This week on the Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, we’re heading down to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Delta with Darren Shirah. Darren says that while mornings have been frosty, the fish have still been biting. He’s been back to running limb lines after a spell of saltier fishing, catching a mix of channel and blue cats—and, surprisingly, a few hardheads, gafftops, and even stingrays as far north as Little Bayo Canot. With low rainfall and strong tides pushing salinity deep into the Delta, it’s been a weird blend of freshwater and saltwater species sharing the same backwaters. Darren also reports seeing big schools of jack crevalle cruising through the area, proof that the line between fresh and salt is still blurred this fall.

Darren’s been catching his share of perch, crappie, and bream on Beetle Spins and says the bite has been hot when you can find the right hole—he and his son-in-law pulled over forty fish from one small ditch on their last trip. He believes those fish were holding near a spring-fed pocket of clear water, and though low water has made some backwaters tough to access, there’s still plenty of action if you know where to look.

Nick and Darren also talk about the Delta’s other pastime this time of year—hog hunting. Darren’s been seeing and hearing plenty of pigs while fishing and has been taking advantage of cool weather to hunt from his boat. He breaks down his approach with a .22, why shot placement and staying within the law matter on public lands, and shares how he times hunts with dropping tides and north winds that push hogs toward the banks to root for reeds and clams. 

To wrap things up, Darren says crappie fishing has been excellent around deep tops in the middle of creeks, the bass bite is picking up as fish gang up for winter, and the catfishing is steady on cut bait. With falling tides and cool north winds clearing the shallows, now’s a great time to hit the Delta—whether you’re after crappie, cats, or a little solitude in the swamp.

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