OT: Fishing charter options

[Dawghouse]

I know there have been a few of these in the past but I reread them and they don't cover my specific questions so...

I'm headed to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area in a few weeks and I want to take the kids fishing. They've never done any kind of ocean fishing (two have never been to the Gulf).

We don't have a ton of money so I'm looking for best options. There would be 5 of us but my wife and I could care less about fishing, I just want the boys to have fun and we'll help them. I found one of the large boat charters with a 6 hour trip for $85 per fisher $40 for non-fisher and I'm thinking that is going to be our best bet.

Are bottom fishing trips worth it when it isn't red season?

Anyone have any other ideas on how I could take my boys fishing for 4-6 hours and keep the price around 500 (not counting tip and cleaning). I've considered back bay but I really think the boys would enjoy going out. Ideal trip would be 6 hour with a little trolling and a little bottom fishing but those run about 1000 it appears.

 

[The Peeper]

Some of the guys that do bay trips will go fish the reefs close in,

islands etc. cheaply but I haven't done it down there. If you are in MS check out Robert Brodie sometime for close in or island trips at http://teambrodiecharters.com/ Last time I went w/ him we started in Back Bay Biloxi (he picks you up at the dIberville bridge launch) and we caught some flounder, reds, sheephead, drum, and white trout till we got tired of catching them and then went out to the islands and caught some big specs. He was priced at $350 half day $450 whole day up to 6 people. Six is crowded but doable. Great guy, takes lots of pictures for you cleans them etc. In the fall he switches over to bay and salt duck hunting trips too.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

I wouldn't bottom fish if AJ's or snapper isn't in season because that's really your big options. There's still groupers and other types of snapper but they aren't as plentiful. Not all captains will do strictly bottom fishing though. You can find some reefs and wrecks and catch cobia and mackerel and lots of other good and tasty game fish. Depending on how far out you go you could even get into mahi. I'd do an inshore trip though and target reds, trout, flounder and possibly tripletail if you can find a good captain. Less boating and sea conditions will most likely be more favorable to inshore fishing.

 

[chained1]

Are bottom fishing trips worth it when it isn't red season?

As another poster stated, if AJs and reds aren't in season, I wouldn't try a strictly bottom trip. Of course, I'm not big on trolling either.

Personally, what I would do is an inshore trip and go after Redfish, Specks, Spanish, etc. There is a good chance that since your kids haven't been in the Gulf on a boat before, doing an inshore trip could save the day as they will not have the pleasurable experience of finding out what seasickness is. Just my .02

 

[Freezus H. Christ]

Florida's red snapper season lasts until July 14. If you are going before then, make the 30 minute drive to Pensacola and catch one of the bottom fishing trips there

 

[FISHDAWG]

a 4-hr trip would be something like this - trolling around close in for spanish mack.(edible) & bonita (not edible but great fun for the kids to catch) then spending an hour & half at something submerged catching sheepshead or maybe trigger fish .... affordable & fun yall get a nice boat ride & the kids catch fish

a 6-hr trip = heading out to a couple of reefs with a chance of better table fare (mangrove snapper, King Mack, Cobia, or grouper) .... flip side to this coin is the possibility of sea-sickness

8 hr = deeper water but with a better chance for dolphin (Mahi), the groupers (red, warsaw, gags) maybe blackfin ....probably rig fishing where there is no telling what might bite

 

[idog]

dont cofuse this with the Federal waters snapper season

Florida's red snapper season lasts until July 14. If you are going before then, make the 30 minute drive to Pensacola and catch one of the bottom fishing trips there

which is only 9 days long this season. ref:http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_fisheries/reef_fish/2013/rs_2014_rec/

there are some shallow reefs but a lot of your snapper fishing from LA through the FL panhandle will be in federal waters, not state waters. your best bet for an enjoyable, shorter and probably more productive trip would be an inshore trip(wherever you go).

 

[Hdc]

For an inshore trip in Orange Beach, call Capt. Ringo 251-504-5867. He'll treat you right. If the fish are biting, he will put you on them. If the fishing forecast or conditions are crappy, he will let you know and even suggest you cancel the trip and save your money.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

You should be able to get snapper inside federal waters in fl due to the water depths dropping significantly off the shores unlike us where you have to take at least an hour boat ride