety of plants, and many of them are easy to overlook unless someone takes the time to learn them.
Galliard Island, Brown Pelicans, and Spring Bird Activity
The bird report centered heavily on Galliard Island, a manmade dredge spoil island north of Middle Bay Lighthouse. John-Michael said the island is Alabama’s largest rookery and the only nesting site in Alabama for brown pelicans, Caspian terns, and royal terns. Right now, it is covered with nesting brown pelicans, and some nests already have chicks.
John-Michael explained that Galliard Island became important after brown pelican numbers were hammered by DDT. Today, the island can hold more than 12,000 nesting pelicans, and he sees that as a sign that Mobile Bay and the Delta still support a strong fishery. If the fish were not there, the pelicans would not be there in those numbers.
During recent birding trips, John-Michael also saw black-necked stilts, black-crowned night herons, and an American oystercatcher with a chick. That oystercatcher sighting was especially meaningful because Alabama Audubon had not previously documented nesting oystercatchers on Galliard Island. He also discussed reporting banded birds through the federal bird banding system, which helps biologists track movement, age, survival, and migration.
For anglers or boaters who want to look at Galliard Island, John-Michael said the best approach is to idle slowly around the island, stay off the rocks, avoid going onto the island, and be respectful of nesting birds. The birds are used to some boat traffic, but the goal should be to observe without pushing birds off nests or lingering too long in one place.
What to Expect This Week
Bluegill anglers should make this week count. Bedding activity is already happening in some areas, and other fish are close. Crickets, earthworms, small jigs, foam flies, and small soft plastics should all be in play. If the bite slows in a bedding area, look for bass, catfish, or other fish disturbing the bed, then either move slightly or rest the spot and come back.
Fly anglers should not be afraid to use heavier tackle if it helps them cast better and fish more effectively. An eight-weight may sound heavy for bluegill, but in the Delta it can make sense when fishing a two-fly rig, casting around cover, or dealing with bass, bowfin, and gar as bycatch. Popper-dropper rigs, small streamers, Wooly Buggers, Triangle Bugs, Tokyo Spiders, and other foam bugs are all worth carrying.
Small-boat anglers should keep exploring. Canoes, kayaks, and small jon boats can reach water that bigger boats miss, and those low-pressure areas may produce some of the best bream fishing of the spring. Backwaters with clearer water, less current, and limited access are especially worth checking.
Bass anglers should watch the rain. Peter expects incoming water to push food into the shallows and help the frog bite, weedless streamer bite, and other bank-focused patterns. If enough water gets into newly accessible cover, fish may move quickly, so anglers should stay flexible.
For those who want to enjoy the Delta beyond the fishing, this is also a strong time for birding and nature watching. Galliard Island is active with nesting pelicans, purple gallinules and common gallinules are around marshy vegetation, and spring plant life is becoming more noticeable along the banks.
