Fishing

Bait your hook or cast your net from more than 660 miles of shoreline from Orange Beach to the south shore of Mobile County and Mobile Bay. Baldwin County offers a multitude of angling opportunities for fishing enthusiasts at every level.

KINDS OF FISH l AMBERJACK can be found all year but peak from May until September. Abundant around wrecks, reefs and gas platforms in Gulf waters off Baldwin County’s south coast. l BLACKFIN TUNA can be found May through December with a peak in late June through July by trolling and jigging in offshore Gulf waters. l FLOUNDER are abundant on and around structures like piers and drop offs along the Eastern Shore. l GROUPER can be found all year in the Gulf of Mexico off Baldwin County’s south coast. l KING MACKEREL can be found along coastal and offshore Gulf waters, particularly around wrecks, rigs, obstructions, ledges, lumps and other structures from May through October. l MULLET can be found near inshore artificial reefs and around oyster reefs and tidal river mouths. l REDFISH are abundant around the mouth of Mobile Bay near Fort Morgan. l RED SNAPPER season and limits change based on the abundance of the fish. Red snapper can be found offshore around natural structures or artificial reefs. l SEATROUT can be caught along Gulf beaches in March and in rivers and above the Mobile Bay Causeway in late fall and winter. l SHARKS are commonly caught from March through November around oyster reefs, bridge pilings, inshore artificial reefs, rock jetties and oyster reef areas during flooding tides. l SPECKLED TROUT can be found in the shallows of Mobile Bay. l WAHOO can be found by trolling in offshore Gulf waters from May through October. l WHITING can be found in the Gulf surf zone of coastal waters and off Gulf piers and lower portions of the bays, including lower bay piers. l YELLOWFIN TUNA can be found in offshore Gulf waters from April through December with a peak in June and July.

FISHING LICENSES

All you need to buy an Alabama fishing license is a valid driver’s license. Fishing licenses can be purchased online at OutdoorAlabama.com, in probate offices in Bay Minette, Foley, Robertsdale or Fairhope and are also available at outdoor retailers and Walmart locations throughout the county.

LOCAL FISHING ORGANIZATIONS

l ALABAMA CHARTER FISHING

ASSOCIATION, 4223 Orange Beach Blvd., Orange Beach · AlabamaCharterFishingAssociation.com

l MOBILE BAY KAYAK FISHING

ASSOCIATION,7311 Bay Road, Mobile · mbkfa.com

l MOBILE BIG GAME FISHING CLUB,

27075 Marina Road, Orange Beach · 251-981-6200 · mbgfc.org

l NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHARTERBOAT OPERATORS,

P.O. Box 1070, Hurley, Miss. · 866-981-5136 · NACOcharters.org

FISHING LINKS

l TakeMeFishing.org l OutdoorAlabama.com l EatAlabamaSeafood.com l GulfShores.com/things-to-do/ fishing

MARINAS

l BARBER MARINA, 26986 Fish Trap Road, Elberta · 251-987-2628 · BarberMarina.com l BEAR POINT MARINA, 5749 Bay La Launch Ave., Orange Beach · 251-981-2327 · BearPointHarbor.com l CARIBE MARINA, 28101 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach· 251-980-8410 · CaribeMarina.com l FAIRHOPE DOCKS MARINA, 848 Seacliff Drive, Fairhope, 251-929-0365 · FairhopeDocks.com

l FLORA-BAMA MARINA & WATER-

SPORTS, 29603 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach · 251-980-5222 · FishFloraBama.com l FLY CREEK MARINA, 831 N. Section St., Fairhope · 251-928-4868 · FlyCreekMarina.com

l FORT MORGAN MARINA,

1577 Alabama 180 W., Gulf Shores · 251-540-2628 · Facebook.com/FortMorganMarina l HAPPY HARBOR MARINA, 27212 Marina Road, Orange Beach · 251-981-6111 · HappyHarbors.com l HOMEPORT MARINA, 200 E. 25th Ave., Gulf Shores · 251-968-4528 · Facebook.com/HomeportMarina.net

l HUDSON MARINA, 4575 S. Wilson Blvd., Orange Beach · 251-981-4127 · AlabamaDeepSeaFishing.com

FISHING

MOBILE BAY JUBILEE

One of the most exciting fishing events in Baldwin County is the jubilee on the upper Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay from Point Clear to slightly north of Daphne. During this natural phenomenon, many species of aquatic life leave deeper waters and swarm in a specific, shallower coastal area of the bay.

The Mobile Bay jubilee typically takes place every year between the months of June and September. Some years it occurs several times, usually in the pre-dawn hours, and can cover up to a 15-mile stretch of coast on the Eastern Shore. A specific set of conditions must be met for a jubilee to occur: • Previous day’s weather conditions must include an overcast or cloudy day, a gentle wind from the east and a calm and slick bay surface. • Rising tide is necessary; a change to a falling tide will stop the jubilee.

l ICC MARINE, 2614 E. 2nd St., Gulf Shores · 251-752-6558 · ICCMarinegulfshores.com

l LAKE FOREST MARINA, 3 Yacht Club Drive, Daphne · 251-680-6190

l NELSON MARINA, 16800 Nelson Lane, Gulf Shores · 251-550-6054 · NelPHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID RAINER sonBoatyard.com l ORANGE BEACH MARINA, 27075 Marina Road, Orange Beach · 251-981-4207 · OrangeBeachMarina.com l PIRATE’S COVE, 6664 County Road 95, Josephine · 251-9871224 · PiratesCoveRiffRaff. com

l ROMAR MARINA,

26350 Cotton Bayou Drive, Orange Beach · 251-980-0016 · RomarMarina.com

l SANROC CAY MA-

RINA, 27267 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach · 251981-7173 · SanRocCay.com

l SAUNDERS YACHTWORKS

BOATYARD, 27075 Marina Road, Orange Beach · 251-981-3700 · SaundersYacht.com

l SHUXMARINA FAIRHOPE MUNICIPAL PIER, Fairhope 251-421-8012

l SAFE HARBOR SPORTSMAN, 27844 Canal Road, Orange Beach · 251-9816247 · SportsmanMarina.com

l THE WHARF MARINA, 4851 Wharf Parkway., Orange Beach · 251-224-1900 · TheWharfMarina.com

l ZEKE’S LANDING MARINA, 26619 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach · 251-981-4044 · ZekesLanding.com

GULF STATE PARK PIER

Check out the 1,540-foot-long, 20-foot-wide pier at Gulf State Park. The Gulf State Park Pier has 2,448 feet of fishing space along its rails and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Find more information at AlaPark.com.

MOBILE BAY

The Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay is one of the state’s most popular fishing locations. Many locations are available for fishing, from the south end of the shore in Point Clear and Fairhope to the north in Daphne and Spanish Fort. The Eastern Shore is covered with boat ramps and fishing piers for anglers to use.