Springtime Fishing is on the Horizon

Fat Tuesday’s cold spell was just another reminder to local inshore fisherman it’s not time to celebrate the arrival of the springtime fishing pattern just yet. But unlike spring revelers, local anglers only have to wait a matter of days for parades of fish to arrive along the beach and our waters.

With water temperatures sitting between 59 and 61 degrees along the beach, it won’t be long until Gulf waters warm to 64 degrees, and the fantastic tasting pompano will start to show up in numbers. “Once that beach water hits 64, we will start to see the pompano, and then as the waters continue to warm up to 66-68, that’s when the bite will turn on,” said Chris Vecsey of Sam’s Bait and Tackle on Canal Road in Orange Beach. Sand fleas and ghost shrimp are two of the best pompano baits.

A couple of weeks ago, the sheepshead bite was starting to come on according to local inshore guide Jeff Chambliss, who runs Baby Therapy out of Orange Beach Marina. “Three weeks ago the sheepshead bite was better than it is now. But those fronts that moved through just slowed things down, and this last blast of cold air certainly didn’t help.” But Chambliss knows it’s just a matter of days until the sheepshead starts their spawning migration, and he will be putting his clients on the aggressive fish at the Perdido Pass bridge and jetties. “Mid-March is always a great time to catch these fish, and it’s usually right around spring break, so the timing works out great for locals and visitors. The inshore fishing is about to explode.”