Orange Beach, Alabama Fishing Report for October 2023*
Welcome back Gulf Coast Sportsmen to another fishing report for Orange Beach, AL for October 2023! October is a wonderful time in the area as cool fall temperatures start to roll in bringing more comfortable fishing days and calmer waters. October is one of the absolute best times of the year to enjoy fishing along the Gulf Coast and especially in Orange Beach. There is plenty to target in the month of October with two of the predominant targets being redfish and amberjack before the amberjack season closes at the end of the month. Be sure to book a charter guide to get out on the water!
Inshore
Inshore fishing in Orange Beach, AL in the month of October is one of the best times to fish out of the entire year. As mentioned above, the weather is traditionally calmer and more comfortable, and some of the best inshore species get on the bite. The top three being redfish, trout, and flounder. Sheepshead are readily available as well but are more finnicky. For trout and redfish, docks and other structure are your better bet. Live shrimp is the best option, but the gold spoon is a classic, cheap, and reliable option. Trout can also be had around docs and on the flats with live shrimp below a popping cork. If you can’t get live shrimp, the DOA Deadly Combo works as well. Flounder are also active and can be found gigging at night. Dock lights at night are a good option as well if you have the ability to get on one.
Offshore
We are coming to a close of the amberjack season at the end of the month in Orange Beach, AL. The bag limit is 1 per angler with a 34-inch minimum from tip to the fork of the tail. Bigger amberjack will want bigger live baits like hard tails or ruby lips, but a vertical drop jig will also produce fish in a pinch. These fish are strong and we recently went through all of our jigs on an Amberjack trip with over in Panama City Beach so be sure to bring some extra as break offs are inevitable. We are in the very tail end of peak King Mackerel season. They are still in the area but will wain as the month goes on. Live or frozen cigar minnows on trolling on a mackerel rig will produce fish. If you watch close, you can see them miss the bait and get airborne, however, they will usually swing around for another hit, so stay ready.
Piers and Beaches
In October in Orange Beach, AL some of the pier and shore fishing species begin to slow down but there are still plenty opportunities to catch them. King Mackerel are leaving peak season but can still be occasionally caught on the piers. Pompano are on the downturn, but can still be caught with pompano jigs rigged with sand fleas, alive or frozen, their favorite meal. Additionally, blue fish and Spanish mackerel are near shore and can be caught even on pompano jigs, or by trolling mackerel trees near the beach. Sharks are readily available and are more active at night.
