Summer weather is finally here and the fishing bite off the Alabama Gulf Coast is red hot. Red snapper season opened June 1st and is planned to close on June 27th. Be sure to check the regulations as they may change. There are plenty of big red snapper off the Alabama Gulf Coast waters. You will find these big red ones anywhere from 30 feet of water to well over 230 feet of water. They will bite most anything from squid to cigar minnows. We are also catching some nice king mackerel and Spanish mackerel anywhere from just off the beach to out several miles offshore. We are trolling #2 spoons and #2 planers. A skirted cigar minnow is also a good bet for catching a nice king. You may also want to drift a live bait or dead cigar minnow. Don’t forget Bonitas. These fish can be lots of fun with light tackle after you have you caught you some red snapper for dinner.
Offshore fishing in June will be a bit limited since amberjack and triggerfish will be closed until August 1st. The new triggerfish limit will be 2 per person when it reopens. However, you can still keep vermillion snapper, white snapper (red porgy), scamp grouper, red grouper, wahoo, kings, cobia and of course, red snapper. Deep drop fishing for golden tilefish, yellowedge grouper, snowy grouper, longtail seabass, and more is a good option in the summer. Gag grouper season will open July 1st. Amberjack season will open August 1st. Triggerfish season will reopen August 1st. Be sure and check the new regulations as all of these seasons are subject to change.
An overnight trip to the offshore rigs should get you some yellowfin and blackfin tuna. This trip is also good for catching wahoo, mahi mahi, and marlin. As you can see, even with the closed seasons with some species of fish, there are still plenty of fish to catch and keep. Let’s go fishing.
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