Mobile Bay Trout Fishing Public Reefs

Mobile Bay Trout Fishing Public Reefs 

September 15th:  Today the east winds subsided around noon. Our plan was to fish the Shellbank Reef, Bayou Cour Reef, Fish River Reef and the Legacy Platforms. We had not fished any of these reefs much at all this season. Fellow guides departed about 3 hours earlier around 11:00 am. Just a few trout caught just east of the Shell Banks Reef on a small structure that was used to research oyster growing tactics for Mobile Bay.

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 Our first stop was at the Shell Banks Reef. Decided on a drift and cast technique making 4 drifts as I  watched for top bait and meter activity. We fished live shrimp with 4 rods working the reef as we drifted threw changing location on the reef each drift. Not much bait activity on top or bottom at all. We used popping corks and one free runner with no luck other than catfish.

 

 

Our second stop was the small research oyster growing structure on South Shore just east of the Shell Banks Reef. We fished the structure with no results. 2 hours prior to our arrival a fellow fisherman had hooked a few trout.  I was contemplating on changing my game plan and hit the Bon Secour river Inlet or the Weeks Bay Inlet at Pelican Point. Up to this point their had been no bait activity. I rolled the dice and Pelican Point won.

 

 

We set out for Pelican Point and on the way I spotted birds feeding in a large area. Decided to get up wind just east of the school of baits they were feeding on and work it as we drifted threw. Bait and more bait. After working the spot with no luck, I am thinking, Right Conditions, Bad Timing! The North Shore of Mobile Bay inshore of the Fish River Reef has good stump structure and grass that the trout and redfish love. The waters were to low for us to get in these areas. Fishing this shore line on higher tides will produce good fish at times. We departed and headed to Pelican Point at Weeks Bay Inlet.

 

 

Loads of small bait thrashed and sprayed the shallow water areas of the Weeks Bay. We fished with minimal luck. The low pressure was turning out to really affect the bite. I start to think trout transition time! Normally the trout transition from the Mobile Bay to the inlets and rivers branching off the Mobile Bay start in October. Trout will hold up in the deeper water channels at the head of these rivers and hold fish for 3 to 4 weeks. As the fall progresses and cold fronts hit, trout will tend to move up these rivers searching for deeper water channels or holes. These holes or pockets will hold salt water for the winter months and their they will hang. Seems strange but since salt water is heavy it will hold low as the rivers are flushed with fresh waters.  This gives the trout their survival spots during the winter months.

 

 

We will be back at it again tomorrow fishing the inlets and deeper channels to inlets and checking to see What's Biting.

 

Good Luck fishing and remember Boat Safety!