Skip to main content
  • Visitors
  • Meetings
  • Sports
Visitors
    • Beach Houses
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Condos
    • Hotels
    • Pet-Friendly Vacation Rentals
    • Resorts
    • RV Parks & Camping
    Friends on the beaches in Alabama
    Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach?
    Tent camping in Gulf Shores, AL
    The Ultimate Guide to Campgrounds in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Children at Waterville USA in Gulf Shores
    How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Beach Vacation
    All Places to Stay
    • Beaches
    • Attractions
      • Arts & Culture
      • Coastal Crafters
      • History & Museums
      • Indoor Activities
      • Popular Attractions
      • All Attractions
    • Amusements & Entertainment
      • Mini Golf
      • All Amusements & Entertainment
    • Fishing
      • Fishing Seasons
      • All Fishing
    • Outdoor Activities
      • Back Bay Blueway
      • Biking
      • Birding
      • Gulf State Park
      • Hiking
      • Motorcycle Runs
      • Nature & Parks
      • Shelling
      • Tours
      • Trails
      • All Outdoor Activities
    • Water Activities
      • Boating
      • Diving
      • Equipment Rentals & Outfitters
      • Jet Skiing
      • Kayaking
      • Marinas
      • Paddleboarding
      • Parasailing
      • Sailing
      • Snorkeling
      • Dolphin Cruises
      • Cruises
      • All Water Activities
    • Shopping
    • Golf
    • Nightlife & Bars
    • Signature Experiences
    Gulf State Park Beach
    10 Fun Family Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Wharf Ferris wheel
    Ten Cheap & Free Things To Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Dad and kids hunting crabs on Alabama's beaches
    Take The Kids On A Catch & Release Crabbing Adventure On Alabama's Gulf Coast
    All Things to Do
    • Annual Events & Festivals
    • Community Events
    • Concerts
    • Events Calendar
    • Holiday Events
    • Live Music
    Hangout Music Festival
    Hangout Music Festival - Event Page
    Blue Angels
    Blue Angels
    Live Music
    Live Local Music
    All Events
    • Fan Favorites
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Food Trails
    • Recipes
    • Seafood
    Perch at The Lodge
    The Best Restaurants for Fine Dining on Alabama Beaches
    Pouring a cup of coffee
    The Four Best Coffee Shops in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Cobalt the Restaurant Orange beach
    4 Beach Restaurants Perfect for Date-Night
    All Restaurants
    • Order a Vacation Guide
      • Order a Printed Guide & Brochures
      • View e-Guide
      • All Order a Vacation Guide
    • eNewsletter Sign Up
      • Couples Newsletter
      • Destination Newsletter
      • Fishing Newsletter
      • Golf Newsletter
      • All eNewsletter Sign Up
    • Maps
    • Getting Here
    • Weather
    • Welcome Centers
    • Couples Getaway
    • Family Vacations
    • Beach Safety
    Gulf Shores, Alabama
    Nine Things to Know Before Your Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Vacation
    Beach house kitchen
    5 Things I Learned From My Alabama Beach Vacation
    Dog Pond Lake Shelby
    Easy Options for a Pet-Friendly Beach Vacation
    All Planning Tools
    • 10 Family Activities
    • 14 Public Beaches
    • 21 Rainy Day Activities
    • 5 Things I Learned From My Vacation
    • 8 Things to Know Before Your Vacation
    Couple biking on the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Gulf Shores, AL
    Bike-Sharing at Gulf State Park: Share the Trails, Share the Wheels
    Teen friends on Sail Wild Hearts in Orange Beach, AL
    Six Teen-Approved Things to Do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
    Waterville USA
    5 Thrilling Amusement Parks Gulf Shores Orange Beach
    All Blogs
  • Deals
    All Deals
Visitors
    • Beach Houses
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    • Condos
    • Hotels
    • Pet-Friendly Vacation Rentals
    • Resorts
    • RV Parks & Camping
    Friends on the beaches in Alabama
    Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach?
    Tent camping in Gulf Shores, AL
    The Ultimate Guide to Campgrounds in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Children at Waterville USA in Gulf Shores
    How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Beach Vacation
    All Places to Stay
    • Beaches
    • Attractions
      • Arts & Culture
      • Coastal Crafters
      • History & Museums
      • Indoor Activities
      • Popular Attractions
      • All Attractions
    • Amusements & Entertainment
      • Mini Golf
      • All Amusements & Entertainment
    • Fishing
      • Fishing Seasons
      • All Fishing
    • Outdoor Activities
      • Back Bay Blueway
      • Biking
      • Birding
      • Gulf State Park
      • Hiking
      • Motorcycle Runs
      • Nature & Parks
      • Shelling
      • Tours
      • Trails
      • All Outdoor Activities
    • Water Activities
      • Boating
      • Diving
      • Equipment Rentals & Outfitters
      • Jet Skiing
      • Kayaking
      • Marinas
      • Paddleboarding
      • Parasailing
      • Sailing
      • Snorkeling
      • Dolphin Cruises
      • Cruises
      • All Water Activities
    • Shopping
    • Golf
    • Nightlife & Bars
    • Signature Experiences
    Gulf State Park Beach
    10 Fun Family Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Wharf Ferris wheel
    Ten Cheap & Free Things To Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Dad and kids hunting crabs on Alabama's beaches
    Take The Kids On A Catch & Release Crabbing Adventure On Alabama's Gulf Coast
    All Things to Do
    • Annual Events & Festivals
    • Community Events
    • Concerts
    • Events Calendar
    • Holiday Events
    • Live Music
    Hangout Music Festival
    Hangout Music Festival - Event Page
    Blue Angels
    Blue Angels
    Live Music
    Live Local Music
    All Events
    • Fan Favorites
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Food Trails
    • Recipes
    • Seafood
    Perch at The Lodge
    The Best Restaurants for Fine Dining on Alabama Beaches
    Pouring a cup of coffee
    The Four Best Coffee Shops in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Cobalt the Restaurant Orange beach
    4 Beach Restaurants Perfect for Date-Night
    All Restaurants
    • Order a Vacation Guide
      • Order a Printed Guide & Brochures
      • View e-Guide
      • All Order a Vacation Guide
    • eNewsletter Sign Up
      • Couples Newsletter
      • Destination Newsletter
      • Fishing Newsletter
      • Golf Newsletter
      • All eNewsletter Sign Up
    • Maps
    • Getting Here
    • Weather
    • Welcome Centers
    • Couples Getaway
    • Family Vacations
    • Beach Safety
    Gulf Shores, Alabama
    Nine Things to Know Before Your Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Vacation
    Beach house kitchen
    5 Things I Learned From My Alabama Beach Vacation
    Dog Pond Lake Shelby
    Easy Options for a Pet-Friendly Beach Vacation
    All Planning Tools
    • 10 Family Activities
    • 14 Public Beaches
    • 21 Rainy Day Activities
    • 5 Things I Learned From My Vacation
    • 8 Things to Know Before Your Vacation
    Couple biking on the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Gulf Shores, AL
    Bike-Sharing at Gulf State Park: Share the Trails, Share the Wheels
    Teen friends on Sail Wild Hearts in Orange Beach, AL
    Six Teen-Approved Things to Do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
    Waterville USA
    5 Thrilling Amusement Parks Gulf Shores Orange Beach
    All Blogs
  • Deals
    All Deals
Meetings
  • Home
    All Home
    • Plan Your Conference
    • How Can We Help
    • Why Our Beach
    • Services
    • FAQs
    • Getting Here
    • Restaurants
    • Things to Do
    • Calendar of Events
    All Plan Your Conference
    • All Meeting Spaces
    • Unique Meeting Spaces
    • Accommodations
    All Meeting Spaces
  • Reunions & Weddings
    All Reunions & Weddings
    • Meeting Planner Toolkit
    All Toolkit
    • Connect With Us
    • Submit RFP
    • Subscribe Today
    All Contact Us
  • Stories
    All Stories
Sports
    • All Events
    • Book>Direct
    • Perfect Game World Series
    • Gulf Shores High School
    • Beach Races
    • Orange Beach High School
    All Events & Special Rates
    • All Restaurant Sponsors
    • On-the-Go Dining
    All Restaurants
    • All Attraction Sponsors
    All Attractions
  • Business Sponsors
    All Business Sponsors
  • Facilities
    All Facilities
    • Facility Info
    • Leisure Events
    • Our Services
    • Planner Toolkit
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    All Bring Your Event
  • Sponsors
    All Sponsors
  • Stories
    All Stories

What's Biting: Alabama Redfish Regulations & Limits

July 23, 2020

Reel it in

Redfish Orange Beach

Inshore anglers who really love to go fishing and test their tackle are in for a treat right now on the Alabama Gulf Coast. An invasion of saltwater redfish species (aka red drum) has left anglers in amazement in terms of sheer numbers and the variety of sizes available.

The inshore bays along the Alabama coast are running red with the number of saltwater fish stacked up to feast on the abundance of bait in inshore waters. One veteran angler said he’d never seen that many reds in one place at one time in his decades of fishing Alabama waters.

While fishing, if you find those red schooling and thrashing through a ball of menhaden or mullet, it doesn’t really matter what type of bait you use. I made the mistake one time of throwing a lure with two treble hooks. It took more time to get the fish unhooked than to hook a fish on the next cast.

When you find them schooling, use a bait with a single hook and it’ll be much easier to get the fish unhooked and on to the next cast.

Some anglers love to catch reds on the front beach, and several buddies who fish regularly have found nice saltwater redfish and speckled trout in the same holes along the front beach. Some of those fish have been caught on artificial lures and others have fallen for the best inshore live bait this time of year – 3- to 5-inch croakers.

There was an indication last winter that the redfish population was booming when the rivers along the Alabama coast held numbers of large redfish throughout the cold weather. In years past, you might be lucky to catch a handful of big reds during the cooler months. Last year, the redfish bonanza lasted almost two months longer than usual.

The redfish being caught right now have a wide range of sizes from the legal limit of 16-inch minimum all the way to bull red size of larger than 26 inches. Alabama’s fishing regulations put a slot limit on redfish of 16 to 26 inches with a daily bag limit of three fish. While fishing, anglers can keep one fish longer than 26 inches per day, but a bull redfish is not good table fare. Just shoot photos and toss the beautiful, bronze fish back in.

For those who want the inshore fight of their lives, head out to Dixey Bar, just yards off the Alabama coastline at Fort Morgan.

Dixey Bar, named after an 1860 shipwreck, is a shallow sand bar on the east side of the Mobile Bay ship channel just off Fort Morgan, Alabama. With a depth that varies from 5 to 10 feet, Dixey Bar is a favorite hangout for the redfish in the area. On the west side of the bar is the Mobile ship channel, which has plenty of deeper water. On the east side is the Gulf of Mexico. Dixey Bar is about 3 miles long, but the width varies a great deal, from about 2 miles wide near Fort Morgan to on a couple of hundred yards wide as it melts into the Gulf on the south end.

When redfish are on the prowl, they move up onto the bar, searching for anything edible. When the bull reds are in a feeding frenzy, it really doesn’t matter. If it appears to be something edible, the redfish will hit it.

Although many bull reds have been landed on trout-fishing gear, better not go too light. Monofilament line in the 12- to 14-pound range will do just fine, as long as you don’t try to put too much pressure on the fish and you’ve got the drag set properly.

I’ve found that the fish seem to be in a feeding mood on a falling tide. Start near Fort Morgan, Alabama and begin a slow drift down the bar with a live bait hooked Carolina-rig style with a Kahle hook, either a No. 4 or No. 2 size. When a school is located, switch to whatever bait you prefer. If the bulls are on the bar, it won’t take long before you enjoy numerous drag-stripping runs from these hard-fighting reds.

Icon of a hotel
Find Your Perfect Place to Stay
Places to Stay Search Lodging Options
icon of a guide
Where Your Journey Begins
Order a Vacation Guide Order a Free Vacation Guide
Email icon
News from the Coast
Subscribe to Our E-Newsletter Subscribe to Our Enewsletter

Share This

David Rainer Blogger
David Rainer (2 Posts)
David Rainer has written about the great outdoors on the Alabama Gulf Coast for more than 20 years. For 14 of those years, he covered the many fishing opportunities on the Gulf Coast as outdoors…

You May Also Like

Surf Fishing Gulf Shores

Surf Fishing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Pompano fishing in Gulf Shores, AL

Pompano Action in Surf Gets Hot in Spring

Alabama Gulf Coast Fishing

Beat the Heat by Fishing at Night

Red Snapper Season in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL

Red Snapper Season in Alabama

Artificial Reef System Alabama Gulf Coast

Alabama's Artificial Reef Expansion

Charter Fishing Gulf Shores

What to Know Before Booking a Charter Fishing Trip

Order a Vacation Guide Subscribe to our Enewsletter
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Logo
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Trip Ideas
  • Press
  • Partners
  • Responsible Tourism
  • 1-800-745-SAND
  • [email protected]
  • Privacy Policy
  • Linking Policy
  • Employment Opportunities
Copyright 2022 Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. All rights reserved.
  • Subscribe to Enews
  • Vacation Guide
  • Chat With Us