Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Gulf coast in the winter?

I had to forgo our normal summer vacation this year due to trips we have planned in the fall but we’re thinking of maybe trying to get away for a few days during the winter. Just be The wife, me and our boy.

We’ve been talking about wanting to go fish the ocean somewhere, we’ve both fished the pacific off the coast of AK plenty but have no knowledge of the gulf. Our boy would be ecstatic to get to fish saltwater and we could make the drive in a day.

But having no knowledge I’m wondering if it’s worth the trip. I have surf rods and would be down to book a charter for one day if it isn’t too high and we’ll have a good chance at putting the boy on plenty of fish.

Hopefully maybe being off season there won’t be a gazillion people? We don’t need or want bright lights or fancy restaurants or any of that. Just an Airbnb or something like that and some fishing and maybe picking up shells on the beach or similar.

Is this feasible? Good idea, bad idea? Looking at January timeframe maybe. Anyone have any suggestions?

Corpus or south padre. could also get some duck hunting in.

Would we be able to do any good beach fishing Roger? My boy will be 7 by the time this trip rolls around so probably not going to be much wade fishing. What kind of charter and what kind of fish should we be looking for?

I’m totally blind here with no experience.

Fla Gulf Coast is usually over run with Yankees

This

60 miles of the national seashore, but you need 4-wheel drive. They catch some big sharks down the island, redfish, specks, whiting, and other stuff.

We’ll be in my pickup so we’ll have 4 wheel drive. I’m guessing bait fishing? Like catfishing but for more interesting fish? We won’t have the tackle for sharks but I think the boy would like catching some reds or something.

Venice, LA is known for really good fishing both inshore and offshore. They go out by the oil rigs in the gulf for tuna, wahoo and dolphin and get redfish, seatrout, flounder etc... in the grass areas along the shore.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is good in the winter, not too crowded and weather is generally decent if not swimming weather. Bay St. Louis is a beautiful little town and there are lots of charters that go out of Pass Christian marina about five miles away. They usually target the Biloxi Marsh but will fish all along the coast and in the Bay of St Louis, especially in the winter. Species would be speckled trout, redfish, black drum, and sheepshead mostly. Bay St. Louis is an easy launch point for a day trip to New Orleans too.

https://www.louisianasportsman.com/...ing-tips-for-biloxi-marsh-trout-redfish/

Gulf Coast is a pretty big area to cover in a post...... If you do facebook there are forums for alot of different areas one Panhandle Surf Fishing group covers gulf shores to St George. I'm sure there are more. Folks on facebook like Bama Beach Bum have youtube pages where they have videos of gear/bait techniques. Alot that will cross over to where you end up going. But the fishing for species in St george will different than further south on the Texas coast due water temp. We like St George in the Oct - Feb time frame as it is off the beaten path and very few folks(that area is called the forgotten coast).
Downside on that part of Florida in the winter is it can be cold.
Joe

If it's a family trip, don't overlook Destin or Clearwater, Fla. Destin is in the panhandle east of Pensacola, and Clearwater is near Tampa. Both have fabulous beaches, great fishing from the beach, and numerous charters in the bays and offshore.

Gulf Shores will have a lot of snowbirds but they don't fish. The Fort Morgan Peninsula west of town is worth a look. Gulf on one side, Mobile Bay on the other. Fairly desolate in the winter. Plenty of rentals on either side with off season rates. There's a national wildlife refuge, bird sanctuary and the fort. Dauphin Island is a short ferry ride and they have a wonderful sea lab over there.

Where are you located? I know it's not the gulf, but Hatteras in late september through early November is good surf fishing and charters readily available in Hatteras, Oregon inlet, Wanchese, Pirates Cove etc..

We’re big on both Gulf Shores, Ala and Venice, La. Serious fishing and duck hunting out of Venice w absolutely outstanding guides and some lodges for both fin and feather. We were in GS the first of June for 10 days and beach fishing was good and lots of charters available. Good luck.

this.

we have a place in Orange Beach and we spend a good part of the winter down there. one year we had a snow bird rent the place but we stopped doing that. Nov / Dec is a great time down there.

I winter within 90 miles of Corpus Christi every winter.
We don't do a lot of fishing, but we do a little.
Mostly specs, red drum and flounder.
Actually, I'll fish for whatever bites. If I don't want it, I just toss it back. I'm there for fun, not to stock a freezer. ...a fresh seafood meal is awesome!
We're more in to jetty fishing around Corpus Bay.

There's good fresh water fishing in Lake Corpus Christi/Lake Mathis. (one in the same, it just depends on who you ask! LOL!) Bass, catfish and crappie.

That said, there is some good fishing on South Padre Island and Brownsville, but with the immigration fiasco going on now, I'd steer clear of going down there.
We stay within 50 miles of the reservoir at Zapata, Texas.
We DO NOT go down there.
In fact, we've found sign of illegal immigrants where we stay and we're often visited by CBP chasing illegals.

.....and "YES!", we stay armed at all times!

Anywhere else along the Gulf Coast you'll find salt water fish available from jetties and piers.

I'd stay away from big metro areas. You'll probably find more amenable people in places like Rockport, Port Aransas and the like.

Best if luck!
Enjoy the benefits of being a "snow bird"!

Depends. The gulf coast is great in the winter fewer people and no lines or traffic jams. If you just want to fish, probably not the place to go. I'd go to Louisiana if I just wanted to fish.


If you want to enjoy beautiful beaches, some good eats and the potential to fish, the panhandle would work.

I just spent two weeks at the National Seashore on Padre, $14.00 a night for camping with a clean bathroom and shower house.

With the boy,, that might be a neat base camp for a few days, weather permitting.

I'll third the Port Isabel/South Padre area. It's not the easiest to get to, but you can't beat the snook fishing in winter. I would not recommend the upper Gulf Coast in winter. Our weather is almost identical to Ketchikan, Alaska. Florida is great as long as you can avoid interaction.

The big reds start running the last of Oct

Get a beach fish guide for one day or Shanghai Roger.

Ask him how long they run.