Coastal Angler Magazine | Alabama / Mississippi Gulf Coast May 2026 Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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fve things you should know about boat insurance

Are you ready to embark on your next on-water adventure? Before you set sail, here are fve things to know about boat insurance.

1. Boat insurance isn’t just for accidents

With comprehensive coverage, you’ll also be protected fnancially for theft, vandalism, and unexpected events like storms if you need repairs or replacements due to damage.

Accidents can happen to anyone

When accidents happen, boat insurance offers liability coverage for damages or injuries you cause while boating, up to specifed limits. It can also cover lawsuit costs if you’re sued.

3. Boat insurance can cover medical payments

Boat insurance offers a range of optional medical payments coverage limits, helping to cover medical expenses if you’re in an accident or someone is hurt on your boat, regardless of fault.

4. Most lenders require boat insurance

If you fnanced your boat, you’ll likely need boat insurance since most lenders require boat insurance to protect their investment. Additionally, some marinas or municipalities require proof of insurance for docking.

5. Progressive offers specialized boat coverages

Ever worry about getting stuck on the water? Progressive’s Sign & Glide® On-Water Towing coverage** can help. It’s an additional coverage that steps in if your boat is disabled or breaks down on the water, paying for on-water towing, jump starts, soft ungroundings, and fuel delivery. Fuel cost isn’t included.

Don’t let unforeseen circumstances disrupt your voyage. Cruise with confdence thanks to Progressive Boat insurance. Because when it comes to your boat, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury.

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‘MAY’ Your Cup Overfoweth with Gags & Scamps!

You probably noticed my attempt at a little humor with that title—just what we need a!er a long closed season. In my personal view, the closure has been unnecessary, much like the situation with Atlantic red snapper. Many of us are simply trying to catch seabass and grunts for dinner, but we keep getting pushed o our favorite spots where red snapper and gags are abundant. Yet, these species are still considered endangered. I think you know where I stand on this topic, so I won’t dwell on it any further.

As warm water moves in closer to the beach, expect to nd king sh and cobia frequenting the same spots where you’re catching gags when the water temperature rises above 68°F. Always have a pitch rod ready as cobia may swim right up to the boat. However, don’t be surprised if you catch cobia while bottom shing with a decor jig and an appealing bait. In fact, more cobia are o!en caught on the bottom than on the surface when anchored up and targeting grouper.

schools of cigar minnows and sardines on them. You don’t need to look any further when you nd this combination of bait because the sh will be right there. It’s always a good idea to keep one person on the Sabiki jigging up. A live sardine or a live cigar on a decoy has a life expectancy of under ten seconds around any kind of sh. We try to never leave the marina without a couple boxes of frozen cigar minnows and live pin sh. at live pin sh can sometimes be the best selection of all because it’s too large for any of the trash bites.

TIM BAREFOOT

of other species like vermilions, mangroves, grunts and seabass.

In addition to all the other stu on the bottom, it’s always good to keep a light line out for kings, black n, wahoo and dolphin. It’s not a bad idea to keep one under a %oat (so you can keep an eye on it) and another one without a %oat, but you have to be mindful of that bait getting back into props or under the boat tangling other lines.

I’ve always said, “Find the bait, nd the sh.” Go to all your familiar haunts with structure of one kind of another, whether it’s ledges, rock out crops, wrecks, etc. e bonus will be nding

Any kind of little snapper about the size of your hand makes for the ultimate bait. I’m no longer shing for barely-legal gag or scamp. Instead, I’m looking for one good bite at a time. I’ll let that bait soak on the bottom and be patient waiting for the old man to show up. Don’t get me wrong, more sh have been caught on frozen cigar minnows and sardines than all the other baits combined, but a live one is simply irresistible to every grouper and/or snapper out there. Period. Nearly everything on the bottom will take a whack at it, but only the sh with the correct sized mouth can eat that small snapper. Because the creel limits are so low, you’ll easily reach your grouper limit. Once you have, it’s wise to take advantage

If you’re anchoring and not just using the trolling motor, it’s a great idea to %y the kite. Keep a couple baits suspended with little to no leader in the water. Live greenies, cigs or sardines under the kite is the ultimate presentation. You can even get away with %uorocarbon using circle hooks depending on the current. Don’t hesitate to put a bait out with a small amount of weight in front of it to get it down 30 to 50 feet behind the boat. is will get you that large wahoo bite. ere are so many options available this time of year in the warmer water, so be ready to take advantage of all of them once you ll your cooler with one species or another. is is the ideal time to broaden your approach and become skilled in targeting not only di erent types of snapper and grouper, but also pelagics.

MAY you nd calm seas, tight lines and delicious dinners this month!

Learn more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com.

SPRING BOAT PREP: BE READY BEFORE THE BITE TURNS ON

March on the Gulf Coast is that in-between month. One weekend still feels like winter, the next has you itching to get back on the water. And when that first perfect weather window shows up, you don’t want to spend it troubleshooting at the dock.

Start with the basics. Check your battery charge and clean any corrosion from the terminals. A weak battery has a way of revealing itself at the worst possible moment. Look over your fuel lines and primer bulb, and if the fuel has been sitting since last fall, consider replacing it. Old gas can turn a great day into a long ride home.

Before you ever leave the driveway, test your bilge pump and livewell. It takes seconds and can save you from unnecessary stress. Give your safety gear a once-over too — make sure life jackets are in good shape, your fire extinguisher is charged, and everything is easy to access.

Don’t forget the trailer. Check tire pressure, inspect your straps, and confirm the lights are working. A blown tire or wiring issue on the way to the ramp isn’t how anyone wants to start the season.

A little preparation now means when the fish start moving and the weather lines up, you’re ready to launch — not repair. Because on the Gulf Coast, spring doesn’t wait, and neither should you.

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Offshore & Inshore Saltwater Tackle- Shimano

Momoi- Rod Repair- MS Fishing Licenses

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Fuel (diesel & 89 Octane non-ethanol)

MORE THAN A WASH:

HOW DETAILING PROTECTS YOUR BOAT

FBY: DUSTIN JACKSON

or many boat owners, giving the boat a good wash after a trip feels like enough to keep it in good shape. Washing is important, especially in a saltwater environment, but a wash alone only removes surface dirt and salt. Over time minerals, contaminants, and constant sun exposure begin to break down the gel coat. When that happens oxidation slowly forms and the boat starts to look dull and chalky. Once oxidation begins it also becomes much harder to keep the boat clean.

This is where professional marine detailing really makes a difference.

A professional detail goes much deeper than a normal wash. A trained detailer removes built up contaminants, corrects oxidation, polishes the gel coat, and applies protection designed specifically for marine conditions. These steps restore the surface and add protection against saltwater, UV exposure, and everyday use.

The biggest advantage is not just how the boat looks. It is how much easier the boat becomes to maintain.

When a boat has been professionally detailed the surface is smoother and properly protected. Salt, grime, and algae do not stick to the surface nearly as easily. That means your normal washes become quicker, easier, and much more effective.

Boats that only receive occasional washes slowly build up oxidation and staining. Each year it becomes harder to clean and eventually requires more serious restoration work.

Think of professional detailing as preventative maintenance for your boat. An annual professional detail protects the gel coat, preserves the boat’s value, and makes regular cleaning much easier all season long.

Need extra protection for your vessel? Contact EZN Detail and our team will get you taken care of!

May is the special month. We start the month with a full moon and end the month with full moon. Trout have been spawning since April. Snapper season should open Memorial Day weekend. Cobia already showing up in the good numbers. Islands will be bustling with bait on the grass beds will be growing in. It’s one of my favorite months to fish Give me a call and let’s make some Memories

Spring on the Line: Bass and Crappie Fishing Near the Coast

Spring brings one of the most exciting freshwater fishing seasons along the inland waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast. As temperatures begin to rise and daylight increases, both bass and crappie become more active, offering anglers excellent opportunities to get on the water and enjoy productive fishing close to home.

Largemouth bass move into shallow areas during the spring as they prepare to spawn. Look for them around structure such as fallen trees, grass edges, docks, and shallow points. Early in the season, slow-moving lures like soft plastics, jigs, and spinnerbaits work well as bass transition from deeper winter water into warmer shallows. As the water continues to warm, topwater lures can also become effective during early morning and late afternoon hours.

Crappie fishing also reaches its peak in spring. These fish move into shallow coves, creek mouths, and areas with submerged brush or timber. Many anglers find success using small jigs or live minnows under a float, especially when targeting fish holding around structure. Patience and light tackle can make all the difference when crappie are staging near spawning areas.

For coastal anglers who are used to saltwater fishing, spring freshwater trips can provide a refreshing change of pace. Lakes, rivers, and ponds throughout the Alabama Gulf Coast region offer accessible opportunities to catch quality bass and crappie without traveling far from the coast.

At Rising Outdoor Initiative, we believe spring fishing is about more than just the catch. It’s a chance to introduce new anglers to freshwater fishing, enjoy time outdoors, and build a deeper appreciation for the natural resources that make the Gulf Coast region so special.

Please Visit ROI’s Website (www.risingoutdoorinitiative.org) for more information or to apply for an outdoor experience.

SPRING ON THE GULF COAST: GEAR UP AND GET OUTSIDE

There’s something about March on the Gulf Coast that just feels like a reset button. The air shifts. The days get longer. And suddenly it’s not about surviving winter — it’s about getting back outside.

For anglers, that means checking tackle boxes and watching water temps. For hunters, it’s scouting, prepping for off-season work, and thinking ahead. For families, it’s weekend trips, cookouts, and any excuse to spend more time outdoors.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Spring is that sweet spot before the heat settles in. The mornings are cool enough for a hoodie, the afternoons warm enough to shed layers, and the water calls louder every weekend.

At EZN Outfitters, this is one of our favorite times of year. It’s when customers start coming in with plans — fishing trips, turkey season stories, beach weekends, long days on the bay. And every plan starts with the right gear.

Lightweight performance shirts, durable shorts, hats that actually hold up in the wind, and everyday apparel that transitions from boat to dinner without missing a beat — that’s what spring is all about.

Because on the Gulf Coast, the outdoors isn’t just something we visit. It’s where we live.

Spring’s here. Time to gear up and get after it.

And if you’re going to spend your weekends chasing fish, working land, or soaking up sun, you might as well be comfortable doing it.

Get in front of 10,000+ outdoor-loving locals and tourists who actually read the ads—because they’re your people.

Build credibility by advertising in a magazine that’s been part of the Gulf Coast community for years. Readers believe what they see here.

Scan the QR Code with your Smartphone to get visit our website and get started!

Stop waiting on word-ofmouth. Reach high-value customers who are ready to spend—on boats, bait, gear, and everything in between.

Harry Ray

Sheepshead caught 3 mile rigs off Dauphin Island

Tanner Martiniere

Caught in Biloxi, MS

todd geaux tait

Dawson Cook

Laci Reese

Rochelle Butts Johnson 50lbs at Alabama Cedar Point Pier

Lipless Crankbait vs. the Chatterbait:

HowMatchingtheHatchandtheRightRodDrivesBassFishingSuccess

Lipless vibrating lures have long been staples in bass !shing, but few create more debate—or more bites—than the lipless crankbait (rattle trap) and the chatterbait. While both rely on vibration to trigger reaction strikes, their e ectiveness depends heavily on forage, seasonal timing, and even the rod and reel used to !sh them.

A lipless crankbait is a hard-bodied bait designed for speed and sound. Its tight vibration and internal rattles allow bass to locate it from long distances, making it ideal when !sh are actively feeding on bait!sh like shad. ese baits excel in open water or over submerged grass, where anglers can burn them, yo-yo them, or rip them free to trigger reaction strikes. For rattle traps, rod selection plays a major role in landing !sh. A 7’ to 7’3” mediumheavy rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action is ideal. e slightly so er tip allows bass to fully load the rod before the hooks engage, reducing the chances of pulling treble hooks free during surging !ghts. e longer length also helps make long casts, which is critical when covering water or targeting schooling !sh. You typically want to throw the trap on a faster gear ratio reel like a 7.1 or 7.3. e faster gear ratio helps pick up the line on long cast when you get a bite and need to catch up with the !sh.

A chatterbait, or bladed jig, produces a wider, thumping vibration and a more natural pro!le when paired with a so plastic trailer. is lure shines around shallow grass, docks, and wood, especially in stained water where bass rely more on vibration than sight. Chatterbaits o en mimic bluegill or bream, making them deadly around spawning areas and shallow cover. Because chatterbaits use a single heavy hook, anglers bene!t from a slightly di erent rod setup. A 7’ to 7’4” medium-heavy rod with a fast action provides the backbone needed to drive the hook home while still o ering enough tip to keep !sh pinned. is setup also allows anglers to control !sh quickly when pulling them out of thick cover.

Beyond lure, reel, and rod choice, matching the hatch remains one of the most important elements of success. Bass o en focus on a speci!c

WHY BUY NEW WHEN YOU

By NPFL Pro Angler Joey Bloom

forage, and lures that match the size, color, and movement of that prey get bit more consistently. Chrome or white rattle traps imitate %eeing shad in open water, while green pumpkin or bluegillpattern chatterbaits blend perfectly into shallow cover scenarios. To maximize these techniques, anglers must learn to follow the bait throughout the season. In late winter and early spring, bait move toward warming %ats, making rattle traps excellent search tools.

A er the spawn, bluegill become a primary food source, and chatterbaits excel around shallow cover and spawning grounds. In summer, bait o en shi s to deeper grass lines or o shore structure, where slow-rolled chatterbaits can shine. Come fall, shad migrate into the backs of creeks, and rattle traps once again dominate as bass feed aggressively ahead of winter.

By pairing the right vibrating lure with proper reel and rod length and action—and matching it to seasonal forage—anglers can signi!cantly increase e ciency and landing percentage. In bass !shing, success o en comes down to details, and choosing the right reel and rod can be just as important as choosing the right bait.

Follow all of Joey Bloom’s shing and fun on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube at Joey Bloom Fishing.

COME JOIN

MPRO FISHING TECHNIQUES TOP 3 PRO TIPS to Catch More Fish

CAPT. MIKE SMITH

any anglers haphazardly run around searching for !sh. ey see a !shy looking point and anchor up and start casting. Hours later they give up and go home empty handed.

at !shy looking point probably does have !sh on it some of the time, but not all the time.

What did they do wrong? ey forgot that !sh move around based on water temperatures, food resources, currents, water quality and the presence of larger predators. In my experience, 80% of the !sh will be in 20% of the area based on those conditions.

Here are the three most important pro tips to help you catch more !sh.

1. Find Feeding Fish. My !shing charters always start by scanning mangrove shorelines, grass %ats, and spoil islands for feeding !sh. Obviously, this is the easiest way to !gure out where the !sh are.

If you can !nd baits being crushed by predatory !sh, then start casting there. Even if you only !nd nervous bait, that’s still a great spot to start casting.

2. Find Food Resources. When the !sh are not actively feeding your next best bet is !nding bait. Sometimes the bait is obvious and you can start casting along the edges of the schools.

If you can’t actually see any bait then let the birds tell you where it is and what size it is. Birds always know where the food is. When you see diving pelicans or a great blue heron perched on a mangrove branch you know there is bait there.

e various bird species will tell you what lures to cast. When you see small wading birds like snowy egrets, little blue herons, green herons and tri-colored herons, then you know to cast something small. is really helps because you can grab your three-inch paddle tail or 2.75 inch shrimp and know that you are !shing with the right size lure. ose smaller herons usually target baits that are three inches or smaller.

When you see great white egrets, great blue herons and brown pelicans it gets a little harder to !gure out the size of the baits to use. You know there is food there but those birds will eat anything from a two-inch minnow up to an eight-inch mullet.

is is when you need an assortment of di erent sizes and pro!les of lures. I usually have a three-inch paddle tail, an arti!cial shrimp and a four to !ve and half inch jerkbait (%uke) rigged on my rods. Start casting until you !gure out what the !sh want on that day.

3. Find Moving Water. e next important factor is moving water. All of the predatory inshore species that you want to catch like a little bit of current.

ey will typically be facing into the current waiting for some unsuspecting food resource to %ow past their ambush point.

Your strongest currents are going to occur during the full moon and the new moon. Coincidentally, the best !shing occurs around these two moon phases.

Go get ‘em!

Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass O Charters, is an inshore shing guide who has been shing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass ats of Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 3392317, email: contact@ shyourasso .com or visit shyourasso .com.

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Every spring, it feels like the bank bite will last forever. Fish are shallow, visible, and predictable cruising, spawning, and guarding fry. It’s the time of year when con!dence is high and decisions feel easy. But like everything in !shing, that window doesn’t stay open long. Before most anglers realize it, the !sh that were once easy to !nd have simply vanished.

at disappearance marks the beginning of what seasoned anglers know as the o shore shi . As water temperatures climb and the spawn wraps up, bass begin pulling away from the bank and setting up on o shore structure. Ledges, shell beds, brush piles, and subtle depth changes start to hold more !sh than the shoreline ever could. It’s not an overnight move, but it happens quickly enough that many !shermen get le behind, still casting to water that’s no longer alive.

One of the biggest mistakes anglers make during this transition is assuming the !sh have stopped biting. In reality, they’ve just relocated. Instead of being scattered along miles of bank, bass begin grouping up in smaller, more de!ned areas. e challenge

TYLER WOOLCOTT

FROM A PRO THE OFFSHORE SHIFT: WHEN BASS LEAVE THE BANK FOR GOOD

shi s from covering water visually to understanding what lies beneath the surface. It becomes less about instinct and more about intention reading depth, structure, and subtle changes that aren’t visible at a glance.

Making the adjustment isn’t always easy, especially for anglers who are comfortable !shing shallow. It requires slowing down, trusting your electronics, and committing to areas that might not show immediate signs of life. But once you connect with your !rst o shore group, everything changes. What felt like a tough day can turn into a %urry of action in just a few casts, o en with better quality !sh than what the bank was o ering.

e o shore shi is more than just a seasonal pattern—it’s a turning point. It separates those who react to changing conditions from those who anticipate them. As summer approaches, the anglers who embrace the move away from the bank will !nd themselves ahead of the curve, dialing in on schools of bass that are no longer pressured by the crowds. And while the shoreline may feel empty, the real action is just a little deeper.

is a professional tournament angler, as well as owner/operator of Florida Big Fish Adventures, providing bass and saltwater guided shing trips: www. oridabig shadventures.com.

Capt. Tyler Woolcott

Throw Yourself a Bone

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