Can I Fish In Winter In Alabama?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Despite the difficult weather conditions,

anglers can still manage to spend quality time on the water through the winter days of the year

, catching fish on a variety of lures.

What can you fish for in December in Alabama?

Participate in a blue-water overnight trip, an offshore party boat trip, or a near shore fishing trip for

redfish, whiting, flounder and sheepshead

. Or maybe you want to fish Alabama's coastal rivers, the inshore reefs, the jetties, the surf or the Gulf State Park Pier.

Can you still fish in the winter?

But fishing in cold weather can be as great as it is in the summer, especially since the weather keeps most anglers cozied up next to their woodburning stoves.

Winter is a particularly great time to fish because freshwater species group up, meaning more fish on your lure

. But winter fishing takes some prep.

What fish can I fish in winter?

  • #1 Northern Pike. Northern Pikes are an aggressive species and are very active, especially in the coldest waters. …
  • #2 Perch. You can find a whole lot of Perch in the frigid waters of Canada. …
  • #3 Crappie. …
  • #4 Snapper. …
  • #5 Cobia. …
  • #6 Trout. …
  • #7 Channel Catfish. …
  • #8 Walleye.

What fish can I keep in Alabama?

The following shall be named and designated as game fish in Alabama:

rainbow trout

, all members of the sunfish family to include: largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, shoal, and those species formerly known as “redeye” bass, which are now known separately as Coosa, Warrior, Cahaba, Tallapoosa, and Chattahoochee bass, based …

How many rods can you fish with in Alabama?

It shall be unlawful for any angler to fish with more than

three rods and reels, or poles

, or any combination thereof on Weiss Reservoir or Neely Henry lakes at any time.

What is the easiest fish to catch in winter?

  • Black Crappie. Use small jigs or minnows in clear ponds, natural lakes and reservoirs with plenty of vegetation when targeting black crappie. …
  • Yellow Perch. …
  • Bluegill. …
  • Walleye. …
  • Channel Catfish.

How cold is too cold for fishing?

LAKE SPECIES Too Cold F Best Temps F
LARGEMOUTH BASS


49


63-75
MUSKIE 50 60-70 RAINBOW TROUT 43 52-56 SMALLMOUTH BASS 59 64-68

What is the best bait for winter fishing?

  1. Salt. The addition of salt to baits is a great attractor at any time of year, but it really comes into its own during cooler conditions when you want to create a small area of maximum attraction. …
  2. Bread. …
  3. Chocolate malt. …
  4. Maggots. …
  5. Spices. …
  6. Paste. …
  7. Lecithin and alcohol. …
  8. Corn.

What fish are biting in the Gulf in December?

December Fishing Forecast. Have fun this holiday season catching

flounder, trout, redfish and black drum

inshore. Try your hand at some bottom fishing for grouper, amberjack, vermillion snapper or scamp. Who needs ham or turkey when you can have fresh grilled fish for Christmas dinner!

What fish are in season in the Gulf right now?

Fishing Regulations

( 5 )

Commercial Seasonal Closure and Current Status
Gray Snapper None Greater Amberjack Mar 1-May 31 Goliath Grouper HARVEST PROHIBITED Gray Triggerfish June 1 – July 31

Is red snapper season still open in Alabama?


The 2022 Alabama red snapper season will open Friday, May 27th, and continue until the recreational quota is met

. The days open for red snapper fishing run from Friday at 12:01 a.m. to Monday at 11:59 p.m. The seasons have been running longer over the last few years with anglers taking longer to reach the annual quota.

What fish can you catch in December?

  • Perch. The bell cow for winter activity, yellow perch remain active and aggressive even in the frigid waters found up in Canada. …
  • Northern Pike. …
  • Walleye. …
  • Crappie. …
  • Bluegill. …
  • Channel Catfish. …
  • Trout.

Do fish bite in 40 degree weather?

Unfortunately,

bass are really hard to catch in 40-50 degree water

. They are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperatures fluctuate with their environment. So when the water is cold, they are cold. And they don't want to chase baitfish much or eat heavily.

Do catfish bite in the cold?


Catfish do bite in cold weather

and eat the same baits they did during the warmer months. While they are somewhat lethargic in cold water and often seek refuge in deep water when temperatures drop, catfish still need to feed.

Is it legal to use bluegill as bait in Alabama?


It shall be lawful to use the following species of the sunfish family for bait in the streams and waters of Alabama

: bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish and/or any other species of bream; provided, that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to allow any person to have in his possession any sunfish or …

How many red snapper can you keep in Alabama?

The 2021 Alabama daily red snapper bag limit was

2 fish per angler

(not including the guide or crew) at 16 inches minimum.

Can I keep a shark in Alabama?


It is indeed specifically illegal to land a shark from the pier or beach in the Alabama Gulf state park

… (f) It shall be unlawful to fish for sharks or use any type of shark fishing gear on any Gulf State Park Public Beach or on the Gulf State Park Saltwater Fishing Pier.

Is night fishing legal in Alabama?

By today's water safety rules

every boat on Alabama's lakes and rivers must have running lights “on all night”

. This means, whether your navigating the lake, fishing on the main lake or far back up in some tributary, or even just plain anchored down, you must have lights on fore and aft.

Is there a limit on catfish in Alabama?

The new regulation is that

only one catfish longer than 34 inches may be harvested and possessed each day by an angler

. Furthermore, no live blue catfish or flathead catfish longer than 34 inches may be transported out of Alabama without approval in writing from the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Can you fish in Alabama with a cane pole without a license?

FISHING LICENSE INFORMATION

A valid fishing license is required for Alabama residents between the ages of 16 and 64 who fish with rod and reel or artificial bait.

This license is also required to fish with hook and line (cane pole) outside your county of legal residence

.

Where do fish go in the winter?

Most often, they move downstream to

quiet, slow waters

. The buildup of frazil ice causes stationary ice, which can make for unstable winter habitats for fish when it breaks up. From there, strategies can vary greatly. Large fish might school or aggregate in winter.

Do fish eat worms in the winter?

You can use worms for ice fishing and they are extremely effective for trout, perch, walleye, crappie and other species of fish. While

it may not be the primary winter forage for fish

, worms should not be over looked by anglers as one of the top live baits for ice fishing.

What do fish eat in the winter?

The fish eat daily snacks of

aquatic insects

, which are largely in the dormant to slow-growth stages under the water's surface. Insects can be found clinging to rocks and occasionally get swept off by the ebb and flow of the river water, which makes them the perfect easy snack as they float along.

Do fish bite when it's 50 degrees?


The little ones have toned down their eating at 50 degrees, but the big ones still need to chomp

. This makes cold 50 degree water the best time of year to catch bigger fish. Fishing in colder water you will find you won't catch as many bass, but often the quality size of the bass is better.

How do you catch crappie in the winter?


Making a milk run of brush piles

is one of the most productive ways to catch wintertime crappie on most lakes. On lowland reservoirs, you can find crappie bunched up in brush piles or standing timber at the mouths of big creeks where the fish will be holding at depths of 10 to 20 feet.

Can you bass fish in the winter?


Winter bass fishing can be one of the best times of the year to catch your biggest fish of the season

. This time of year, fish are grouping up in deeper water to prepare to hide out for winter, but even in this cold-water fish still have to feed.

David Evans
Author
David Evans
David is a seasoned automotive enthusiast. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for all things related to cars and vehicles. With his extensive knowledge of cars and other vehicles, David is an authority in the industry.