This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report looks at the fall transition taking shape across the Delta, from cooler mornings and new hunting licenses to flounder, shrimp, crabs, white trout, squirrel hunting, and boat-season prep. Nick Williams opens the show with a quick reminder for anglers and hunters to renew their licenses and get familiar with Alabama’s new DCNR licensing system, then checks in with Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle about what he’s seeing as summer finally starts to loosen its grip.

Josh reports that the inshore transition is starting, but the bigger speckled trout and redfish have not fully pushed north yet. Shrimp numbers have been strong, flounder reports have been excellent, and legal mangrove snapper are still showing up around structure in the Mobile River, but hot water has kept the fall bite from really breaking loose. He and Nick also talk through why this has been an odd year for bream and crappie, how cooler weather may reset the fishing, and why white trout stacking up in the river should soon provide one of the easiest kid-friendly bites of the season.

The conversation also branches into the outdoor opportunities that make this time of year so good in the Delta. Nick and Josh talk squirrel hunting, early teal reports, hog hunting from the boat, crabbing with hand lines, dip nets, rod-and-reel crab rigs, and even hookless crab trotlines. They also cover practical safety and preparation, including spare clothes, fire-starting gear, getting back into a boat after falling overboard, checking batteries and fuel systems, winterizing boats, and why now is a smart time to get maintenance done before hunting and fall fishing seasons get busy.

The episode wraps with a broader appreciation for the strange, local character of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta fishery, from counting minnows instead of weighing them to Snagless Sallys, sideways automatic fly reels, glow bugs, bull bream, and the mix of freshwater, brackish, and saltwater opportunities available within a short drive of Mobile and Baldwin County.

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This special episode of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report turns the show over to Butch Thierry of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report and Joe Baya of the Northwest Florida Fishing Report for a conversation about snook showing up along the northern Gulf Coast. Once thought of mainly as a South Florida fish, snook are now being reported more often around Mobile Bay, Fowl River, Fish River, Perdido Pass, the Emerald Coast, and other waters that many local anglers never associated with the species.

Butch and Joe are joined by Zoe Hendrickson, a PhD student at the University of South Alabama working with Dr. Charlie Martin in the Estuarine Ecology Lab. Zoe explains how snook have expanded northward in Florida, how similar patterns may now be developing in Alabama and Northwest Florida, and why warmer winters, shorter cold snaps, river systems, deep holes, and other thermal refuge areas may be helping these fish survive. She also discusses what researchers still need to learn, including where local snook go during cold weather, whether they are becoming true residents, and how anglers can help by reporting sightings and tagged fish.

The conversation also covers snook biology, including their tolerance for fresh and salt water, their use of rivers as juveniles, their movement toward jetties, flats, and estuaries as adults, and the fact that they can change sex as they grow. Zoe, Butch, and Joe also talk through current harvest regulations, why many anglers may want to release northern Gulf snook while the population is still developing, and what this new fishery could mean for the future of fishing in Mobile Bay, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, and nearby Gulf Coast waters.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers the first hints of fall in the Delta, kayak tournament fishing, creek bream, crappie, hog hunting, and old-school ways to enjoy the water. Nick Williams opens the show with a late-summer update as mornings finally start to feel a little more bearable, then checks in with Justin Dunnam of Eight Mile Drifter after his two-day Saltwater Fin Addicts tournament.

Justin breaks down how he put together a strong inshore slam from the kayak, including redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. He talks through fishing marsh islands, current-swept creek mouths, industrial canal structure, dock lights, topwater baits, twitch baits, and bottom-hopped soft plastics. He also discusses how flounder numbers seem to be improving, why kayak motors can make a major difference during long tournament days, and why he’s starting to think harder about adding one to his own setup.

Then Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren joins the show for a late-summer Delta report focused on bream, small bass, creek fishing, oddball natural baits, and the coming shift toward fall hunting. Darren explains why he’s been finding more fish back in cooler creeks and side branches rather than out in the middle of the Delta, and he shares a fun old-school bait conversation covering roaches, maggots, wasp larvae, tadpoles, mulberries, green sunfish, goggle-eye, and catfish around bird roosts. The episode closes with a practical discussion on early-season hog hunting, keeping meat cool in warm weather, river camping, taking kids outdoors, and why sometimes the simplest creek-bank adventures are still the best ones.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers late-summer crappie, kayak fishing, upcoming tournaments, and the storytelling work behind Mobile Baykeeper’s Currents magazine. Nick Williams opens the show with a reminder that pop-up thunderstorms are still a serious concern for anglers, especially anyone running small boats across open water during late-afternoon summer storms.

Dip McMillian with Dippi Outdoors kicks things off with a recap of the Dippie Outdoors kids fishing tournament at Hubbard’s Landing, where nearly 140 kids showed up, plenty of fish hit the scales, and every child went home with a rod and reel, gift bag, and bonus prize. Dip also breaks down the current crappie bite, explaining why anglers need to cover water, fish multiple depths, and keep moving until they find active fish. Even with water temperatures still in the 90s, fish have been caught anywhere from two feet to eight feet of water, with some holding on structure and others roaming. He also previews Dippie Outdoors’ upcoming youth hunting season, including dove hunts, deer hunts, pheasant hunts, and more opportunities to get kids outdoors.

Then Justin “Eight Mile Drifter” Dunnam joins the show to talk kayak fishing, fall tournaments, and getting back on the water after a busy summer. Justin discusses upcoming Mobtown Kayak Bass Fishing and Saltwater Fin Addicts tournaments, then digs into creek crappie tactics, small soft plastics, deep bends, slack water, treetops, and how to find fish without electronics. He and Nick also talk through kayak rigging, tackle storage, tethering gear, keeping rods angled down around limbs, and why older, lighter kayaks still make a lot of sense for tight creeks, swamps, and backwater Delta fishing.

To close it out, Nick talks with Caine O’Rear of Mobile Baykeeper about Currents magazine and the value of telling stories from the Mobile Bay and Mobile-Tensaw Delta watershed. Caine shares his background as a writer and editor, including his time with American Songwriter in Nashville, and talks about returning to Mobile, reconnecting with the water, and helping Mobile Baykeeper publish stories that blend conservation, culture, fishing, history, and local voices. The conversation highlights why print storytelling still matters, how Currents gives readers a deeper look at the people and places tied to Coastal Alabama’s waterways, and why anglers have an important role in shaping the future of the Delta.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers dog-days Delta fishing, from shrimp-driven bass action to shallow-water bowfin in extreme heat. Nick Williams opens the show with a late-summer update as heat advisories continue across the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, but small signs of fall begin showing up with rice, deer movement, teal thoughts, and cooler mornings hopefully not too far away.

Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren kicks things off with a bass and mixed inshore report from the lower Delta and Mobile River side. Darren explains how bass are starting to stack up around points, wood, root balls, laydowns, grass edges, and current breaks as shrimp push into the system. He breaks down how he’s using DOA Shrimp, purple worms, and other soft plastics to pick off fish from key pieces of cover, and why he moves quickly instead of fishing long stretches of bank. Darren also talks through brackish-water opportunities for redfish, croakers, hardheads, speckled trout, flounder, and mixed freshwater-saltwater action from the Mobile River to Weeks Bay and Magnolia River.

Then Dave Middleton of BassCatLilDave joins the show with a strong bowfin report after winning a local grinnel tournament near Hubbard’s Landing. Dave explains how he and his partner found more than 20 bowfin feeding in shallow, hot, low-oxygen water off Stiggins Lake, including an eight-and-a-half-pound tournament winner caught in just a foot of water. He breaks down why scented worms, crawfish spray, hard hooksets, bubbles, shallow sloughs, and stealthy boat positioning can all matter when targeting bowfin in August. The episode closes with a reminder that even when the summer bass bite slows down, bowfin, gar, redfish, and other tough Delta species can still give anglers a reason to get out and fish.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers tough late-summer heat, shallow crappie, a strong catfish tournament showing, and the first signs of the Causeway bite setting up for fall. Nick Williams opens the show with a look at brutal August conditions, recent bluegill fishing, and how the heat has changed the bite across parts of the Delta.

Dip McMillian of Dippie Outdoors kicks things off with a crappie and catfish report from the upper Delta. Dip explains that even with water temperatures pushing into the 90s, crappie are not necessarily buried deep. Recent tournament fish were still caught in four to eight feet of water around structure, though the bite has become less aggressive. He recommends slowing down, downsizing, using live minnows, and trying small-profile jigs like ATX Flattails or small hair jigs when fish are following but not committing. Dip also recaps the recent benefit crappie and catfish tournament, where catfish anglers brought in big blues and flatheads on trotlines, limb lines, noodles, and even rod and reel. He closes with an update on the upcoming Dippie Outdoors Kids Fishing Tournament at Hubbard’s Landing, including free entry for kids, food, prizes, rods and reels, kayaks, coolers, and a lifetime fishing license giveaway.

Then Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing LLC joins the show for a Causeway and lower Delta report. Patric explains how late August and early fall start opening up opportunities for redfish, flounder, trout, bass, drum, sheepshead, and other mixed-bag fishing around the grass, ditches, cuts, bays, and creek mouths. He talks through how to tell buffalo from redfish, why one visible redfish along a grass edge may point to more fish lying on shell nearby, and how popping corks, paddle tails, live shrimp, fresh dead shrimp, and soft plastics can all come into play. Patric also breaks down how ribbon grass, clamshells, salinity, potholes, and lower Delta cuts like North Pass, Devil’s Cut, and Turtle Ditch can help anglers find productive mixed freshwater and saltwater action as the season turns.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers late-summer creek fishing, old-school Causeway memories, punching grass mats, and the arrival of more inshore tackle and live shrimp farther up the Delta.

Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren kicks things off with a mixed report from the creeks, rivers, and lower Delta. Darren talks about catching bass early before the heat shuts things down, switching over to crickets and slip corks for bream later in the morning, and seeing redfish and shrimp pushing farther north than usual around Baya Canot. He and Nick also dig into old Causeway wade-fishing stories, how the lower Delta has changed as bays and cuts have filled in, nutria, hogs, early-season hunting, limb lines, jug fishing, and why fall and winter remain Darren’s favorite times to fish and hunt.

Then Dave Middleton of basscatlildave joins the show for a detailed look at punching heavy grass and weed mats for Delta bass. Dave explains how to use big tungsten weights, short creature baits, 50-pound braid, snelled hooks, heavy rods, rattles, and a slow, methodical approach to reach fish hiding under hyacinths, eelgrass, lily pads, and other matted vegetation. He breaks down how those mats create shade and ambush cover, why fish may bite on the fall or right under the canopy, and how the same technique can produce bass, goggle-eye, redfish, and other Delta surprises.

To close it out, Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle gives an update from the shop and explains why he and April have expanded into more inshore tackle and live shrimp. Josh talks through customer demand for popping corks, DOA shrimp, Vudu Shrimp, Fishbites Dirty Boxers, Southern Salt Grunts, H&H redfish spinner blades, Matrix Shad, Cocahoe Minnows, crab gear, and locally requested tackle. He also explains how salinity, shrimp availability, customer reports, and river conditions shape what they stock, and why the next several weeks should keep getting better for speckled trout, white trout, redfish, crabs, and other brackish-water opportunities in the Delta.

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This special episode of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report takes a closer look at fish consumption advisories, mercury, PFAS, and what anglers should know before eating fish from local waterways. Nick Williams is joined by Cassie Bates and Morgan Bishop of Mobile Baykeeper to talk through how Alabama’s fish consumption advisories are created, who collects and publishes the data, and why those advisories matter for anglers who regularly eat bass, catfish, crappie, redfish, speckled trout, and other local fish.

Morgan and Cassie explain how mercury and PFAS can build up in fish over time, especially in larger, older predator species, and why long-term exposure is the main health concern. They also discuss why many waterways in Coastal Alabama carry “do not eat” or limited-consumption advisories, how sample sizes and testing gaps can leave anglers with unanswered questions, and why a lack of an advisory does not necessarily mean a waterway has been tested and cleared. The conversation also covers practical ways to reduce risk, including eating smaller fish, skinning fillets, trimming fat, choosing cooking methods that let fat drain away, and paying attention to which species and waterways are listed in state advisories.

The episode closes with a broader discussion of where mercury and PFAS come from in the first place. Cassie and Morgan also share how Mobile Baykeeper is working to push for more fish tissue testing, better public data, stronger pollution reduction efforts, and more help from local anglers who want to support healthier waterways and safer fish for Coastal Alabama communities.

Link to 2026 Fish Consumption Advisories: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/tox/assets/2026_fishadvisory.pdf

Link to ADEM Report with Granular Fish Tissue Data: https://adem.alabama.gov/water/water-quality/water-quality-reports

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers a clearing-water summer pattern, topwater bass at Big Creek Lake, and a strong youth crappie bite on the upper Tensaw.

Matt Frazier kicks things off with a Big Creek Lake report, where bass are schooling hard on shad, crappie are still biting, and catfish are showing up in a big way. Matt explains how the schooling bass are blowing up on top during calm, brutally hot conditions, making long-casting topwater baits like Zara Spooks, banana-style baits, and Skitter Walks good choices when anglers can get within range. He also talks about crappie holding in 10 to 20 feet of water, the lake’s reopening, kayak access, the challenges of fishing big open water in summer heat and wind, and why the day before a storm can be a good time to go.

Then Dip McMillan of Dippi Outdoors joins the show with a strong upper Tensaw crappie report. Dip breaks down how he’s been putting kids on fish with slip corks and minnows around submerged logs and structure in 7 to 10 feet of water. He explains how the fish are holding tight to big logs near creek mouths and submerged cover, then coming up to eat minnows set a couple feet above them. Dip also gives an update on the upcoming benefit crappie and catfish tournament for the Dippi Outdoors Kids Tournament, the main youth tournament on August 22, lifetime fishing license giveaways, and the fall hunting events he’s already preparing for, including dove hunts and youth outdoor opportunities.

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This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers improving water conditions, the return of redfish around the Causeway, summertime bass tactics, and old-school creek fishing. Nick Williams opens the show by noting that the water is finally starting to clear up after weeks of heat, rain, and high water, making the bite feel a little more promising across the Delta.

Brenton Grace of Southern Cypress Bait & Tackle kicks things off with a Causeway report, explaining how the flounder bite slowed after the rain but should improve as the water settles. He also reports that redfish are starting to show back up around the Blakely and Apalachee sides, especially on flats, points, and areas near deeper water. Brenton breaks down how he’s catching slot-sized reds on simple Carolina rigs with dead shrimp, why kahle hooks have become his go-to, and how bait, edges, shallow flats, crabs, and improving water clarity all factor into the current pattern. He also gives an update from the shop, including shrimp, bull minnows, frozen bait, tackle, and the expectation that late summer and fall fishing will only get better as trout, redfish, and other species move farther into the rivers.

Then Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren joins the show with a mixed freshwater and brackish-water report. Darren talks about taking his grandkids to Chickasaw Creek, where dead shrimp on Carolina rigs produced slot redfish, big bull croakers, hardheads, and plenty of action for young anglers. He also breaks down his recent bass fishing, including a strong Ribbit frog bite, swim jigs, and his confidence in a simple Texas-rigged purple worm around creeks, wood, and Delta cover. Darren and Nick also talk about beetle spins, jigger pole fishing, pork eel and pork leech-style baits, bass feeding on small blue crabs, eating croakers, grilled fish, fish consumption questions, and why old-school tactics still deserve a place in the modern Delta angler’s toolbox.

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