Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report

Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Oct 22, 2026 1 hr 23 min

Blue Water, Bull Reds, and Fall Fishing After Isaias

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report looks at how the Alabama Gulf Coast is shaping up after Hurricane Isaias, with cooler water, improving offshore conditions, bull redfish, jack crevalle, flounder, and the fall inshore transition. Butch Thierry opens the show with Capt. Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle, who reports an excellent pre-storm bite around the beaches and passes. Chris explains how falling water temperatures have fired up big jacks and bull reds along the beaches, why eastbound tarpon can be difficult to catch during their fall migration, and how to target flounder, mangrove snapper, trout, and redfish around washouts, troughs, and current breaks. He also shares his favorite heavy-tackle setups and topwater poppers for chasing big fish.

Next, Clark Newsome and Andy Pipkin of Make Wake Marine in Fairhope join Butch for a practical conversation about fall boat maintenance, winter preparation, and upgrades. They explain why now is a good time to address neglected pumps, wiring, corrosion, fuel systems, and outboard maintenance before small problems become expensive repairs. The discussion covers service intervals, water pumps, lower-unit seals, lithium batteries, trolling motors, shallow-water anchors, and how to prepare boats for cold weather or extended storage.

Joe Baya and Tom Hilton of Hilton's Offshore Charts follow with a detailed offshore breakdown focused on finding fall wahoo. Tom explains how Hurricane Isaias pushed cleaner blue water closer to the northern Gulf Coast, creating promising opportunities around the nearshore FADs, natural bottom, wrecks, and offshore temperature breaks. The guys walk through using sea surface temperatures, chlorophyll imagery, currents, bottom contours, and Hilton's trip-planning tools to build an efficient trolling route from Destin, Pensacola, Orange Beach, or Dauphin Island. They also discuss how a planned route can double as an offshore safety and float plan.

Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing closes the show with a Causeway and lower Delta report, where the fishing has become more challenging as trout, redfish, and flounder adjust to the changing conditions. Patric explains why the storm appears to have scattered shrimp and shifted bait patterns, why live pogies have been especially productive, and how anglers can use bird activity, grass edges, river ledges, and shallow flats to locate fish. He also shares tips for live chumming, popping corks, Slick Juniors, Z-Man PaddlerZ, and adapting quickly when yesterday's productive fishing spot goes quiet. With fall fishing beginning to settle in, the message is simple: keep moving, pay attention to the bait, and be ready to change tactics.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Oct 16, 2026 2 hr 2 min

The Isaias Special

Show notes

This special episode of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is a Hurricane Isaias edition, put together after the storm disrupted the normal weekly recording schedule. With Butch Thierry, the charter captains, and contributors spending the week securing boats, watching the forecast, and preparing for the storm, the crew was not able to record a regular report. Instead, this episode pulls together selected highlights from recent shows to give listeners something useful to listen to while they wait out the weather.

The episode starts with a beach and surf-fishing segment covering the early fall transition, including cleaner water, more manageable mornings, flounder on artificials, pompano beginning to show back up, whiting, black drum, redfish, bluefish, and the return of better mixed-bag action in the surf. The discussion digs into tandem rigs for beach flounder, new penny plastics, fishing troughs and sandbar edges, fresh shrimp, Fishbites, smaller pyramid weights, and how wave height changes the best approach for set rigs, artificials, and topwater fishing.

The show then moves inshore with Chris Vecsey, who talks through trout, redfish, mangrove snapper, topwater fishing, wake baits, dock lights, current, bait movement, and the growing number of snook being seen and tagged along the Alabama and Northwest Florida coast. Chris explains why he keeps moving until he finds bait and current, and why seeing more and larger snook is an encouraging sign for anglers and researchers tracking that developing fishery.

The episode also includes a cobia and triple tail tagging segment tied to research work with the University of South Alabama. The conversation covers acoustic tags, satellite tags, DNA samples, diet sampling, reward tags, close-in cobia around Dauphin Island and Mobile Bay, and the importance of live bait. The report breaks down how bait preference can change week to week, why anglers should pay close attention to both the bottom machine and the surface, and how hardtails, cigar minnows, crazy fish, sardines, and threadfin herring can all matter depending on what the fish want that day.

To close out the special, the episode features Gulf State Park Pier and offshore highlights, including warm-water mackerel patterns, slot redfish, whiting in the surf, and a lively offshore discussion about grouper, leader size, slack-line Carolina rigs, fishing baits off the bottom, live-chumming tuna, and a memorable Bama Boys trip full of fish, breakdowns, rough weather, Sea Tow, and hard-earned lessons. It is not a normal weekly report, but it gives ASFR listeners a strong mix of inshore, onshore, nearshore, and offshore fishing intel while Hurricane Isaias takes center stage.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Oct 9, 2026 1 hr 11 min

Tuna, Triple Tail, Cobia Tags, and Pier Reds

Season 1, Episode 451

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers the early-October transition along the Alabama Gulf Coast, with offshore tuna and swordfish, close-in cobia, big triple tail, Spanish mackerel, slot redfish, surf fishing, and changing fall conditions. Butch Thierry is joined by Angelo DePaola, who opens the show with a look at the shifting weather, the challenge of making fishing plans around rough fall forecasts, and why anglers still have to take their windows when they get them.

Capt. Cody Broughton checks in from Dauphin Island with an offshore report focused on yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and bottom fishing. Cody explains why late September and October are some of his favorite times to fish, how he's been live-bait chumming for tuna, and why greenbacks, natural presentations, nose-hooked baits, and Seaguar Gold fluorocarbon have helped him get bites. He also breaks down a recent daytime swordfish bite on a buoy rod, how the fish behaved during the fight, and why swordfish can be so unpredictable once they are hooked.

Capt. Richard Rutland of Cold Blooded Fishing follows with a detailed cobia and triple tail report built around the tagging work he's been doing with the University of South Alabama. Richard explains how the team is acoustic-tagging cobia and triple tail, collecting fin clips and diet samples, deploying satellite tags, and offering reward tags for recaptured fish. He also shares what he's learned from spending so much time targeting these fish, including why live bait has been critical for cobia, how bait preference can change week to week, and why anglers need to watch both the bottom machine and the surface when fishing ships, buoys, rigs, and other vertical structure.

Richard also digs deep into triple tail tactics, including how to cover water, find productive regions, read tide lines, blind-fish poles and buoys, and decide when to slow down. He explains why shrimp worked well earlier, why small pogies have become a better option as spadefish, mangroves, and pinfish crowd the structure, and how to fish slip corks, short leaders, circle hooks, heavier braid, and locked-down drags around big blackfish. He also shares how tide lines with logs, buckets, bait, and other floating debris can produce some of the best and most forgiving triple tail opportunities of the season.

To close the episode, David Thornton, The Pier Pounder, reports from Gulf State Park Pier and the surf. David explains that water temperatures have stayed warmer than normal, bait has been inconsistent, and the typical late-September mackerel pattern has been slower than expected. Still, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, slot redfish, speckled trout, flounder, mangrove snapper, whiting, and pompano are all in play when anglers can find bait, clean water, and the right window. The episode wraps with a reminder that fall fishing is close, but the next real push may depend on cooler water, better bait concentrations, and the weather settling down after the coming rain and wind.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Oct 1, 2026 1 hr 48 min

Bama Boys Invade PCB

Show notes

This special episode of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report brings together Joe Baya, Butch Thierry, Dr. Dylan Kiene, Capt. Tanner Deas, and Capt. Branden Collier for a recap of the "Bama Boys" trip to Panama City Beach. The crew talks through what it is like for Alabama anglers to bring their own boat to the Emerald Coast, learn a different style of bottom fishing, and target gag grouper, red grouper, snapper, triggerfish, and other species on natural bottom instead of the artificial reefs and rigs they are used to fishing closer to home.

The conversation starts with bait, where Branden and Butch describe stumbling into a huge cloud of pinfish, white trout, hardtails, and other bait near St. Andrews Pass. That lucky bait stop ended up being a major part of the trip, especially once the crew realized that live pinfish were the ticket for gag grouper. From there, the group digs into what made the Panama City Beach fishery feel so different: closer natural bottom, fewer red snapper compared to Alabama, strong red grouper numbers, lots of triggerfish, spread-out ledges and low-relief structure, and grouper bites that often came only after a long soak.

The guys also break down what they learned from fishing rough conditions, losing fish in the rocks, experimenting with 60- and 100-pound leader, using live bait versus slow-pitch jigs, and trying to understand how grouper move across natural bottom. They talk through the value of local knowledge, electronics, public numbers, drifting versus spot-locking, and how one good rock can change the whole day. The trip was not without problems, including trolling motor trouble, engine trouble, a flat tire, a broken rod, and a late-night boat-plug mishap, but the crew still came home with a solid box of fish, a pile of lessons, and a stronger appreciation for safety gear, Sea Tow, VHF radios, and being prepared offshore.

The episode closes with Tom Hilton of Hilton's Offshore Charts joining Joe and Butch for a detailed look at the offshore setup in the Northern Gulf. Tom explains how to read chlorophyll, sea surface temperature, altimetry, current edges, and historical satellite shots to understand where blue water, bait, and pelagic fish may be moving. The discussion focuses on the water setting up from the Destin and Alabama side toward the Nipple, 131 Hole, Nakika, Blind Faith, and nearby offshore structure, with practical insight into how anglers can use Hilton's trip-planning tools to make better decisions before burning fuel.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Sep 25, 2026 1 hr 46 min

Flounder, Snook, Tuna, and the Fall Saltwater Shift

Season 1, Episode 448

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers the late-summer transition along the Alabama Gulf Coast, from improving surf conditions and flounder on the beach to light-tackle billfishing, snook, tuna, amberjack, and bluewater live-bait tactics. Butch Thierry opens the show with Tony Emmons of South Alabama Surf Fishing, who reports cleaner water, more manageable mornings, improving beach action, and a growing mix of surf species as fall gets closer.

Tony breaks down how he's targeting flounder from the beach with quarter-ounce jig heads, tandem rigs, new penny plastics, and long casts around the second sandbar, troughs, and points. He also talks through the return of pompano, whiting, black drum, redfish, bluefish, and other surf species, including when to fish close, when to fish behind the bar, how to read troughs and sandbar edges, and why fresh shrimp, Fishbites, small pyramid weights, and moving water can all matter.

Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle follows with an Orange Beach report covering light-tackle billfishing, gag grouper interest, blackfin tuna, mahi, wahoo, trout, redfish, snook, and inshore topwater fishing. Chris explains how he's using teasers, squid chains, dredges, pitch baits, and a light-hook spread for sailfish and other billfish, then shifts inshore to talk about snook tagging, larger snook sightings, high-current trout lights, topwaters, wake baits, grass lines, LY schools, and why bait movement is one of the biggest keys right now.

Capt. King Marchand of Capt. Mike's Fishing closes the fishing reports with a deep offshore update from the Lady Ann, including a 209-pound yellowfin tuna, more quality tuna, live chumming, crazy fish, circle hooks, fluorocarbon leader, braid, FG knots, drag management, amberjack, snapper, and whale shark fishing. King explains how he finds catchable tuna in the water column, why bigger yellowfin may need more live chum to fire up, how leader size and bait behavior change the bite, and why live bait remains so important for both tuna and amberjack. The episode also includes a sponsor spotlight with Ultra Wash Mobile, covering drone washing, soft washing, Gulf Coast salt and mildew, commercial property cleaning, and how waterfront homes, condos, marinas, and businesses can better protect their exterior surfaces.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Sep 17, 2026 1 hr 38 min

Best of Summer: Alabama Saltwater Fishing Highlights

Show notes

This special episode of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report looks back at some of the best conversations and most useful fishing intel from the summer season along the Alabama Gulf Coast. With Butch Thierry out this week, the show pulls together highlights from recent reports covering inshore, nearshore, offshore, and surf fishing, with practical tactics from captains and contributors who have been on the water through heat, dirty water, changing tides, and late-summer transitions.

The episode covers a strong mangrove snapper bite around Orange Beach structure, docks, rocks, bridges, jetties, and deeper current, including bait selection, Carolina rigs, circle hooks, reef endorsements, and why croakers, spots, LYs, and small pogies can outproduce shrimp when pinfish are thick. It also revisits tarpon movement, tide-line and triple tail fishing, how to read color changes and offshore satellite imagery, and what anglers should look for when structure, current, bait, and clean water line up.

The show also includes offshore and reef-fishing highlights, with reports on swordfish, squid and octopus baits, bait rigging, full-moon swordfish action, late-season beeliners, triggerfish, mahi, reef scouting, diving, thermoclines, oxygen changes, and how experienced captains use bottom type, bait presence, visibility, and fish quality to decide where to spend their time. Inshore and onshore segments round out the episode with eastern shore pier fishing, Fairhope Rattles, popping corks, live shrimp, flounder around pilings, Gulf Coast surf trout, pompano, redfish, beach troughs, fly fishing, and why small changes in current, bait, and structure can concentrate fish in surprisingly tight areas.

The episode closes with one of the summer's best offshore stories: Capt. Myles Colley's account of a giant blue marlin caught years ago between the Nipple and the Elbow. It is a fitting end to a summer recap built around the kind of details, stories, and hard-earned fishing lessons that make the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report valuable week after week.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Sep 11, 2026 1 hr 44 min

The Saltwater Finaddics Recap with Patric, Tanner, Branden, and Dylan

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is a roundtable episode with Capt. Patric Garmeson, Capt. Tanner Deas-Dauphin Island Fishing, Capt. Branden Collier - Capt. Collier's Charters , and Dr. Dylan Kiene talking tournament fishing, flounder patterns, redfish, trout, live bait, artificial lures, and the decisions that make or break a two-day inshore event. The conversation centers around the Saltwater Fanatics Inshore Championship, where different teams found success in completely different ways, from shallow-water flounder and dock-light redfish to deep ledges, heavy current, and pattern fishing across multiple systems.

Tanner and Branden break down their winning inshore slam strategy, including how they targeted redfish early, adjusted when the first plan did not feel right, found a 21-inch trout in an unexpected place, and finally landed the 22-inch flounder that helped put them over the top. Patric shares a wild tournament story involving boat trouble, a lost Yamaha screw, trolling-motor improvisation, a lead sinker turned into a temporary repair, and finally salvaging the weekend with shallow flounder, trout, and a redfish. Dylan adds the science-minded flounder perspective, explaining how he and his team abandoned their original plan, found deeper flounder patterns, caught fish on Coastal Brew and Down South plastics, and brought in a strong live-flounder total for the CCA hatchery effort.

The roundtable also digs into the details that serious inshore anglers think about during tournament season: when to leave fish, how to recognize a real pattern, why small flounder and big flounder may not always feed the same way, how live bait compares to artificials in deep water, when slip corks make sense for flounder and trout, and why jig-head weight, scent, current, boat positioning, and nighttime dock-light fishing can all matter. The episode wraps with a look ahead to the Doormat Classic and the fall flounder season, including Dylan's thoughts on why wet years may pull more big offshore-spawned flounder back into the bay systems.

SPONSORS

Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Sep 4, 2026 1 hr 42 min

Mangrove Snapper, Wade Trout, and Offshore Reef Intel

Season 1, Episode 446

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers the late-August transition across the Alabama Gulf Coast, from white marlin and sailfish offshore to mangrove snapper, bridge redfish, wade-fishing trout, white trout, flounder, and improving reef conditions. Butch Thierry is joined by Angelo DePaola, who opens the show with a look at Alabama's growing light-tackle billfish fishery and why September and October could be special months offshore.

Capt. Ben Knight of Great Southern Fishing Charters kicks off the reports from Orange Beach, where mangrove snapper have been one of the most consistent late-summer bites around docks, rocks, jetties, bridge structure, and deeper current. He explains why croakers, spots, LYs, and small pogies can outproduce shrimp, and how the same Carolina-rig setup can lead to bonus flounder, redfish, and jack crevalle.

Capt. Bobby Abruscato of A-Team Fishing follows with a Mississippi Sound and Dauphin Island report focused on speckled trout, wade fishing, Slick Juniors, popping corks, shrimp activity, white trout, flounder, and redfish. Bobby breaks down why hard bottom, grass, shell, bait, fish slicks, stealth, and boat positioning matter so much this time of year.

The episode also includes a sponsor spotlight with Daniel and Ed Bejrowski of Slipski, who talk with Joe Baya about aluminum dock and boat-cover systems built for Gulf Coast conditions. Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters closes the show with an offshore report covering red snapper, triggerfish, beeliners, amberjack, grouper, Spanish and king mackerel, cobia, wahoo, dolphin, and tuna prospects, along with what he learns from diving and scouting reefs late in the season.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Aug 28, 2026 2 hr 33 min

Why More Snook Are Showing Up on the Northern Gulf Coast

Show notes

Want more fishing content and fewer ads? Check out https://asfr.supercast.com/ for an ad-free, extended cut of your local fishing report. New subscribers get the first 30 days free.

This special episode takes a closer look at the growing number of snook sightings and catches along the Northern Gulf Coast, from Northwest Florida to Coastal Alabama. Butch Thierry and Joe Baya are joined by Zoe Hendrickson, a PhD student at the University of South Alabama, to talk through why a fish once associated mostly with South Florida is now showing up around Pensacola, the Emerald Coast, Perdido Pass, Fowl River, and other local waters.

Zoe explains how snook have expanded northward in Florida, how their movement into places like Cedar Key may help researchers understand what is happening in Alabama and Northwest Florida, and why warmer winters, shorter cold snaps, and thermal refuge in rivers may be helping these fish survive. The conversation covers how juvenile snook use rivers and deeper pockets of stable water, how adult fish may move seasonally toward jetties, flats, oyster reefs, and other saltwater habitat, and why the recent snow and cold events made their survival even more interesting.

The episode also digs into what anglers should do if they catch a snook in Alabama or Northwest Florida. Zoe explains current tagging efforts, the importance of reporting sightings, why handling and releasing fish carefully matters, and why anglers may want to let these fish go while the local population is still developing. The group also discusses snook biology, including how they change sex as they grow, how slot limits work in Florida and Alabama, how snook may interact with native fisheries, and why this new opportunity comes with a chance for anglers to help shape the future of the fishery.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Aug 20, 2026 1 hr 11 min

Nearshore Snapper, Triple Tail Science, and Offshore Adjustments

Show notes

Want more fishing content and fewer ads? Check out https://asfr.supercast.com/ for an ad-free, extended cut of your local fishing report. New subscribers get the first 30 days free.

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers late-summer fishing from Louisiana deep-drop jigging to Alabama nearshore snapper, triple tail tagging, swordfish, grouper, and speckled trout. Butch Thierry is joined in studio by Dr. Dylan Kiene, who opens the show with an update on the Gulf-wide cobia and triple tail tagging project, including acoustic tags, satellite tags, reward tags, angler recaptures, and why better movement data can help build stronger fisheries management across state lines.

Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle kicks off the reports with a recap of a Louisiana trip that produced queen snapper, marble grouper, and a true fish-of-a-lifetime Cubera snapper on heavy tackle. He also talks through nearshore red snapper around Perdido Pass, fresh cut bait, overlooked close-to-shore structure, subtle baits for lethargic redfish and trout, hot-water flounder tactics, and why smaller, less invasive presentations can be the key when shallow fish get sluggish in August.

Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing follows with a nearshore and inshore report focused on live pogies, gas platforms, red snapper, sharks, triple tail, flounder, and speckled trout. Patric breaks down how he's using pogies on Carolina rigs and slow-sinking presentations around nearshore structure, why bait variety matters from day to day, and how a recent triple tail tagging trip showed just how important bait choice, electronics, and not breaking fish off can be. He also explains why speckled trout have been one of the most reliable bright spots of the summer.

Capt. King Marchand closes the fishing side with an offshore report from the Lady Ann, where a slow tuna bite has pushed him toward snapper, triggerfish, deep-drop grouper, beeliners, and swordfish. King explains how reading small anomalies on electronics can make or break a daytime swordfish trip, why he has adjusted his overnight strategy, and how he's targeting yellowedge grouper, snowy grouper, beeliners, and triggerfish when tuna are not cooperating. The episode also includes a safety-focused sponsor conversation with Mitchell Smith of Pike Consulting Group, covering boat safety, Garmin InReach, kill switches, ditch kits, OSHA compliance, worker training, and why small businesses should get ahead of safety issues before they become expensive problems.

Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Aug 14, 2026 2 hr 20 min

Pier Mackerel, Offshore Mahi, and Inshore Flounder

Season 1, Episode 444

Show notes

Want more fishing content and fewer ads? Check out https://asfr.supercast.com/ for an ad-free, extended cut of your local fishing report. New subscribers get the first 30 days free.

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers improving late-summer conditions along the Alabama Gulf Coast after weeks of dirty water, west wind, weak tides, and unsettled weather. Butch Thierry opens the show with a look at the better forecast ahead, including lighter winds, clearing water, stronger tidal movement, and a more typical August pattern that should help fishing rebound from the recent tropical shakeup.

David Thornton, The Pier Pounder, kicks things off with a detailed surf and pier report, explaining how sandbars, troughs, cuts, water clarity, jellyfish, wind direction, tide timing, and post-storm beach changes all affect where and how shore anglers should fish. He also talks through Spanish mackerel, hardtails, ladyfish, pompano, whiting, speckled trout, flounder, bull reds, jack crevalle, and why anglers should stay opportunistic when the primary target species are not cooperating.

Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters follows with an offshore and nearshore report from Orange Beach, where snapper, red grouper, mahi, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, bonita, and other species are all in play. Kendall breaks down how he chooses where to fish based on trip length, boat traffic, weather, current, water color, bait, thermoclines, trolling opportunities, and what happened the day before. He also shares practical bottom-fishing tips on holding over structure, using current to position baits, and knowing when to be patient versus when to make a move.

To close it out, Capt. Shane Traylor of Bona Fide Inshore checks in with a strong inshore report built around flounder, puppy drum, triple tail, redfish, black drum, and speckled trout. Shane explains why live bait has been important, how he's targeting flounder around hard structure, why puppy drum are holding near rocks and concrete, and how triple tail have been showing up around free-floating debris and buoys. The episode wraps with a practical look at how the fishery is trending as water clears, wind settles down, and anglers get another good late-summer window to fish.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Aug 7, 2026 1 hr 43 min

Bluewater Currents, Beach Trout, and Big-Game Stories

Season 1, Episode 443

Show notes

Want more fishing content and fewer ads? Check out https://asfr.supercast.com for an ad-free, extended cut of your local fishing report. New subscribers get the first 30 days free.

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers red-hot Gulf Coast fishing from bluewater current breaks to Dauphin Island beach trout. Butch Thierry is joined by Angelo DePaola, who opens the show with an update on the Abaco Orange Beach development and how boating, fishing, waterfront access, and lifestyle are driving strong interest in the project. Tom Hilton of Realtime Navigator follows with a detailed offshore breakdown after the recent tropical weather, explaining how cleaner water, color changes, sea surface temperatures, altimetry, current, and structure should guide anglers looking for blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, mahi, and other pelagics.

Capt. Myles Colley of It Just Takes Time joins next for a deep offshore conversation on big-game fishing, Omni sonar, tuna tubes, live baiting, trolling teasers, pitch baits, current direction, boat handling, and how aggressive drag pressure can help anglers land more billfish and tuna. He also shares a wild story about releasing a giant blue marlin years ago near the Nipple and Elbow area. To close it out, Capt. Cody Broughton checks in from Dauphin Island with a strong inshore report, breaking down the live-croaker beach bite for speckled trout, night fishing, major bite windows, rigging details, leader choices, croaker placement, flounder, tarpon, and how long the summer beach trout pattern may last.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Jul 31, 2026 2 hr 10 min

Rodeo Recap: Flounder, Snapper, Triple Tail, and Live Release

Season 1, Episode 442

Show notes

For Bonus Content and an Ad free Version of this podcast, click here to Join The Crew! This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report recaps the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo with Capt. Tanner Deas, Capt. Branden Collier, and Dr. Dylan Kiene. The roundtable covers a huge weekend of inshore, offshore, and live-release fishing, including Branden and Tanner's 101-flounder day, tough Saturday inshore conditions, and how low oxygen, nip tides, jubilees, wind-blown banks, and water stratification may have affected the bite.

Dr. Dylan Kiene brings the fisheries-science perspective from the judge's table, breaking down the speckled trout, flounder, redfish, and live-weigh-in categories, including the success of the new live triple tail category and the value of tagging healthy fish for future research. The crew also talks through the Gulf-wide cobia and triple tail tagging project, acoustic tags, high-dollar reward tags, and what anglers should do if they catch a tagged fish. Offshore, Capt. Branden Collier explains how he targeted big red snapper and mangrove snapper with heavy tackle, big live baits, strong drag, and structure-focused fishing during one of the Gulf Coast's biggest fishing weekends.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Jul 24, 2026 1 hr 26 min

How to Fish Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo Weekend

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report looks ahead to Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo weekend with a mix of inshore, nearshore, and offshore tactics from Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing and Capt. King Marchand of Capt. Mike's Fishing. Butch Thierry opens the show with a reminder to be careful during one of the busiest boating weekends of the summer, especially with pop-up storms, offshore runs, night traffic, and tournament pressure all in play.

Capt. Patric Garmeson kicks things off with a detailed inshore and nearshore report from the Dauphin Island area. He covers summertime trout, redfish, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, puppy drum, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, red snapper, sharks, and jack crevalle, while stressing the importance of changing tactics instead of getting locked into one species or one presentation. Patric explains how he's using croakers, shrimp, baitfish, popping corks, free-lined baits, Z-Man paddletails, Slick Juniors, and heavier jig heads around deeper structure. He also breaks down how thermoclines can show up on electronics and why fish may hold above that low-oxygen bottom layer, making it important to adjust bait depth and presentation. Nearshore, Patric shares how chunking pogies has produced snapper, cobia, kings, Spanish, and other bonus fish, and why small circle hooks, hidden hooks, steady chum lines, live croakers, bite tippets, and drift lines can all help anglers get more bites.

Capt. King Marchand closes the show from the Lady Ann with a big-game-focused rodeo report. He explains how tournament fishing changes the mindset from filling the box to targeting winning fish, and why he and the Capt. Mike's Fishing crew are planning to focus on tuna, dolphin, marlin, and wahoo rather than trying to cover every rodeo category. King talks through tackle upgrades, live-baiting blackfin tuna for blue marlin, trolling big lures, chunking and live-baiting for tuna, looking for grass lines, watching Hilton's Realtime Navigator, and deciding when to stay on fish versus when to leave a rig. He also covers offshore safety, storm strategy, cobia around buoys and structure, a tougher snapper bite around heavy bait, and the blue-and-white Islander behind a bird as one of his confidence baits for blue marlin.

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Moffett Road Dentistry / Ricciardone Family Dentistry

Dixie Building Supply / Baker Metal Works

Jul 16, 2026 1 hr 14 min

How to Catch Fish When the Gulf Coast Heat Sets In

Season 1, Episode 440

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is hosted by Capt. Tanner Deas of Dauphin Island Fishing, with reports from Capt. Derek Rogers of Southside Fishing Company, Capt. Kendall Annan of Gulf Rebel Charters, and Riley Ludlam of Dauphin Island Fishing Charters. Capt. Derek kicks things off with a Dauphin Island inshore report, covering a strong speckled trout bite, how he's using live shrimp, croakers, slip corks, free-lined baits, Carolina rigs, and plastics, and why small rigging changes can make a big difference when trout get picky. He also breaks down redfish, flounder, and triple tail tactics, including live pogies, dead shrimp, structure, dirty water, and why some bigger triple tail are starting to get more stubborn as summer pressure builds. Capt. Kendall follows with an offshore report from Gulf Rebel Charters, where snapper, vermillion snapper, amberjack, mahi, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, and king mackerel are all part of the current pattern. He explains why fresh bait, clean rigs, long leaders, drift lines, trolling spreads, and paying attention to small details can be the difference between a solid trip and a great one. Riley closes it out with a beach report from Dauphin Island, where dirty water, sharks, catfish, and changing surf conditions have made the trout bite tougher, but flounder have been saving trips. He breaks down how he's finding flounder around structure, why moving water has been key, and why Z-Man plastics, Eye Strike Texas Eye jig heads, and Pro-Cure continue to be his go-to flounder setup.

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Foster Contracting

Slip Ski Solutions

Pike Consulting Group LLC

Coastal Connection

Dixie Building Supply / Baker Metal Works

Ricciardone Dentistry

Zimmer Biomet Solutions

Jul 10, 2026 1 hr 55 min

Tarpon, Trout, Triple Tail, and Holiday Weekend Fishing

Season 1, Episode 439

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers a strong Fourth of July bite across the Alabama Gulf Coast, along with some important safety reminders about night running, heavy current, floating debris, dirty water, and holiday boat traffic. Butch Thierry is joined by Dylan Kiene, who helps frame a wide-ranging report that moves from tarpon and surf fishing to speckled trout, triple tail, swordfish, tuna, and nearshore snapper. Chris Vecsey of J&M Tackle starts the show with an Orange Beach report, explaining how strong current and dirty water have made tarpon fishing tougher, especially for fly anglers, but how live bait, swim baits, and carefully watching fish behavior can still pay off. He also breaks down a productive swordfish trip, including bait choice, depth, current, squid and octopus tentacles, and why the full moon in June can be so good for swords. Capt. Richard Rutland of Cold Blooded Fishing follows with a detailed speckled trout and triple tail report, covering topwater trout, Slick Juniors, Little John XLs, wade-fishing structure, nervous mullet, beach contours, crab catching, fresh water intrusion, tide lines, floating debris, and how to sight fish triple tail when the bay is stained. To close it out, Cody Broughton checks in from Dauphin Island with offshore updates on green water, swordfish, tuna, mahi, pomfret, and a surprisingly strong snapper bite on public and nearshore reefs. It's a full Gulf Coast report with plenty of practical tactics for anglers fishing through heat, holiday traffic, and changing water conditions.

SPONSORS

Foster Contracting

Slip Ski Solutions

Pike Consulting Group LLC

Coastal Connection

Dixie Building Supply / Baker Metal Works

Ricciardone Dentistry

Zimmer Biomet Solutions

Jul 3, 2026 1 hr 55 min

Dirty Water, Beach Fishing, and Offshore Edges

Episode 438

Show notes

This week's Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report covers tough weather, dirty water, heavy sargassum, and how good anglers are still putting together solid trips from the beach to the offshore grounds. Butch Thierry is joined by Angelo DePaola, who kicks things off with a bottom fishing report from a fast run out of Orange Beach, covering scamp, mangrove snapper, red snapper, cobia, fish care, and why bleeding and properly icing fish makes such a big difference at the cleaning table. Riley Ludlam of Dauphin Island Fishing checks in with a land-based report from Dauphin Island, where muddy surf and grass made trout fishing difficult, but shrimp, Carolina rigs, sandbar cuts, and small adjustments helped produce steady action with drum, ground mullet, whiting, flounder, sharks, croakers, and catfish. Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing breaks down a challenging but productive inshore pattern around Dauphin Island, including slicks, live shrimp, croakers, thermoclines, low-oxygen bottom water, free-lined baits, redfish, jacks, trout, and a strong flounder bite that rewarded anglers who paid attention to depth, bait, color, lure vibration, and small pattern changes. To close it out, Tom Hilton of Realtime Navigator joins the show for an offshore snapshot, explaining how the sargassum layer, sea surface temperatures, current edges, loop current behavior, seismic vessels, dive boats, and artificial reef habitat all factor into where offshore anglers should spend their time and fuel.

SPONSORS

Foster Contracting

Slip Ski Solutions

Pike Consulting Group LLC

Coastal Connection