Gulf Oil Spill Update, Sunday, May 16, 11:30 a.m. – http://www.gulfshores.com/issues

• Beaches across the island are clear. Sporadic quantities of tarballs were found washed up on the beach Tuesday in areas between Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores west to Fort Morgan. Contracted crews immediately went to work to clean the affected areas.
• There have been no reports of oil odor along the beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. At its closest point, the slick is approximately 50-60 miles away from the most western tip of our island.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated that there is no foreseeable need to close beaches and, short of a drastic change, they have no plans to do so.
• Tarballs travel independently of an oil slick and are not an indication that the slick itself will travel in the same direction or to the same area. The oil slick still has not reached the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts, is not expected to for at least 72 hours. Forecasts beyond 72 hours are not available.
• According to NOAA, tarballs DO NOT pose a health risk to the average person. However, beachgoers are advised not to pick them up if they encounter any on the beach. Click here to read NOAA’s information about tarballs.
• NOAA is providing daily updates to the closed fishing area, based on changes in the size or direction of the oil slick. To view the most recent map, visit http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/.
• Although NOAA has closed commercial and recreational fishing in a limited area between the mouth of the Mississippi River and Florida’s Pensacola Bay, there is a large area of the gulf still open. Charter boats are leaving Orange Beach, Gulf Shores & Fort Morgan every day to fish areas up to 25-30 miles out and in our inshore waters.

We would absolutely love to take you out on either one of our boats, the Action CAT or the Emerald Spirit. Either boat can make sure you have the best vacation possible while visiting the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast. Give us a call and let us give you a memorable vacation you’ll want to return to year after year!

Yesterday we had a small group of people, almost not enough to go out. Thankfully we did and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect, the seas were calm and the fish are biting like crazy. Yesterday, we had a 6 hour trip with 14 people on a “Walk On” trip on our big boat the 65 foot Bonner, Emerald Spirit. The temperature outside was around 68 in the morning and moved up to around 72 during the day it seemed. We generally ride for about 1 ½ hours out and fish for a little over two hours and then return to the dock after a full 6 hours. Even though it’s still early in the season we did catch a couple of King Mackerels on our last trip down deep on a regular two hook rig for bottom fish. That means they are here but just not up in the water column around the surface yet because of the water temperature is still so cold. Even still we did put out our trolling lines on the way out and on the way in. No bites yet; any day now! As usual the bottom fish were biting great and we caught lots of Vermillion Snapper(Mingo’s), White Snapper, Trigger Fish, Lane Snapper and even though they are still closed Red Snapper that we properly vent and release back. There are more Red Snapper out there than ever before and continue to get bigger and multiply tremendously. We expect a season like never before with huge Red Snappers on every trip in season.

We are going out on a two day trip this weekend and I’ll have a first hand report to give you when I get back. Check back Monday to see what all we caught!

Just in the middle of working on this we got a phone call to run a trip with 45 people from the Navy ROTC for a 4 hour trip. Needless to say, we were glad to go out for our first trip of the season even though it was a bit cool. The temperature was in the mid 50’s in the morning but warmed right up to a 67 or 68 during the day. With the wind blowing out of the northwest around 15 to 20 knots the clear sky’s and warm sunshine was a welcome sight. We left the dock around 11:30 and returned around 3:45, your average 4 hour trip. We traveled for around 45 minutes before we came to our first fishing spot. We used our basic two hook rig with a #4 circle hook. These are small wire hooks with a real sharp point that virtually do all of the work for you. They will catch anything from a pin fish, Mingo snapper, White Snapper, Triggerfish to a Red fish or a Bonito. Some of the inshore guides use them for Sheephead, Flounder, Pompano and Trout.

On our trip we caught White Snapper, Trigger fish, Mingo (Vermillion) Snapper, Red Fish, Red Snapper (we had to throw them back, closed season till June 1). We had a great trip and the people really had a great time. Lots of these guys had never been deep sea fishing ever before. That’s what the beauty of the 4 hour trip is, a chance for those who have never done this to get out and experience what it’s like to be out in the Gulf of Mexico and let the deck hands teach them how to use the equipment and catch fish. It’s all about enjoying your time fishing together with friends and making good memories you can tell your kids about for years to come.

Fishing Orange Beach - Cold-Front Catch

We don’t like it when it gets cold, but the fish don’t seem to mind most times. As a matter of fact, they seem to notice the change in barometric pressure and go on a feeding frenzy. As the high pressure center approaches it draws in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico with low pressure. As the pressure drops the fish sense it and knowing of the impending change begin to feed. This gives us a chance for some great opportunities to catch the big one. We also remember to consider the tidal flow when planning your trip. In our area some of the best spots for bait are, under the bridge at the sea wall, out at the end of the rock jetties, on the point in the grass beads, generally somewhere there is a change in structure to give the bait somewhere to duck in and hide while being washed down stream. Remember, live bait is always preferred for offshore fishing for the big ones. If you have any questions that I can help with please call me @ 1-888-558-3889 or e-mail me CatCharters@FishOrangeBeach.Net.

-Captain George Pfieffer

The CAT is fit for deep or blue water fishing up to 100 miles offshore, fishing along the Gulf Coast or within its hundreds of miles of inlets. Using the best bait, top-of-the-line rods and reels, and the combined experience of Captain George and his Mate, Action Charter Service will make sure that your trip is exciting and memorable. With Action Charter Service you will get on the fish and get those fish on the boat.

No matter what your pleasure, Action Charter Service can accommodate. From offshore trolling for Blue Marlin, Wahoo, Tuna, and Dolphin, to bottom fishing for the hard fighting Grouper, Amberjack, and the delicious Red Snapper, we will put you there. The CAT is also available for fishing tournaments, providing ample room for you and your guests to have multiple lines in the water.

For sightseers, Action Charter Service is available for events such as Blue Angels expositions, concerts at The Wharf, fireworks shows, even bird-watching tours. Captain George has lived on the Gulf Coast his entire life and is familiar with all of its natural wonders.

Captain George Pfeiffer and Action Charter Service are your best choice for your fishing or sightseeing trip along the Florida and Alabama coast. Service is available throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall fishing seasons.

Call Captain George Pfieffer @ 888.558.3889 to book your Fishing Trip!

Welcome to Action Charter Service! On our web site you will find information to help you book your fishing trip with us as well as information about us. On the Captain and Vessel pages you will find profiles of our captain, George Pfeiffer, a Florida Gulf Coast native, and his ship, The CAT. In our Photos section, you will find pictures from our many successful trips in and around the Gulf Coast. Under the Fishing Seasons section of the site, you will find Captain George’s monthly reports on local fishing game and photos of that month’s most exciting catch!

Before you check out the pricing and booking you should take a look at our fishing blog in the Fishing Reports section. There you will find posts about previous trips we’ve taken out into the Gulf, and, within the blog, you can get a feel for what a day with Captain George on The CAT is like. When you’re finally ready to get going on your trip, you can park it at our Pricing and Booking section filled with detailed information pertaining to the type of trip that you want.

Action Charter Service makes every effort to ensure that your trip is safe and fun so that you and your group can have a great time and catch heaps of delicious fish!

The fish seemed to be anticipating our arrival. As soon as we stopped on the first spot it was action-packed. No sooner than we dropped our lines they started hitting; vermilion snapper (or mingos), triggerfish, white snapper, banded rudder fish. Then some small Amberjack started hitting. The fish were biting as fast as we could get fresh bait in the water.

After an hour-and-a-half on this spot, we decided to try our luck on some deeper water species. We headed south another 5 or 6 miles to around 180 feet of water. Sure enough, soon as we dropped our lines the fish were ready. We picked up some really big white snapper, and a few scamp. Just as we were about to come back home, we lucked into a couple of 33 inch Amberjack (a nice “Cart Topper”).

As we were headed to the dock at the end of the day, the fishing team was busy planning their next trip.