One of the most prized fish that inhabits the Gulf Coast could be lingering around a channel marker or crab trap float near you. When the water warms up along the Alabama coast, the species of fish known as tripletail or blackfish migrate into the inshore waters and look for hiding places with just a little shade. Channel markers, buoys, crab trap floats, or any other flotsam can provide a haven for the fish that can range in size from a few pounds to the monster of a fish that stands as the Alabama state record – a 37-pound, 5-ounce fish caught in 1976 near Bayou La Batre.
Of course, live shrimp isn't the only bait that will work on tripletail. I've seen them hit live and cut menhaden (pogies), live finger mullet and live croakers. Structure and proper water conditions determine whether tripletail will be hanging in certain areas along the Alabama coast. “In Perdido Bay, we don't have them every year,” Chambliss said. “Previously, we've had a good many of them early around buoys and crab traps. This year, I think that rain event we had in the spring messed them up. They will come inshore when the Sargassum grass moves to the shore. They don't have anything to hide under, so they move to the channel markers, crab traps, buoys, or anything floating. I caught one a couple of weeks ago on a board floating in the water. The board was about the size of a paper towel, and the fish was about three times that size. And that fish came from right here at the mouth of Orange Beach Marina. When I'm looking for tripletails, I'll check any marker or crab traps in Mobile Bay and Bon Secour Bay.