Thread: Need advice!!!

So I plan on coming down to the gulf on the 3rd of June. I plan on doing quite a bit of surf fishing along with pier fishing. Does anyone here have any advice for a Mississippi newb such as me. Such as places on the beach that sort of stand out above the rest for fishing? Also what's bitting this time of year and what would the recomended tackle be for surf fishing? I have one more question as well.. when I was younger I fished on the old pier, then when it was knocked down I fished the wreckage, now are there any tips for fishing gulf shores pier?? That I think puts an end to the questions...except for where to go to find good eats at?

I'll answer the easy question, "good eats", DOC's Seafood on Canal Road in Orange Beach. Good fried shrimp/oysters.

use the search function in the upper right hand corner. everything you need to know is at your fingertips.

for what's biting and when.
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...r-pier-r-9236/

as for what to eat.
i really enjoy fiddlefish at sanroc cay.

have fun! i know you will.

Search (using the rectangular search box) for previous discussions on everything you asked about, like, "What's Biting, When" It's all there, how to read the surf and ALL tips for fishing the Gulf Shores Pier. Good Reading!

We will be there for 6 days so definitely will give it a shot, thanks for the pely👍

+1 on Doc's. Cobalt in orange beach is good if you're in the mood for a tad fancier but still good. I always hit the Flora Bama for oysters just because I always have.

Not a local (so defer to them) but I have surf fished there pretty steadily since the late 90s or so. It's all in the search results but I give a +1 to the medium sized rods/reels; +1 to using live shrimp especially if fishing with kids or non-fishers; have some soft shrimp baits and live minnows or soft minnow lures (for flounder); I'm partial to Gulp! baits as well as Fishbites; we usually Carolina rig live and "until very recently live" shrimp but have had success with fish finder and other common surf rigs; target any cuts in the sandbars, the trough close to shore; also where it drops from the sandbar on the deep side. With kids we would usually toss their baits out there to get them in the water, and I would 'prospect' all the areas around a cut or hole as well as distance and water column...sometimes that's necessary, sometimes it's overkill if the fish are there and really active.

I've fished all up and down there over the years but in the last 10 or so have mainly been down the peninsula within a few miles east of the fort, over in Bon Secour bay, and a few times in the lagoon or the lagoon pass into the gulf. When fishing lagoon I've always had better success at night but probably because I was always fishing dock lights. Don't know about pier as I'm primarily in the surf or the bay.

Didn't mean to write so much but was down a couple weeks ago and already itching to get back in June.

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

I like to have a medium/ medium light reel on a 8'-10' medium action surf rod. 10-14 lb test. Like fishgeek said live shrimp are always a good choice. or 1/3 peeled fresh shrimp and a sliver of orange fish bite works. Get several different size egg weights in case the water is rough. A little extra weight will get you further out too .

Also fresh cut ladyfish or mullet for some drum may work
Good Luck!

Originally Posted by Flyniron

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

If the surf is calm you can suspend them under a cork to keep them off the bottom. If the bite is slow that's not a bad idea either. Or maybe try some kind of dropper rig so the bait is higher in the water column. But I've also gotten a good number of flounder in the surf at times and I'm assuming they were on the bottom when they hit my shrimp. I've found (don't know if this applies all the time) that if the 'good' fish are around and really active and I'm using live shrimp (or fresh dead...or even fishbites) that they aggressively hit the bait pretty quick, before the catfish can.

Originally Posted by Flyniron

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

Do
not use squid! Or frozen bait shrimp, only live or fresh shrimp.