Beach Renourishment's Affects on Fishing in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Fishing After Beach Restoration

aerial view of little lagoon pass beach on west beach in Gulf Shores

Alabama Beaches Renourishment Project

Visitors who haven't visited Alabama's Beaches in a few years will notice a different look on the sugar-sand white shores. In a massive project that lasted months, about two million cubic yards of sand were pumped from nearshore areas as part of the beach renourishment project in Baldwin County from west of Little Lagoon Pass to the Florida-Alabama line.

That work means sunbathers will enjoy the most stunning beaches, but anglers who love to ply the surf for various fish species will likely have to do a little scouting because their previous honey holes may not be there anymore.

Surf Fishing

Anglers will want to survey the beaches and find new fishing spots for pompano and whiting — the most common species for surf fishing. Clearer water usually means more strikes because the fish can easily locate the bait in the surf. Look for the darker spots along the beach that indicate more depth. Also, look for any irregular features in the sandbar where the predator fish can ambush their prey.

Pompano, whiting, and flounder are likely in the usual spots along the first sandbar where the waves break. Those breakers stir up the bottom to reveal numerous invertebrates that make easy meals for the fish. However, surf fishing is not limited to the above species. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a hard-charging redfish, black drum, or bluefish.

Gulf Coast Bait & Tackle Recommendations

If you don’t have the tools to catch your own bait, head to the numerous tackle shops on Alabama's Beaches to find the equipment you’ll need to scoop up sand fleas (mole crabs) and a pump to slurp ghost shrimp out of the surf.

The ghost shrimp extruders suction the crustaceans out of their holes in the sand. If you’re lucky, you can find spots that yield enough ghost shrimp to last the entire fishing trip. If you’re not inclined to catch your bait, the tackle shops may have frozen sand fleas, and they should have plenty of fresh dead shrimp. Take the shrimp, pinch off a piece of the tail, and impale it onto the hook, hiding as much of the hook as possible. For added enticement, cut a square of FishBites and add it to the hook.

Angler holding up fish caught with surf fishing on the beach in Orange Beach

Timing & Regulations

The surf fishing gets really hot in the middle of the spring, especially for pompano and whiting. When the vacation season hits in the middle of May, and the beachgoers flood the shoreline, head toward areas with less congestion. Plus, if you fish at dawn and dusk, you will likely encounter fewer people and the fishing will likely be better.

Remember that you still need an Alabama saltwater fishing license to fish the surf. The pompano length limit is 12 inches, with a daily bag limit of three fish per person. There is no limit on whiting. The redfish limit is three per person with a slot limit of 16 to 26 inches, with the exception that one fish larger than 26 inches is allowed.

Start Planning Your Next Fishing Trip

Fishing rod planted in the sand for surf fishing on Alabama's Beaches

Not only does the engineered beach renourishment project improve the aesthetics of our beautiful coast, but it also includes aspects that will make our area more resilient – raising the sand dune heights, planting vegetation, and building sand fences.

You will be pleasantly surprised by the new look of Alabama’s unparalleled beaches. So, look at your calendar and plan a fishing trip to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan this year!

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 editor at the Mobile Press-Register. He is past president of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and currently serves on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Outreach and Education Advisory Panel and the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef & Restoration Foundation board.