Skip to main content
  • Visitors
  • Meetings
  • Sports
Visitors
  • All Places to Stay
    • Beach Houses
    • Condos
    • Resorts
    • Hotels
    • Cabins
    • RV Parks & Camping
    • Pet-Friendly Vacation Rentals
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    Gulf Shores Beach
    Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach?
    Luxury RV Resort Gulf Shores
    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 Things to Do
    • 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 & Foil Boarding
      • Parasailing
      • Sailing
      • Snorkeling
      • Dolphin Cruises
      • Cruises
      • All Water Activities
    • Shopping
    • Golf
    • Nightlife & Bars
    • Signature Experiences
    Fat Daddy's Arcade Gulf Shores
    21 Rainy Day Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
    10 Fun Family Activities 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 Events
    • Annual Events & Festivals
    • Community Events
    • Concerts
    • Events Calendar
    • Holiday Events
    • Live Music
    • Snowbird Events
    Gulf Place Gulf Shores Christmas Lights
    Holiday Events
    Blue Angels
    Blue Angels
    Live Music
    Live Local Music
  • All Restaurants
    • Fan Favorites
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Food Trails
    • Recipes
    • Seafood
    Perch at The Lodge
    Best Fine Dining Restaurants on Alabama’s Beaches
    Papa Rocco's Gulf Shores
    12 Restaurants Locals Love On Alabama’s Beaches
    Cobalt the Restaurant Orange beach
    4 Beach Restaurants Perfect for Date-Night
  • All Planning Tools
    • Order a Vacation Guide
      • Order a Printed Guide & Brochures
      • View e-Guide
      • All Guides
    • 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
    • Photographers
    Family Vacation Gulf Shores
    10 Things to Know Before Your Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Vacation
    Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
    10 Fun Family Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Dog Pond Lake Shelby
    Easy Options for a Pet-Friendly Beach Vacation
  • All Blogs
    • 10 Family Activities
    • 14 Public Beaches
    • 21 Rainy Day Activities
    • 5 Things I Learned From My Vacation
    • 8 Things to Know Before Your Vacation
    Bike Share Program Gulf State Park
    10 Cheap & Free Things To Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Paddle boarding Orange Beach
    10 Things to do with Teens in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Waterville USA
    5 Thrilling Amusement Parks Gulf Shores Orange Beach
  • Deals
    All Deals
Visitors
  • All Places to Stay
    • Beach Houses
    • Condos
    • Resorts
    • Hotels
    • Cabins
    • RV Parks & Camping
    • Pet-Friendly Vacation Rentals
    • Bed & Breakfasts
    Gulf Shores Beach
    Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach?
    Luxury RV Resort Gulf Shores
    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 Things to Do
    • 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 & Foil Boarding
      • Parasailing
      • Sailing
      • Snorkeling
      • Dolphin Cruises
      • Cruises
      • All Water Activities
    • Shopping
    • Golf
    • Nightlife & Bars
    • Signature Experiences
    Fat Daddy's Arcade Gulf Shores
    21 Rainy Day Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
    10 Fun Family Activities 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 Events
    • Annual Events & Festivals
    • Community Events
    • Concerts
    • Events Calendar
    • Holiday Events
    • Live Music
    • Snowbird Events
    Gulf Place Gulf Shores Christmas Lights
    Holiday Events
    Blue Angels
    Blue Angels
    Live Music
    Live Local Music
  • All Restaurants
    • Fan Favorites
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Food Trails
    • Recipes
    • Seafood
    Perch at The Lodge
    Best Fine Dining Restaurants on Alabama’s Beaches
    Papa Rocco's Gulf Shores
    12 Restaurants Locals Love On Alabama’s Beaches
    Cobalt the Restaurant Orange beach
    4 Beach Restaurants Perfect for Date-Night
  • All Planning Tools
    • Order a Vacation Guide
      • Order a Printed Guide & Brochures
      • View e-Guide
      • All Guides
    • 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
    • Photographers
    Family Vacation Gulf Shores
    10 Things to Know Before Your Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Vacation
    Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
    10 Fun Family Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Dog Pond Lake Shelby
    Easy Options for a Pet-Friendly Beach Vacation
  • All Blogs
    • 10 Family Activities
    • 14 Public Beaches
    • 21 Rainy Day Activities
    • 5 Things I Learned From My Vacation
    • 8 Things to Know Before Your Vacation
    Bike Share Program Gulf State Park
    10 Cheap & Free Things To Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Paddle boarding Orange Beach
    10 Things to do with Teens in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
    Waterville USA
    5 Thrilling Amusement Parks Gulf Shores Orange Beach
  • 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
    • Future Sports Tourism Development
    All Bring Your Event
  • Sponsors
    All Sponsors
  • Stories
    All Stories
Fisherman preparing his line in Orange Beach, AL

Stock Up Your Inshore Tackle Box with Essentials

When you head out on Alabama’s productive inshore waters, having the right lures and equipment in your tackle box could mean the difference in simply a wonderful boat ride along our beautiful coast or an ice chest of fish for your next meal.

July 28, 2020
Fishing tackle box Gulf Shores, AL

Early in the fishing season, the inshore species of speckled trout (spotted seatrout) and redfish don’t seem to be too finicky about what they bite after a winter of relative inactivity. That means that artificial lures will usually work well once you locate where the fish are hanging out.

I’m a “grub” fisherman, personally. I love to cast lures and feel that strike. And the grub, a plastic minnow-imitation body, with a lead jighead is my default lure.

Therefore, my tackle box is filled with a variety of plastic bodies from those that look like the minnows and other baitfish the sportfish species prefer. I use grubs from 2 ½ to 4 inches long most of the time in a wide variety of colors - white, silver, chartreuse or combinations of colors, some with flakes for flash or different colors on the paddle tails, which gives the minnow imitation a swimming motion.

I also have a variety of jig heads in sizes of ¼-ounce, 3/8-ounce and half-ounce. Most of the time I use the ¼-ounce because most of the inshore waters in Alabama are relatively shallow. If you head out into some deeper water and want to get the bait to the bottom in a hurry, choose the half-ounce.

Those jigheads will also be in a variety of colors, including red, white, chartreuse and natural. Have plenty of all of them if you’re fishing in areas with a great deal of structure, like the inshore reefs, rock jetties or petroleum platforms.

Inshore fishing in Orange Beach, AL

Also in my tackle box are shrimp-imitation soft plastics in a variety of sizes and colors, which can be mind-boggling when you visit the tackle store. I always have some DOA shrimp, Vudu Shrimp and Berkley Gulp shrimp imitations on hand. Sometimes the fish prefer one over the others, and some days all will work. You just never know what’s going to happen when you get on the water so it’s best to have a variety to try to see which works best.

And don’t forget the popping corks or similar devices that suspend the bait off the bottom. A quick snap of the rod tip causes the concave surface of the popping cork to make a slurping sound that sounds like a fish feeding on the surface. It can attract fish that normally wouldn’t see your bait if you’re only using a grub or shrimp imitation.

If you’re lucky enough to be on the water when the fish are hitting on top, be sure to have some topwater lures, like a Top Dog, Super Spook and Skitter Walk, in the box. Throw in a few Johnson Silver Minnow gold spoons in case the redfish are cruising the edges in shallow water.

When it gets to be live bait time, stock your tackle box with a variety of hooks to match the species. Most of the time, I’ll use a Kahle hook, which has a distinct bend and offset that aids in hooking the fish. A 1/0 Kahle is good for speckled trout and “stringer” redfish up to about 20 inches. Go up in size for the larger redfish. If you’re looking for sheepshead, go with a double-strength hook because a fine-wire hook is too easy to bend.

Include a variety of egg sinkers and small swivels. I use black swivels because sometimes fish will hit the flash of a bronze swivel and cut your line. You’ll need leader material, as well, usually fluorocarbon or monofilament line of 15 to 20-pound break strength.

If you’re having trouble deciding what to put in your tackle box, visit one of the well-stocked tackled stores in the Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area, and the salespeople will help you get the right gear to have a successful day of fishing.

Start planning your vacation

eNewsletter icon
Subscribe to our Fishing E-Newsletter
Vacation Guide Icon
Order a Free Vacation Guide
Lodging icon
Places to Stay

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

Fishing Boat at Pier in Orange Beach AL

Use the Off Season to Organize Your Tackle

Friends deep sea fishing in Orange Beach, AL

Get Early Start on Christmas Shopping for Anglers

Order a Vacation Guide Subscribe to our Enewsletter
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Logo
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tik-Tok
  • Trip Ideas
  • Press
  • Partners
  • Responsible Tourism
  • 1-800-745-SAND
  • [email protected]
  • Privacy Policy
  • Employment Opportunities
Copyright 2023 Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. All rights reserved.
  • Subscribe to Enews
  • Vacation Guide
  • Chat With Us