What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Gulf Shores, Alabama for the first time?

This was 6 deep charters with Bill and Nikki was a really good time. They’re really good at what they do they’re professional in every way I would recommend them and I would take them on my next charter also.

No. We had a group of 4 adults. Half had been on several charters and knew what to expect. They said this was unlike any charter they had ever been on. My husband and I had never been on one before. When we showed up to his house, he didn’t introduce himself. He just said he was getting ready and walked to the backyard. It seemed as if we were bothering him and an inconvenience. We didn’t know what to do so we eventually went to the backyard to see what he was doing. We asked about a cooler for water and a bag of sandwiches. He said we could put our waters in the cooler, but the sandwiches could be put upfront in storage (no refrigeration). We found that strange. When we got outside of the canal where he lived he asked us where we wanted to go. We told him he was the captain and we didn’t know the area. He told us that the fishing spot he usually goes to wasn’t catching fish, but he would take us anyway. He drove out there, put his pole in the water about 10 times then said yep no bites and drove us back to the spot by his house. We didn’t use any live bait. We caught the same white trout for 4 hours in the same spot. Even his daughter got bored because she laid down in the bottom of the boat and fell asleep. Even when she was awake she would moan when she had to get up and reset a hook or take a fish off. Once she fell asleep, the captain complained that he couldn’t get back there to help us because she was in the way. After awhile a member of our group just started taking them off. The charter was not what we expected. We thought we would catch a variety of fish and fish in different spots.

Red Snapper is the target fish in June off Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan. The season usually starts the beginning of June and generally lasts through August (but check the season first!). June weekend Snapper trips are in high demand, so book charters early (3-6 months in advance). Be SURE the boat you charter is Federally licensed or you will be stuck fishing within 9 miles of shore, which is over fished and not where you will find snapper of any size. I also recommend an early morning 6 hour trip (2 hours out, fish for 2 hours, 2 hours back) - the seas are generally calmer in the morning. If you can also snag a morning trip with the full moon, all the better. If you as a recreational boat (private or your friends boat), you are not required to have a Federal license, but I would recommend you buy saltwater fishing licenses. We used frozen herring easily bought at a bait shop. Live bait (cigar minnows are premium bait) As always, the hard part is knowing where to go - big ocean with lots of artificial reefs in the 15-20 mile range of shore, but if you don't know any numbers, you are fishing blind over a sandy bottom.

Absolutely. Just be sure to ask the guide question about what to wear and what to expect. They know what is going on and will advise you on what to do. Dress warmer than you would expect and have rain gear ready.

Remember it is called fishing, not catching. Just because you may be looking to catch a certain fish doesn't mean it will happen that particular day. Don't miss the forest because of the trees, take what is bighting that day and make memories.

I would recommend you go to the marina a day before the day you’re supposed to fish and understand how the marina and guided fishing works. It’s fun to watch them, clean the fish and see how excited the people are.

Always be flexible regarding the weather/water conditions. Listen to your Captain. Our Capt recommended against the freezing high wind and waves in the gulf and we spent our trip in the lagoon catching more fish than we could count and stayed perfectly warm and dry.

Absolutely recommend Captain Noah as your go-to fishing guide! His determination and expertise led us to an unforgettable trip despite challenging conditions. If you're looking for a guide with skill, tenacity, and a knack for finding the big ones, Captain Noah is your guy. Book with confidence for a fantastic fishing experience!

capn Jason is a great guy and knows right where the fish are. mackerel, red fish, pompano, angel fish, toad fish and 3 sharks. our wives loved it and we have red fish on the grill tonight. 4 hour inland fishing.

Go with off the hook charters. Both boats from the company came back with tons of fish, big fish. Other boats at the dock had small fish and less fish. If you want big ones and numbers go with off the hook charters.

Only way to go is a private charter. Don't like to bad mouth anything, but do not waste your time on the 'GS fishing pier'. It is hit or miss and overall not productive. My family wehn on two charters during the week and caught plenty of fish on both. We went in early May and the timing was so-so. A little after one of the breeding runs and prior to snapper season. Would recommend early June next year to my group.

We booked two trips. The first was cancelled by the Captain for bad weather. The weather was great but the Captain was a complete jerk. I have saved all of the nasty emails with this captain. Unfortunately, there is no way to leave a warning "review" for other anglers to avoid this situation on FishingBooker. The other trip was fantastic and we caught our limit in two hours. We left this captain a glowing review on FishBooker. Would I use Fishbooker again knowing that poor reviews from cancelations? No.

First would be book Capt Brad, Nauti Fish Co. I would recommend checking what fish are in season. I also would recommend looking into state waters vs federal waters. I messed up and looked at seasons wrong or something i also was totally ignorant to all the regulations on state waters and federal waters. Brad thoroughly explained all this but i wish i had known all this before planning a vacation. I most likely would have came a week later or maybe even 6 weeks later.

Definitely get a charter if it’s your first time. You won’t be disappointed and you can learn quite a bit about the local waters and what rigs and techniques work the best at the time you are fishing

Try to come on a better moon phase. We came Labor Day weekend because it was my birthday. I knew the fish would be biting better late at night before I came, but we caught fish despite the time & tidenot being right.

Take plenty to drink, protection from the sun, and be open minded, because the captain knows what he is doing and trying his best to give you a great fishing experience. Remember when fishin,g it is a roll of the dice if the fish will bite or not.

Figure out what you want to target. Get the charter going after that species …… and let the Captains take over. Both my charters this week got right on the fish we were going after and got our limits.

We were hoping to bring back some fish to freeze. We caught all red snapper which you are not allowed to keep because it is out of season for it. We only caught one fish to keep. Not our guides fault by any means but it was a huge disappointment.

Do not eat a big meal before you go & dont be drinking the night before if you expect to be able to stay the whole time my husband & son eat a honey bun & I eat a half of a brownie & be sure to take dramamine the night before & the day of ur trip...

If your wife wants to take all the kids to the beach. Agree, under the condition that you get to charter a fishing trip. Gulf Shores is very family friendly and renting a condo with a family friend or sibling is a great way to go.

We fished in Pensacola FL. This had wrong address for marina. *This was NOT Fort Morgan or Gulf Shores*

Don’t use Freebird or Fishing Bookers. Have in depth talk with the captain before booking with charter.

If you fishing the morning, expect cooler weather and dress appropriately. The wind can be cold, even if you fish inshore.

Find a good Captain. They are not only great to fish with but can also help you with information on solo adventures from shore. Like what's bitting, what bait to use, etc....

Yes. We booked a 6 hours off shore trip, but due to weather conditions Capt. Jake pivoted to a 4 hour in shore, which was the right call.

Only issue is the weather. Very windy so it made the fishing very difficult. Nothing the captain could control. He was great.

Weather and water rough due to storm - maybe a March thing, not for anyone with motion sickness or if you don’t want to get sea spray.

We booked a morning trip, so it was a little chilly. It was very windy, but once the sun came out, the weather did not take away from the fishing experience.

Bring some warm clothes it's a little cold in March, if you plan on taking fish home bring a large cooler with you, bring some snacks and drinks you may be out on the water longer than you expect.

Just sit back and enjoy the experience. First time for us, loved it all! Catch was amazing, from start to finish.