Where to Get Live Bait
in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
When it gets a little toasty on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast, the inshore species of fish like speckled trout, redfish, and flounder start getting picky about what they will eat. Most of the time, the artificial lures aren’t very effective because the inshore waters are now teeming with baitfish and shrimp, which means you’ll need to find live bait for the best chance for a productive day on the water.
Best Live Bait for Gulf Fish
Because Alabama’s coastal waters are so fertile, an abundance of food is available for the trout and reds and other prominent inshore species. That means that you’ll likely have to toss a tasty live bait in front of the fish to get it to eat. Now that brown shrimp have grown enough to make a decent gulp for the predators, it’s time to forgo the artificial lures in favor of the live variety.
Anything with fins will slurp down a live shrimp, but the bull minnows are mostly used to catch flounder and redfish. It’s good to carry plenty of both, and several tackle and bait shops on the Alabama Gulf Coast will have live bait regularly.
Bait & Tackle Shops on Alabama's Beaches
Beach Bum Outdoors
Just before you get to the Intracoastal Bridge on Highway 59, look to the right, and you’ll see Beach Bum Outdoors. It’s a fully stocked tackle and bait shop with live shrimp and bull minnows. Stop by for a variety of offerings from the outlet, including tips and gear for successful surf fishing.
Hooked Up Bait & Tackle
As you head south over the Intracoastal Canal bridge on Highway 59, turn left at the red light, and immediately on your left will be Hooked Up Bait and Tackle. The shop carries live shrimp and bull minnows as well as any of your other fishing tackle and rigging you need to fish from a boat, one of the shore access sites or the Gulf State Park Pier.
Gulf State Park Pier
Speaking of the Gulf State Park Pier, the tackle shop has decided not to sell live bait, only frozen shrimp, but the pier is a great place to catch your own baitfish. The tackle shop will have Sabiki rigs or bait ribbons to catch your own menhaden and alewives. If you’re a newcomer to catching your own bait, ask for help from the pier veterans, who are very good about helping newcomers learn successful fishing techniques. If there’s a feeding frenzy going on, you may have to wait until there’s a break in the action to get some help.
J&M Tackle
Heading down Canal Road toward Orange Beach will be one of the largest tackle and bait retailers on the Alabama Gulf Coast – J&M Tackle. Not only does J&M cater to the inshore fishermen with a wide variety of tackle and accessories, as well as live bait, but it’s also one of the top shops for offshore fishing
Fort Morgan Marina
If you're launching in Fort Morgan, the dock store Fort Morgan Marina is the best spot for live bait. This location is the furthest marina on the west side of the island, so be sure to call ahead to make sure they have the live bait you need. If they’re out, you’ll have to pick up the shrimp in Gulf Shores before you head the 20 miles down the Fort Morgan Peninsula.
Catching Your Own Live Bait
Net Casting
Many local anglers procure their own bait this time of year by dragging a small shrimp net. When you do that, the number of possible bait options increases significantly. If you drag a net for about 10 minutes, you’ll likely catch shrimp, menhaden (pogies) and croakers.
For large speckled trout, aka gator trout, there’s no better bait than a 3- to 5-inch croaker free-lined behind the boat. Another method for catching live bait is using a cast net. Experienced cast netters will toss large nets, but beginners should start with 5-foot nets until they get the hang of it.
Look for baitfish action on the surface. Ease the boat in that direction and try to make the net open like a silver dollar. Let the net sink and then snatch it up quickly to close the bottom of the net to keep the bait from escaping. Pull it up and see what you’ve got.
Keeping Bait Alive
When you catch live bait, you’re going to need an aerated livewell in your boat to keep the bait alive. If you’re pier fishing or fishing on the shoreline, you’ll need an aerated bait bucket powered by batteries.
If you prefer, you can hire an inshore captain and let him handle the bait. Several inshore opportunities are available.
Cast Off on Alabama's Beaches
If you're planning a fishing trip to Alabama's Beaches, you'll want to pick up some live bait before you hit the water! Whether you're fishing inshore, offshore, or on the surf, you'll find just what you need to catch a variety of species at nearby bait and tackle shops in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan.
David Rainer
David Rainer has written about the great outdoors on the Alabama Gulf Coast for more than 20 years. For 14 of those years, he covered the many fishing opportunities on the Gulf Coast as outdoors editor at the Mobile Press-Register. He is past president of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and currently serves on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Outreach and Education Advisory Panel and the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef & Restoration Foundation board.
