Surf Fishing
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I vacationed regularly at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, but only after relocating to the coast did I learn enough to actually get started catching fish from the beach. Most people who spend a week at the beach each year are pulled in too many directions to go through the surf fishing learning curve. Some people don't even realize that fish can be caught while sitting in a beach chair. I know that to be true because of the many people that gather around while I am fishing, amazed at what I drag in.
It is possible to catch fish from the surf with the same rod and reel that you use for freshwater fishing, but it's almost certain that if it gets soaked in saltwater you will have to throw it away when your vacation is over. It might be wise to either buy an inexpensive rod and reel at Wal-Mart, or even better invest in a good rod and reel built for surf fishing. Good ones can be purchased at tackle shops for as little as $150. If you visit the beach even once a year it will be a good investment.
A cheap rod and reel will catch fish, just not every type and size of fish in the ocean. A 20 lb redfish is going to be very hard to get to dry land with a cheap rod and light line, especially if the tide is working against you. Other fish like whiting and baby blues will not be a problem using any rig and some people are quite content spending a few hours catching whiting and other small fish.
Saltwater fish are not as picky as freshwater fish. Most fish that you can catch while surf fishing will attack aggressively anything that looks even remotely like what they normally consume. It is very easy to find the right lure - just stop by a good tackle shop and ask what is biting and ask for a lure recommendation. Many times shiny spoons or torpedo-shaped lures are all you need. When the bluefish or Spanish mackerel are hitting, you can actually catch so many so fast with a shiny lure that you will have to quit while they are still biting.
If you buy a saltwater reel, or even just the line, from a good tackle shop, the shop will spool the line for you. This saves a lot of time. and you will know that you have the proper line weight for the fish that you are most likely to hook. After the line is spooled, ask for a leader recommendation.
Buy some jigs at the tackle shop. Jigs catch flounder, speckled trout, pompano and many other popular species. Jigs are cheap, so buy an assortment of sizes and colors.
Usually I prefer to bottom fish with a natural bait like shrimp or cut bait. This type of fishing can be as relaxing as reclining in a beach chair with your rod in your hand, raising it a little higher as beach walkers pass under it. Or it can be as frantic as fighting a big redfish while jumping waves in waist high water.
Probably the most confusing aspect of bottom fishing is rigging the line. Most tackle shops stock pre-made rigs. Obviously, it is cheaper to do the work yourself, but pre-mades for your first trip vastly reduces the learning curve.
Be aware that some of the fish that you will likely catch can be dangerous. Bluefish can bite hard, drawing blood. Hardhead catfish can hurt bad with their sharp, venomous fins. Stingrays can cause serious damage with their spine. You shouldn't be so concerned that it hampers your enjoyment - just know what can hurt you and be careful handling a species that you can't identify.
Sometimes it is better to cut your line and re-rig than to allow a fish that can hurt you to get in your space. Many people don't realize it but ocean water is alive. That is a subject for another day, but just be aware that if you break your skin, you should clean it as fast as possible to prevent infection.
When you are moving in the water, drag your feet across the bottom a little as you walk. This will send a message to the stingrays that you are getting near. Stingrays will not come after you. You will have to invade their space to get stung.
Sharks attacks while surf fishing are very rare, but they do happen. I have spent many, many hours in the water and I've never had a problem. Most attacks happen very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon. Wading into a school of small fish, especially in murky water, can be a problem. If a shark attacks he has more than likely confused you with his regular prey. But that rarely happens.
If you're wondering where you should surf fish on the Alabama Gulf Coast, any place with sand and surf could be the best place on any given day.
My two favorite places to surf fish are the Little Lagoon Pass public beach area at West Beach and the Cotton Bayou public beach area of Gulf State Park near the intersection of High 161 with Highway 182 (Perdido Beach Boulevard).
At Little Lagoon Pass the fish like to swim back and forth through the pass, and there are good drop offs and swells caused by the pass interrupting the tide and currents. You can also bring your smaller rods to fish the pass on the lagoon side of the bridge. Fishing is good all year there, but flounder fishing is great in November and early December.
At the Cotton Bayou public beach I like to walk under the Four Seasons pier and then walk a little bit farther down the beach. This gets you away from most of the swimmers. The water usually drops off pretty good there and many times during the year there are swells where the bigger fish that you are after like to trap smaller fish. When ravenous fish like bluefish are feeding in shallow water it can look like those piranhas feasting on prey that you've seen in the movies. Toss a lure in the midst of that action and you will probably pull out a fish.
A sand spike can be bought at any tackle shop near the beach. Spikes are useful when you want to fish with more than one rod. Be careful though; I have seen fisherman lose $200 rod and reels to a big fish that ripped the spike out of the sand while they were consuming a beverage and shooting the breeze with their fishing buddy.
Give surf fishing a try on your next beach trip. It will make your trip to the beach even more enjoyable.
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Check out my friend Dan's Outer Banks of North Carolina site for more fishing tips.
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