gulf shores 10/6

[danny]

hey... i will be in gulf shores al. 10/6-10/9, assuming it's still there... can anyone help me out with a little diy fly fishing? i was there two years ago and caught ladyfish and macks from the beaches--but i was hoping to maybe fish for reds or something, too. any help would mean a lot, thanks.

[otter]

Danny-

I spent a few days there in late july. I caught several blues, spanish macks, and ladyfish off the west jetty at perdido pass. BE CAREFUL.....I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF SHAPE THE AREA IS IN AFTER KATRINA, AND THE ROCKS MAY BE UNSTABLE. Fish the beach if the rocks don't seem safe or if you are unsure. I live in Louisiana, and our coastal geography has been greatly altered by the nasty lady.

The best fly I threw was a #2 chart/wht clouser. I used my 9wt with sink tip line and a 20# flouro leader. I was broken off by large bonita a few times as well.

I suspect the beach and sandbars took considerable erosion, and the area may be a mess. Check with the locals.

If the beach is in bad shape, there is a really nice peir and state park North of Orange Beach on Wolf Bay. Its all lit up and very lonely at night. A local told me its his best hole for reds & specs, although I managed to get skunked there. There were lots of big pines near the peir, and katrina may have seen fit to relocate them. Better check with the locals on this one too.

Good luck, and please let us know how the area fared.

Tight Lines-

otter.

[danny]

thanks a lot, otter. i appreciate it. i don't know that we'll even get down there now because of the damage... waiting to hear from the in-laws... but thanks again, i'll let you know.

[redfish13]

I read many posts on pensacolafishingforum.com, and all seems well. I have fished that area the last few years, and it can be fantastic. You really need a boat to get into really good areas, but you can fish in the area that they call Old river(in between Ono Island and the beach hwy)for Specks and a few Reds around the grass flats, but a boat would get you into some great spots. It is really fun to fish that area at night under the dock lights...trout galore as well as a mixed bag of other stuff. Chart/white #4-2/0 clousers with just about any kind of line will work...I prefer a floating or intermediate.

[danny]

thanks guys... rental house is damaged from katrina... no trip this year...