Big Game Fish Species
Orange Beach, Alabama has long been know for having a great Big Game fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Game fish like Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish,Swordfish, Bluefin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo are a favorite target of sport fishermen. Two day fishing charters are ideal for catching game fish.
The mild climate of Alabama's Gulf Coast offers some wonderful Fall, Spring and Summer gamefish fishing for anglers of all ages. Fall is the time of the year when the air temperature cools off a bit and the blue water from the gulf stream pushes closer to the Alabama shoreline. With this blue water in so close, we see an increase in the number of Blackfin Tuna that move in right off the gulf shores of Orange Beach. It is common to catch these smaller tuna with some frequency during this time of the year.
The White Marlin also move into waters as shallow as 600 feet and we have reports of Sailfish being caught right off the beaches. These are the smaller of the billfish but they offer a great fight when hooked. Now, we do have a good fishery but this type of fishing is not like it is in Costa Rica or Cabo San Lucas. That is the gamefish playground. We are simply telling you that there is a reasonable chance to catch nice gamefish in Alabama waters. Full day charters to overnight charters are usually recommended to have a chance to hook one.
Blue Marlin
Blue Marlin are available during the entire year, but they are more common during the late spring and summer months. The average Blue Marlin that is caught, tagged and released are from 300 to 400 pounds. A big one is from 500 to 600 pounds. The Alabama State Record is just over 779.5 pounds. Either way, when you get a Blue Marlin in the spread, your heart will start beating so loud you can barely hear yourself breath.
White Marlin
White Marlin are a fun fish to catch. They can be caught as close as 30 miles south of Orange Beach during the months of August, September and October on a day trip of 12 hours. They can be caught further offshore year-round on overnight trips. These fish weigh from 80 to 110 pounds each and are an excellent fight on medium sized tackle.
Yellowfin tuna
Yellowfin Tuna are a favorite of local captains and fishermen. These tuna fish are mostly caught offshore on overnight and multi-day charters. They are a wonderful fight for anyone. Yellowfin weigh on average 30 to 65 pounds. A big one is about 160 to 200 pounds. These fish are an excellent food source. We eat them sushi style all the time.