Fishing
Here are Shark Realty, our passion is spearfishing. We are always looking for new talent and will personally take you spearfishing. If you must use a hook-and-line, some of the island’s best charter boats and tackle retailers are listed below.
Orange Beach was founded and built around the fishing industry and community. One of the major advantages to owning a condo in Orange Beach is the constant access to one of the best fisheries in the country. This page is dedicated to answering all of your questions about the fishery and how to access it safely through the experts. Whether you have never fished offshore before or you are experienced and need to outfit a new boat, this page is here to answer all of your questions about fishing in Orange Beach, Alabama. Below is a list of charter fishing companies, marinas and tackle stores that can meet all of your fishing needs.
Charter Fishing
Finding the right boat is dependent on your needs, the number of people you want to take offshore and your expectations. For example, a group of 9 contractors from Mobile will have different expectations and needs than mom, dad, their 18 year old daughter and 13 year old son. Also, experience level is a factor in the duration of the trip. Everyone is concerned about sea sickness on their first charter. There are ways to prevent this and charter options to minimize the risk.
If it is you and your families first time to charter a fishing boat, a 4 hour trolling trip or a 5 hour trolling-bottom fishing combination charter is a great option to start with. On a 4 hour trolling trip, you can expect to target King and Spanish Mackerel, Bonita, Bull Redfish and Jack Cravalle. Please understand that this type of charter is a great introduction to see how well your children handle being offshore on a boat for an extended amount of time. The captain will drive the boat from reef to reef or over and across contour lines and the deckhand will put 3 to 5 lines out behind the boat. The action on this type of charter is more dependent on migratory fish than bottom fishing. A 5 hour charter or 6 hour charter is typically more productive. This duration of charter typically includes some trolling but puts an emphasis on bottom fishing. This is when the captain positions the boat over an artificial reef and maintains the vessels position while the deckhand assists you and your family in baiting your hooks, removing fish from your hooks, fixing tangles and helping your group catch fish in general. Below is a list of charter fishing companies that we trust to take care of you and your family.
www.getawaygulfcharters.com
www.fairwaterfishing.com
www.gulfshorefishingcharters.com
www.anniegirlcharters.com
Many of our clients request information about entertaining their clients or showing appreciation to their employees on longer trips with larger boats. This type of charter could range from an 8 to 12 hour bottom fishing trip or an overnight tuna fishing charter. These trips are considerably more expensive but you can expect a much larger catch. If the quantity of fish you take home with you is the most important element of choosing the right charter, these trips are for you. The charter companies listed below are whom we recommend for a premium offshore fishing charter.
www.anniegirlcharters.com
www.bobbywalker.com
www.fishorangebeach.com
www.fishislandgirl.com
Another option for those who do not want to go offshore or have a significant other that would like to fish but is extremely susceptible to motion sickness is inshore fishing. This type of fishing is conducted on center console fishing boats that range from 19’ to 28’. The targeted species vary as the seasons change as most of these fish are highly migratory. Late summer, spring, fall and late winter are the most productive seasons. Due to the amount of boat traffic during the peak summer months, the inshore fishing tends to be less productive. These boats can usually carry 6 people or less. Below is a list of trusted inshore fishing guides.
www.fmfcharters.com
Shallow Country Guide service located at Flora-Bama Marina
Killin’ Time Charter at Zeke’s Landing Marina
Kitty Wake Charters at Zeke’s Landing Marina
www.robsinshore.com
Perhaps you are an avid fisherman that owns your own boat but are unfamiliar with the area, have little knowledge of local species and the gear necessary to target the fish. If this is the case, there are two local tackle shops that can provide you with necessary charts and electronics, tackle and knowledge necessary to get the job done. J&M Tackle and Sam’s are two of the most respected tackle shops in the region. From Mobile to Destin, when an individual purchases a new boat and needs to outfit it, anyone in the know refers them to one of these two stores. Even if you do not fish, they are incredible establishments to visit. J&M Tackle probably has the edge on the most recent technology, variety and overkill tackle on the gulf coast. They have been known to ship lures made in Hawaii to buyers in Hawaii. Sam’s has everything you need, some things you don’t and everything in between. It is also a grocery store, sandwich shop and one of the best breakfasts in Orange Beach, Alabama. There is a good chance that if one of these stores does not have something you need, the other one probably does. There are other tackle stores in the area but these two are by far the most helpful, well stocked and fairly priced. West Marine is the place to find anything that has to do with boating maintenance and safety. As any boat owner knows, maintenance and safety are more than half the battle.