Ladyfish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Alabama coast, AL.

Fishing region

Season in Alabama

Peak months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.

JFMAMJJASOND

Great Days Outdoors: ladyfish (skipjack) a summer catch at the pier, Perdido Pass, Little Lagoon and Bon Secour; Destin-area pier calendar May to September includes Gulf State Park Pier. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Panhandle	JFMAMJJASOND
Alabama	JFMAMJJASOND
Louisiana	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Gulf State Park Pier, Perdido Pass seawall, Little Lagoon and the Bon Secour surf (Great Days Outdoors).

Schools chasing small fish and shrimp at the surface; birds mark them.

What to look for

Birds diving, fish skipping and jumping on the surface.

What to throw

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Topwater popper or walk-the-dog plug1 to 2 oz, 4 to 6 in. Popper: sharp pops with pauses. Walker: rhythmic side-to-side twitches.

Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Bait

Live or cut shrimp, Small live baitfish. Small hook under a float or free-lined.

Leader

Light leader; they have very fine, sharp teeth.

Common mistakes

Expecting to land every one; they jump and throw hooks

Landing

They jump and thrash; swing small ones up quickly.

Handling

Fine sharp teeth
Slimy and thrashing

Hold firmly behind the head; unhook with pliers.

Keep or release

Poor eating; release or use as bait.

Recipes for ladyfish

Typical: 18 to 24 in, 2 to 3 lb. Large: Up to about 3 ft. SC record 5 lb 14 oz (1994).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the AL limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Alabama Marine Resources Division before you keep a fish.

Sources

Great Days Outdoors, David Thornton, June 12, 2019: beach fishing hot spots for any budget, summer (Alabama coast) (Angler knowledge)
Fishing Destin Guide (local angler site, 2014): pier fishing calendar for seven piers from Panama City to Gulf State Park (Angler knowledge)
Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: ladyfish (Official source)
FishBase species summary: Elops saurus (ladyfish) (Official source)
Carolina Sportsman: ladyfish in Winyah Bay, SC (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)

All the fish of Alabama

Ladyfish