Fishing America

STATE # 27 - ALABAMA

JULY 2018 - THE GULF OF MEXICO

SPECIES CAUGHT - Red Snapper,

Triggerfish, Pinfish

With two fishing guides booked for the gulf on the 21st and 22nd, my wife Billie Jo headed to Orange Beach with me on the 20th. On the way there one of them cancelled due to high wind forecast.

We expected the other one to cancel listening to the forecast. It would have been okay. We were in a beach state of mind and that gulf wind was calling me. When she goes with me to the coast, it’s a dual purpose trip, fishing and beach walking.

My other guide Brian Wass AKA Smokey did not cancel. He was first in line on the 21st which didn’t have quite as bad a forecast as the cancelled 22nd. We jointly agreed to give it a try and simply throw in the towel if it got too bad.

I can find the bright side of a cancellation when my companion is with me. Especially when we have a gulf-side hotel booked right in that beautiful gulf sand that in my opinion is the prettiest and most enjoyable part of this state. And those gulf restaurants.

Seafood is so delicious in this town. We got us some fresh from the gulf our first evening here. From there we got some fresh Alabama white sand between our toes. I would have probably been a beach bum if my early life would have started here. I love it.

So the morning of the 21st, I met Smokey at the Florabama Marina. After catching threadfin for bait we hit the waves head on in his bay style boat. This boat perhaps was a little small for those kind of waves but we were both game and in the mood to go after them.

After going out about 6 miles we started bottom fishing in the high wind. Smokey’s boat probably looked like a giant bobber bobbing around in the rough water. This was all reel down fishing requiring no casting so not a big deal getting it done.

I literally almost fell out of the boat once. Something that had a pretty good pull bit at the same time I was shifting position and also the same time a wave leaned the boat in that direction. I watched my footing and stepped more cautiously after that.

Other than that there were no more “close calls.” No drama there just anybody reading that is inspired to go in high wind remember about those things all lining up when the line’s out and baited. Every now and again the wind let up for a short break.

This part of the gulf was shared by at least two species that liked biting threadfin. The red snapper which was my target and was actually easier to catch than the one that wasn’t - the triggerfish. You need your finger on the trigger and ready for these little bait thieves.

Fishing in 60 feet of water and my bait being stolen by silent bandits made me a quick learner. It’s a long way up for baiting the hook again. A few hours of fighting to fish still produced a limit of red snapper. Also caught a triggerfish or two.

If I would have caught a triggerfish for every time one of those big lipped bandits stole my bait I probably would have caught better than a dozen of them. I couldn’t keep them anyway as they were out of season. No getting even with them so I remember this trip as Smokey and the bandits.

I have heard from several people they are delicious. I have caught one in Florida since then and also out of season. So even though this fish was added to my caught list, it is still on the list of the ones I want to eat after catching.

That’s the only way I can even the score with these little pucker lips. I laughed when I looked at the first one. I thought how can this critter be so sneaky and undetected. With lips that big it seemed like it would have bumbled around trying to get the bait.

And now back to my target the red snapper. I caught several of these and kept the limit of two. One of the questions most asked to me about my fishing trips is, what is your favorite fish to eat? One of them is the red snapper. It is premium stuff.

Fresh out of the water like this they are something else. I done these grilled, fried, and they are just plain delicious. I felt fortunate to get to see my fish booking not get cancelled on this day. And once I got out there, I felt fortunate to catch fish.

After I had all the tossing of the waves I wanted, we beat through them 6 miles back to Terry Cove and Bayou St John near the marina in calm water. Here we peacefully visited while Smokey trolled me around as I caught pinfish until quitting time.

I told Smokey I would probably be back some day to go after some bigger snapper. And then there’s that sneaky triggerfish that I ain’t gonna be satisfied with until I eat one. Another time when I have a solely designed fishing trip with several days to stay.

With another day on this trip and red snapper in the cooler, I got to sleep late resting the next morning and spend more time on the beach relaxing and add another seafood restaurant to the agenda. Lots of R & R & R on this trip.

Smokey is on Facebook in his name Brian Wass. He guides for several species of fish in both Florida and Alabama. He is an excellent fishing guide and also fishes for other species in which we would have also targeted if conditions would have allowed.

Thanks Smokey for not cancelling. I would have had to make another trip to or stop to get on the board in Alabama while Fishing America. I have done Alabama now but hopefully not done with it. That beach will call me back someday.