Most of us along the Gulf think of fishing that requires a boat of some kind. We have visions of heading out to the snapper reefs and oil rigs miles off shore.

Others think that a small boat working its way into a bayou or tidal creek is the way to go.

Some people like to keep their feet on the ground when they fish and find that surf fishing meets their needs just fine. If you’re going to fish off the front beach there are several species that you’ll be able catch over the course of the year.

At the end of fall and in early winter red drum are available — the big ones. Red drum spawn from early October through the middle of December; large schools of adults move from the open Gulf close to shore for spawning. A good spot to fish for reds around this time of year is Perdido Pass.

It’s a common practice to use a mullet head for bait, hooking it through the eye sockets with a six-ounce weight and 30 to 50 pound test line. You can use a lighter test line but with all the rocks around that area you could lose your rig pretty easy.

These ‘bull’ reds will give you a strong pull with an occasional run. After the red drums spawn their eggs hatch within a day and are carried into estuaries and creeks by the tides.

In the summer another great fish you can get in the surf is the pompano. This fish is great tasting and fun to catch. It has the shape of a bluegill only a lot larger. It will turn sideways and pull against you so your arm is going to get tired if you get one on. They love sand crabs so use them as bait if you can get them.

As the shrimp season gets ready to open around the middle of June you can find spotted seatrout along the front beach. They feed largely on shrimp, crabs and smaller fish like pinfish, croakers, mullet, menhaden and glass minnows.

Large fish feed near seawalls and grass beds bordering deeper water, especially in areas with strong currents and oysters reefs. Spotted sea trout will occasionally feed in the surf and on the edges of passes and channels, and will only rarely go out into open ocean to follow schools of bait fish.

You’d have better luck if you go on a day when the Gulf is tending toward calm. One of the spotted seatrout’s habits is that it regurgitates some its food. This will cause a small oil slick to form on the surface of the water, which you can spot.

Fishing in these areas will greatly increase your chances of catching a trout. Be ready to run after the moving oil slick — coolers are not a good idea.

Think Global – Act Local!

Dr. “Skip” Lazauski can be seen on the television show “Eco-Bites”, which airs on Mediacom’s channel 14 and Smartel’s channel 4. To reach Dr. Lazauski for questions and comments, send e-mail to IchiOrca@yahoo.com. For more information, see his Web site, drskiponline.com.