Went to a Soccer Game and a WFO Bluefish Bite Broke Out

[Deamon]

Found myself in Orange Beach City, Alabama last week to watch my daughter play in the NAIA Women's Collegiate National Soccer Championships with her school (Vanguard), Tues-Sun. With two daughter's playing club (and college ball) the past several years, I've had MANY opportunities to fish around this great Country of ours...ALWAYS on the cheap (unfortunately). Here's one avid, although tightly budgeted fisherman's process:

Scout the Area on the Internet...
This area has two large Bays (Mobile & Perdido), a large public pier, a huge lake with bass and cats, etc...MANY options! Order license on-line to avoid hassle.
Pack Gear:
Jam two reels (Curado & Shimano Spinning), Senkos, frogs, Krocs, Rapalas, plastics, hooks, weights, etc. into small tackle bag and shove into carry on bag. I plan to buy a rod or two once landed to avoid airline fee
Get out and Talk to the Locals:
Tues morning found one shore fisherman fishing the gulf (w/push button Zebco reels) using cut shrimp and we talked for a bit...passed on his dope. Talked to several pier fisherman, huddled up trying to escape the cold and wind...pass on that b.s.. Tackle shop guy told me about the "bridge and breakwater" at Perdido Bay and I found those spots later looking very promising for the next day's fishing...I also found a decent spinning rod at a clearance price ($15!).

So same day I go and watch Vanguard get knocked out in the Final 8 game and wifey says we're going home the next day...say what, we've only been here for a day? Oh well, it is what it is. I've got four hours of fishing time tomorrow morning before heading to the airport.

I hit the breakwater at the mouth of Perdido Bay just before grey light and there's a very nice outgoing tide. Perdido Bay has a tight mouth and the water was raging out. I see porpoise, pelicans, cormorants, Osprey...it's feeling very fishy. I throw a 1 ounce Kroc and instant bendo on the 12# braid. A great fight by a 3# Bluefish which then extends into an every cast wfo bite. All schoolies on the light tackle. Small fish but very fun. I lost about $50 worth of Krocs and Rapalas (sharp arse teeth) but left Alabama with a couple of nice lifelong memories...of the daughter's soccer games, of course.

As I drove out of there to head home, I spot a police officer parked along the side of the road (there were a TON of cops around town) and asked him to pass the rod onto a kid or someone who could really use it, I'm going home.

[Sdspeed]

Cool report, thanks. Nice gesture with the rod.

[StinkyMatt]

Thats the way to maximize your vacation time. I do plan all my vacations with fishing in mind and quite often sneak out early mornings or late nights to do some "chasing".

Thanks for posting.

[kurt]

Sounds great. The Emerald Coast is a great place to fish.

[pino]

Man those blues are a blast,I remember those days living in jersey as a kid.

[taggermike]

Thanks for the report. Looks like fun. Blues are fun to catch but you can run through some gear. Cool hand off with the rod. Mike