Saltwater Fishing Bait for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, AL

FISHING WITH LIVE BAIT

Live bait fishing on the Alabama Coast: You can catch fish with live bait as long you find live bait. Live bait shrimp can be found at a number of bait stores where you can also sometimes find live bull minnows. Other live bait fish such as pinfish, alewives , mullet, croaker, and glass minnows will need to be caught.

Live Shrimp: Live shrimp will catch anything in the water down here, including other bait fish. If you are taking the kids to catch fish, this is your ticket. If you are targeting speckled trout, redfish, and flounder, live shrimp will do this too. You can fish live shrimp under all styles of corks--slip corks, float corks, popping corks. Make sure sure leader matches your water depth and the depth of the fish. This is where slip corks are handy. Run your main line through the center of the slip cork. Attach small split shot lead above the slip cork. You can adjust the fishing depth much easier than with other cork styles by moving the split shot. To fish live shrimp under a popping cork, use a 1/4 oz jig head and hook the shrimp through the next to last segment of his tail. When you "pop the cork" with slight jerks of the rod tip shrimp will jump naturally as if being stalked by a predator. To see a list of live shrimp dealers click here--Live Bait Dealers. smaller mouth fish like whiting, croaker, and pinfish.

Make sure you are using hooks that match the fish you are after. In our inshore waters, hooks up to #1 work fine. You can always catch a larger speckled trout or redfish on a smaller hook, but smaller kingfish (whiting), pompano, croaker, and other small fish will not get larger hooks. Hook size is identified by number, in our case 1 being the largest and getting smaller as the number rises. #4 hooks are great for smaller mouth fish like whiting, croaker, and pinfish.

Fishing Articles

Inshore Saltwater Fish Species on the Alabama Gulf Coast: What kind of fish can I catch in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Mobile, AL? This is where to find out if you want to fish for speckled trout, redfish, flounder, and more. Learn tendencies of each fish and how to target to their feeding patterns.

Tide Charts for Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Mobile Bay: Fishing the tides is a tradition. Knowing the tides is crucial. Fish when tide movement is at its greatest, sometimes the water is still at peak high or low tide. Learn the tides and catch fish.

Surf Fishing in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL: Surf fishing is a year round activity on the beaches of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. Learn what fish are biting off the beaches and what baits they typically feed on. Find popular surf fishing gear and tackle to make your trip enjoyable.

Bait & Tackle for fishing the Alabama Gulf Coast: The right bait and tackle is the difference between a great day fishing or a bust. Fill your cooler, hang one on the wall, or take that fish photo of a lifetime by knowing how to match your bait & tackle to your fish.

Alabama Saltwater Fishing Regulations: Know fish bag and creel limits before getting in the water. Some fish have slots, some limits change year to year. Don't be in violation.