Thread: Where to fish on surf?

Hey guys,

Been lurking here for about a month. Some friends and I are coming down next week for Spring Break. Is the fishing looking any better now that we're edging into March?

My biggest question is are there any good spots on the surf worth casting a line? I've never figured out how to read a surf so I'm at the mercy of you veterans!

I will probably also try the passes as well, but my friends are going to want to be out on the beach all day.

Final note: Holy cow the 7 day licenses are expensive!

Welcome darrenaf!
IMHO a day on the beach is a day well spent, even if the fish aren't biting.
You have several viable fish options now with pompano, whiting, red & black drum.
Fresh dead shrimp on bottom is often a good bait, maybe orange or pink Fishbites too.

I just wrote an article for Great Days Outdoors magazine about 'Reading the beach', but it won't be published until May.
The short version i can relay now is to take a little time to look over the area you are going to fish and determine where the sandbars are points are.
Those are the spots to begin fishing around, but then be a bit 'mobile' until you find fish.
Use whatever visual clues are available (contrast in water color, waves breaking, etc. to "see" the water depth, thus the best locations to cast to and specifically place your bait.

There are some good reads on the www if you Google "reading the beach".

Hope this helps!

Hope you guys have a great week.Pier is on it again find a good bait store J and M on Canal rd is great.Like pier said always keep fish bites on hand with smaller hooks.Fresh shrimp not frozen or live shrimp in first cut and fish bites.Pompano few around but they should kick in soon same with sheephead.
I like fiddler crabs under bridges and inlets fishing.
The pier is a must lots of different fish to target.
When surf fishing keep moving to find that good spot look for birds,reading surf is key.
Surf fishing bring a few rods cover cut 2nd bar or rent Kayaks if weather is ok.
Big key keep up reading previous post from last year same time frame.
If you want to catch fish keep asking question have good gear and move until you find that good spot.
One heads up driving down 59 the little bridge that lines up lagoon is under construction it's one lane to beach so take another route to beach if possible.Take Care. Tom

Thanks for the input guys! I'll keep you updated on if we catch anything. This is off-topic but I noticed you guys have a beach ban on alcohol this month. Is the rule heavily enforced and what was it like last year around this time with the spring breakers? I know my gang was planning on fishing and drinking but as long as I get to fish I'm fine!

It depends on where your fishing at. Downtown near the condos and the public beach yes, outside of the area like fort Morgan no. And you will see why it’s is banned pretty quickly.

That's surprising, are rowdy crowds still coming down despite the ban?

The last couple of years during spring break have not been the best representation of college age people. Lots of trash on the beach, sidewalks, for that matter everywhere. Then you have people who are too drunk to stand let alone walk on the beach, it’s wasn’t what I wanted my kids to see. But there was one year there was a group of beach bunnies staying next to us who decided to sunbathe without their tops on, that I appreciated, but not so much my wife with the kids around. She made me do the unthinkable and politely tell them that gulf shores did not allow that kind of behavior. The image is still ingrained in my mind as much as the image of the remora stuck to haywires chest is. It wasn’t always the cause though, gulf shores is a family oriented destination, if you want to be a drunken college idiot, go some place else.

Originally Posted by darrenaf

I noticed you guys have a beach ban on alcohol this month. Is the rule heavily enforced and what was it like last year around this time with the spring breakers?

If you think a seven-day license is expensive, imagine what a ticket for illegal possession of alcohol on the beach would cost! Your friends definitely don't want to take that risk, because every container is going to be inspected. As for surf fishing - Spring break is a really good time for surf fishing. I prefer the pier, but you may do well with fresh-dead peeled shrimp pieces on a Carolina rig.

Stay safe! That's the most important thing. Be aware of dangerous surf, jellyfish/man-o-wars, SUNBURN, and impaired individuals. Any one of those things can ruin a trip.

Panama City Beach cracked down on the idiocy a couple of years ago and Gulf Shores enacted the no alcohol ordinance to discourage them from migrating here and causing trouble. There will be a Police car, State Trooper or Baldwin County Deputy behind every blade of grass in March. I talked to a couple of Gulf Shores officers who said they had a steady stream of arrests because of fights on the beach, underage drinking, alcohol on the beach and a few stupid enough to smoke pot on the beach. I hope you have fun, drink all you want(off the beach), catch a ton of fish and meet some cute girls while you are here.