For visitors to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the tides are a mysterious phenomenon that defies explanation. The folks who live and work on the Gulf Coast know tides determine the rhythm of life. That last statement is especially valid for those who fish on Alabama Beaches. The tide action has everything to do with that day's strategy to try to land a decent catch of fish.
Gunn said if you're fishing in shallow water, the high tide brings a welcome influx of cooler water and allows the fish to make visits into the shallows to find shrimp, crabs, or small baitfish. What bites during the warmer months is what Gunn calls the mid-summer menagerie of speckled trout, white trout, redfish, and flounder. Any of those species can be caught around high tide.
“About three to four hours after the high tide is the most productive time for me,” he said. “The hotter it gets the less active they are in shallow water. There may be a short spurt early in the morning, and then it's over with unless it's a real cloudy day.” As far as fishing spots, Gunn is looking for ambush points where the fish will wait for the tide to move something past them.