what's biting Gulf Shores Alabama

Red Snapper Reef Fishing	Wahoo Trolling	Grouper Reef Fishing	Tuna Trolling
(Spring, Summer,Fall)	(Summer,Fall)	(Year-round)	(Year-round)

Captain Kurts Catching Chart
I provide a variety of sport fishing styles:
• Reef (bottom) fishing
• Blue water (trolling) big-game fishing
• Redfish Fishing
• Shark Fishing
• Cobia Fishing
• And more!

Your choice - it's your $'s! Ok, some want to reef fish and some want to troll? We can do both. Remember, the more hours on the water the more options we have to target fish.

Fishing the Reefs
“Just Dinner”

Fishing the reefs, or bottom fishing, is our most popular fishing style. Alabama’s northern gulf waters contain hundreds of natural and artificial reefs or “fishing spots”. Reefs, wreck’s, well heads, barges, tugs, m-60 tanks and even an airplane or two provide a variety of game fish habitats to live and grow. Some “spots” are public knowledge; others are the Captain’s secret! Make sure your captain has a “current spot list”.

The advantage of drift fishing is that everyone is in the action, all fishing at the same time. Some walk-on charters will try to accommodate more than twenty people fishing, many with different desires. Whereas a smaller private party everyone gets more individual assistance and you decide the style of fishing. We design your trip around your schedule and your fishing needs.

SEASONAL Alabama Fishing:
Late Fall, Winter, and Early Spring (November – March)

Fishing in Gulf Shores Alabama is great this time of year. My 4-hour Family Fun trip is ideal for catching Redfish (Bull Reds) just off the beach. We troll and look for the birds diving into the water. We troll by dragging lures behind the boat waiting on the strike. It is not uncommon to have 3 or 4 on at one time. We also keep 25lb class light spinning rods on board with jigs so you can cast out and try and jig one up. These fish can weigh up to 30 or 40lbs and the fight is a challenge for even the most experienced angler but with a little coaching, anyone can do it. The food quality is good and can be enjoyed blackened or grilled.

Late Spring, Summer and Early Fall (April – October)
Spring is the time of year when fishing really gets going. The water is warming up and fishing is kicked off by the annual Cobia run. The Cobia are in full swing by April 1 and many customers love standing on top of the boat as we idle along just off the beach looking for these giant fish swimming to the West just under the surface. When we see one, we cast a live eel as bait with a 30lb class spinning rod in front of them as they swallow it whole.  The fight begins and can last up to 30 minutes. These fish weigh 15 to 100lbs each. Food quality is excellent. This trip usually lasts from 4 to 6 hours and is worth every minute.

The 4-hour Family Fun trip is great to get the family or small group on the water trolling for Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel, and watching Dolphins jump around the boat.

MOST popular trip – Package #2 a 6-hour Family Fun bottom fishing and trolling trip!

Here are a few of the more popular game fish we target fishing the reefs:

The Favorites!

RED SNAPPER
Waters: Most plentiful in Northern Gulf.
Locations: Around shallow to deep bottom structures
Size: 8 to 10 pounds average, large 30 pounds.
For Eating: Excellent
The Prize: Hard fighter, the number one prized game fish in Northern Gulf, yearly $ Snapper Tournament at Orange Beach, Alabama.

GAG GROUPER:
Waters: Most prevalent in Northern Gulf.
Locations: Shallow to deep bottom structures
Size: 20 to 30 pounds average, large 50 pounds.
For Eating: Excellent, firm white flesh.
The Prize: Aggressive bite and great strength. Where hooked, immediately dives for structure.

GREATER AMBERJACK:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Shallow wrecks to deep reefs.
Size: 20 go 50 pounds average, large 100 pounds
For Eating: Excellent
The Prize: Aggressive bite followed by a long run. Punishing fighter with thirty minute battles not uncommon.

GRAY TRIGGERFISH:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Around artificial reefs & wrecks in the Northern Gulf.
Size: 2 to 3 pounds average, large 10 pounds
For Eating: Excellent. (You’ve got to try a triggerfish sandwich.)
The Prize: Small mouths, can be tough to hook.

COBIA:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Inshore flats to deep waters.
Size: 20 to 40 pounds average, large 80 pounds.
For Eating: Very good.
The Prize: Strong fighter featuring long runs and great stamina. Often sight cast with bait or lures.

Blue Water Trolling
“For a Trophy”

Although trolling is mostly associated with bill fishing, many additional big-game fish inhabit the northern gulf waters. Tuna, Mackerel, Wahoo and Dolphinfish all frequent the same waters as the Billfish.

One advantage of trolling is that we can target a variety of fish at the same time and keep lines in the water constantly. The main disadvantage is the time to travel to blue water. From Gulf Shores, Pensacola or Destin it’s approximately thirty five miles to deep blue water.

For Thought – why not fish some reefs on the way out – while trolling between spots?

Here are a few of the more popular big-game fish we target trolling:

BLACKFIN TUNA:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Blue water and around oil/gas rigs.
Size: 10 to 20 pounds average, large 30 pounds
For Eating: Excellent
The Prize: Close second to the yellowfin for a strong pull and lasting endurance. Fights all the way into the fish box!

WAHOO:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Blue waters (often near deep drop-offs).
Size: 10 to 50 pounds average, large 80 pounds
For Eating: Very good. (Seen in fish tacos)
The Prize: The fastest of all game fish. Can reach 55 mph at the strike! A surface fighter with long, strong runs.

KING MACKEREL:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Beaches to blue water.
Size: 4 to 15 pounds average, large 40 pounds
For Eating: Good for smoking. Oily flesh.
The Prize: Probably the second fastest fish in the gulf. Exciting strike with long runs and surface fighting.

YELLOWFIN TUNA:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Blue water near drop-offs (often times shallow).
Size: 10 to 50 pounds average, large 90 pounds
For Eating: The Best!
The Prize: Pound-for-pound, the Gulf’s premier big-game tuna.

GREAT BARRACUDA:
Waters: Gulf wide.
Locations: Offshore in blue water usually over reefs and wrecks.
Size: 5 to 15 pounds average, large 25 pounds
For Eating: None. May be toxic.
The Prize: Hard strike followed by strong runs and a jump or two.

DOLPHIN (Mahi-Mahi):
Waters: Offshore and blue waters.
Locations: Roaming the Gulf (often around floating structures).
Size: 2 to 20 pounds average, large 50 pounds
For Eating: The Best!
The Prize: Often seen making the run to strike or lure. Sizzling runs and spectacular leaps entirely out of the water. Fun to hook with top-water lures.

ATLANTIC SAILFISH:
Waters: Gulf wide. North Gulf in summer.
Locations: Blue water roamer.
Size: 30 to 60 pounds average, large 80 pounds
For Eating: Very Good (mostly smoked).
The Prize: Unsurpassed for the spectacular “tail dance”. Though often short lived, the acrobatic show is truly magnificent!

BLUE MARLIN:
Waters: Deep blue waters.
Locations: Free-roamer (often along deep canyons)
Size: 160-350 pounds average, large 600 pounds
For Eating: None. Mostly caught and released.
The Prize: The biggest of all big-game billfish. Strength, power and stamina (need I say more).
Note: Makes a beautiful wall mount.

WHITE MARLIN:
Waters: Blue waters.
Locations: Free-roamer. Will venture into shallow offshore waters.
Size: 40 to 60 pounds average, large 100 pounds
For Eating: None, mostly caught and released.
The Prize: Fights like a small Blue Marlin. Leaps more than the blue but less than the Dolphin.
Note: Makes a beautiful wall mount.

Oil Rig	Blackfin Tuna

Shark Fishing
“for jaws”
This 4-hour fishing trip takes place just off shore. No long ride and usually smoother waters. And the trhill! When the float disappears and the reel starts to “sing” – hold on! This is an inexpensive, short and exciting trip. Your kids (kids of all ages) will just love it!

Shark	Shark in the middle

CALL toll-free, 1-866-456-KURT (5878) cell, 509-631-4857
or visit Booking / Email. That’s it! I book up to a year in advance. Fishing Summer season books up in a hurry, especially Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. Call me today – let’s go sport fishing!

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