Anglers are missing out if they don’t take advantage of all the fall fishing opportunities along Alabama’s Beaches. The Gulf State Park Pier is open for some great fall fishing for Spanish and king mackerel, bluefish, whiting, redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. If you’re looking to hit the open water, book a charter for triggerfish, amberjack, and tuna.
Don’t forget those tasty flounder, but make sure you get out on a flounder trip before November. Flounder fishing is closed in November to protect the fish from their fall migration into the Gulf to spawn. Before November, you can find them assembled in the passes and channels leading to the Gulf. If you can locate some bull minnows, the flounder can’t resist them. Otherwise, toss quarter-ounce jigs with a plastic grub along the bottom to get a reaction strike. Anglers are allowed to keep five flounder with a minimum length of 14 inches.
As the water temperature cools, speckled trout and redfish will move out to the flats to feed on the shrimp and baitfish, starting a transition that will take them into Alabama’s estuaries and rivers.
Head offshore to catch the hard-fighting amberjack when you can catch a good weather window. The seasons for this species opened back up on September 1 and are scheduled to run through the end of October.
Fall is also an excellent time for a multi-day trip into the Gulf to catch blackfin, yellowfin tuna, and possibly a swordfish. Unless you are fishing on a licensed charter boat, you will need the proper fishing license if you fish from the pier, surf, or personal boat. Charter boats will have you covered.