# Gulf Shores / Orange Beach



## Dugie (Jun 14, 2009)

May be heading down from Texas to this area instead of Destin this year, I have had a lot of success kayak fishing the bay there but want to try some new water.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as far as access to launch and some general areas that hold fish?

Certainly would be will to share everything I know about the couple spots I have killed the trout in Destin.

I appreciate it!


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

Little Lagoon on the west side of Orange Beach is usually pretty good for trout and flounder and some reds. I fish the channel ledges along the north side of the Lagoon across from the cut. Lights are also good late at night. 

Live/dead shrimp, Mirrolures and Zoom Flukes on jigheads are what I typically use. Topwater early morning is also usually productive.


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## Dugie (Jun 14, 2009)

Mark, thanks so much, sounds like it's right up my alley. Where do you launch to get in? Is there any place That wouldn't be wise to leave a truck parked?


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

If you go west on Ft Morgan road, you'll see Moe's Landing about a mile or two down on your left. It's a well lit, nice public boat launch. There is a beach area on the east side of the park where I launch from. After launching, travel west about a mile and go beyond the house on the north shore that sticks out on a little peninsula. Beyond that is the stretch that I fish. If going during dark, fish the whole string of lights along the boat houses from the launch all the way across.


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## flydoc (Dec 14, 2012)

Mark pretty much nailed it. The only area I've been gettin specks during the day is the north shore opposite the inlet. Mostly to the west of the point to the other point--1/4 mi.I'm a flyguy and been drifting chart/white clousers trailed with a white crystal flash woolybugger just off the ledges.

At nite the southshore dock lites have been good on both sides of the inlet. 1/2 mi either side. Here you may want to park at the bridge to launch the yak. It's patroled regulary so pretty safe. Fished the lites last nite and got 3 specks and 1 slot red, lost another nice red at the boat and a few dinks. White jigs or flys match the glass minnows. On a good nite they will be "poppin' the surface although last nite only a few were. They will shut down if they know your there so use stealth. The google maps are your friend. GL


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## Dugie (Jun 14, 2009)

Again guys thanks so much!!


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## northportcjm (Jun 9, 2009)

*Re: Fort morgan*

If you are coming during the late spring/early summer I've had a lot of success with specks at a small sand landing where people catch a lot of bait. Head west on Fort Morgan Rd till you see Triple Tail lane on your left. Start looking on your right for a small sand path. I pull over and put my truck in four wheel drive and drive down to the water's edge. There is a place to park there. 

Launch and head out to the mouth of this cove. A small island is at the mouth of the cove. the northside of this island on an outgoing tide is a great speck fishing spot. The current moves bait over a large sandbar that has some cuts and channels in it. Can't go wrong with a chartreuse mirrodine all along the bar and in the cuts. There is a pile of junk and a really big stump (why I don't know) about 50 yards Northeast of the island. I have caught some really big flounder around that when the tide is moving. 

Get there early! I've only caught fish when the water is moving for the first few hours of daylight. 

The flounder and reds I have caught here have been on a rootbeer and chartreuse Cal Shad DOA with a 1/8th ounce jig head. 

I fish with flourocarbon leader and 10lb line. The lighter the line the better.

Let me know if you catch any. And if you want to share some near shore info around Destin that would be awesome too.

Northportcjm


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## Dugie (Jun 14, 2009)

North pm sent


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## hoglaw (Apr 21, 2015)

Hi folks. New to the site. First, I want to say that I'm very active on a couple of other fresh water boards. I can't imagine anything more frustrating than vaccationers jumping on those sites asking for tips and locations all the time. I do my best to help folks who visit my area, but you guys do a great job helping folks who come down one week a year.

A couple of follow up questions on this thread. I've been coming to Gulf Shores/Fort Morgan for three years now. I kayak the St. Andrew's bay area, and three rivers. I've yet to fish the little lagoon, but may give it an early morning shot this trip.

First question. North, in your post you reference an "island" toward the mouth of St. Andrew's Bay. When I look at it on Google Earth, I see an island that's about 100 yards off shore in the "mouth" of the cove, but I see another one about 300 yards north of that surrounded by what looks like raked sand bars with deep cuts in them. Are you referring to the first one or the second?

Second question. This year, it looks like all of my morning fishing will be on a very small incoming tide, with a neap tide happening during the middle of my trip (I'll be down the week after next). I've got things about 10% figured out on the outgoing tide, but don't have a clue what to do on the incoming tide. Much less so when the tide will be so weak. Are the trout so scattered under those conditions that they're difficult to pattern? If so, I'll wind up cruising around all those little cuts and bayous to the north of the launch looking for redfish.

Third question. What do you kayak guys do with keeper trout when you're in the little lagoon? I'm mostly a C&R guy, but wouldn't mind taking a few trout if I can get on them. I have a Jackson Coosa, so I'm a little limited on cooler space. Is it "safe" to leave them sitting on a stringer, or is my worry about having a gator come up and grab them unfounded?

Fourth question. I don't do any night fishing out of my yak other than on some small streams up here on the ozarks, so I don't really have a good light set-up. Will there be boat traffic on little lagoon in the early morning? Any recommendations other than carrying a flash light?

Finally, if anyone wants to fish next week, I'd love to meet up. Feel free to let me know.


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## northportcjm (Jun 9, 2009)

Second island has some bushes on it to the west of it is a deep channel sand bars with raked cuts is the place


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lake13 (Jan 22, 2013)

Just went down to St. Andrews 2 weeks ago first time this year. The island out by the mouth is completely submerged now but you can still find it. . Topwater action around past the west point can be great in Navy Cove.


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## hoglaw (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks for clarifying and for the additional info regarding navy cove. I'd love to go out with someone if anyone wants to join me. I'm flexible all of next week. I hate to be a lurker and not share anything, but I don't have much to share unless anyone wants to talk mountain smallmouth! 

I will post a report whether I catch fish or not, but would love to tag along with someone if anyone's free.


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## flydoc (Dec 14, 2012)

Hoglaw- Small cooler or fish bag will work but no gators or sharks to worry about..
Should have a 360* lite visable but in a yak wear a head lamp. No boat traffic to worry about fishing the dock lites. The brighter lites will hold more fish..


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

hoglaw said:


> Thanks for clarifying and for the additional info regarding navy cove. I'd love to go out with someone if anyone wants to join me. I'm flexible all of next week. I hate to be a lurker and not share anything, but I don't have much to share unless anyone wants to talk mountain smallmouth!
> 
> I will post a report whether I catch fish or not, but would love to tag along with someone if anyone's free.


I'm going to hit the lagoon by boat on Saturday. I'll likely be up for a kayak run in the lagoon next week. PM me if you're interested in trying to line up a trip together.

Mark


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## hoglaw (Apr 21, 2015)

I put in at the boat ramp by Kiva Dunes yesterday before daylight. Paddled into three rivers. Tried to get into the back of it but a very large aligator made me content with where I was. I probably boated 30 trout, all on a popping cork and DOA shrimp. I had a few blowups on a spook and sexy dog, but none of them connected. Not very good in terms of size. My biggest trout was probably 16 inches with most of them closer to 12. It was fun though. I did a lot of paddling. When I finally caught the 16" trout I thought maybe I'll get into them for a while, but then a dolphin came through and made about 20 passes gobbling stuff up. I'm sure that put them down.

Will probably try lagoon and navy cove after all the weather passes.

I had three rivers to myself until 11 or so. I talked to some of the folks that were fishing in there and they said they had been catching lots of reds on live shrimp fished right in the grass. I didn't know how to replicate that since I didn't have any bait. I tried putting a gulp shrimp on weightless with a popping cork and throwing it in the grass edges, but no love. I also tried running a spinnerbait right on the edge of the grass. Something followed it and turned away, but I don't know what it was.


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

We ended up launching my boat early Saturday AM at Ft Morgan. Given the rough bay conditions, we fished Navy Cove. Between 3 of us we caught about 15 specs and about 10 white trout. My largest were a 21" and a 17". We tried live shrimp, NADA. Ended up catching everything on Baby Bass colored Zoom Flukes - these also work great in Little Lagoon (my bait of choice when no topwater action). May get back out later in the week in the PA after the bad weather clears. Hoglaw, if you'e interested in linking up, send me a PM. Mark


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## hoglaw (Apr 21, 2015)

Just wanted to post a quick follow up and a big thank you to Mark. I fished by myself most of the week around the Fort Morgan area. Caught lots of trout and rat/small slot reds. The weather wasn't just great as I had pretty heavy winds most of the time, but managed to do ok finding sheltered areas, and anchoring where shelter wasn't an option. 

On my last day, Mark invited me to fish with him and I had a blast. He caught more fish than I did, but I managed a trout, a red, a flounder, and a couple of croakers. I love my Coosa, but man the mirage drive deal sure is nice. I might have been able to keep up with him a little better if I wasn't paddling my shoulders to death.

Anyway, a big thank you to everyone on this board who chimed in with advice, and to Markbxr400 for showing a tourist some great hospitality and helping me learn new things.


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## markbxr400 (Jul 23, 2013)

Enjoyed it Kyle. Let me know when you make it back this way and I'll break out the other PA for you.

Mark


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