Thread: surf fishing near gulf shores

Hello all, my family and a couple friends of mine will be visiting the gulf shores area September 7th - 13th. My friends and I are looking to do some fishing while we are in the area. My main goal is to catch at least one shark. I have only been salt water fishing once and would appreciate any and all advice i could get for sharking and normal surf fishing in the area. In advance, thank you for your time!

search feature in the upper right hand corner will give you more information and discussion on sharks than you will ever be able to read.

Go to the pier and you will have pretty good odds of hooking one.i have never been that i didnt hook 1 so unless alot has changed (didnt make it to pier last year) you should be able to hook 1. I also have caught several small ones from beach around foot to foot and half in length.

Just to make sure you know, myers17w, you're not SUPPOSED to fish for sharks from the pier. If you do hook one, you can't bring it up on the pier. You have to cut/break your line. Lots of times there are sharks that hang around the fish cleaning station area of the pier. Not advising you where to fish for sharks, you understand, since fishing for sharks is against the pier rules [the information is for entertainment purposes only].

I'd fish the pier or surf for just about anything BUT sharks. Lot more fun and tasty stuff out there to catch.

I would suggest night fishing at the Navarre Beach Pier - open 'til 11:00 PM. There is a group of shark fishermen there, usually at the end of the pier from sunset to close. Some people use balloons to drift their bait out - others use kayaks when going for the bigger sharks. I've hooked up to 12' hammerheads and lots of 3' - 5' black-tip & sharp nosed sharks there. They have hooked p to 350# Mako sharks off the beach, but you need to get big baits on big rigs way out for them.

Just fish for red drum anywhere on the beach and your sure to catch a small one

thanks everyone for the advice it is greatly appreciated. also, for making me aware you cannot shark fish from the pier. Any other rules and laws you would suggest reading up on?

rule#1-- have fun!