Thread: Fairhope Pier

I'm thinking about going down to Fairhope pier tonight. Has anybody had any luck there? If so what should I rig my rods with. I was hoping for maybe some reds, specs, or flounder. Thanks for the your help. Tight lines.

Scotty, I fished Fairhope 3-4 times since my last post. Caught maybe 25 small Specks with 2 legal, and 2 slot reds about 17". I didn't go past the restaurant since I rarely "target" Reds... but I also know that Reds will cruise the shallow sandbars.
I never use shrimp here, so everything I caught came on slow jigged Crappie-size plastic minnow/tube baits, 1/8th jigheads in various colors, in and around the under-pier lights. Bite has been slow and sporadic. Water is somewhere between murky/muddy and churned/stained. Haven't seen "clear" water yet and have only a few reports of Reds being caught. I always fish the over-night shift.

Now, the worse news. I lost a Red that was larger than my personal best (32#) after letting him run for 20 minutes. He took a full 5" live Croaker in 30" of water. I was sure he was done, but this fish was just too big, and when the netter missed him on the first attempt he dove and headed south, under the pier. You know what usually happens when that happens, and that's what happened. Last seen trailing 30ft of Cajun red 17# mono.

Would have loved the photo-op but that's really all I lost since it would have gone back. At least I know there is one really nice Red still out there. Good luck, and taking some patience with you will help.

Thanks for the report. Hopefully you can get that big bull red!