Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report

Nick Williams
  • 4.8 (25)
  • Wilderness
  • Weekly

Nick Williams brings you the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report; a local, no-nonsense fishing report built for anglers who fish one of the most unique river systems in the country. Covering everything from the marshes along the Causeway to the quiet backwaters around Miller’s Ferry, the show breaks down what’s biting, where it’s happening, and how people are catching fish right now. From bass, crappie, and bream in muddy backwaters to specks and reds pushing upriver with the tides, this podcast delivers honest, on-the-water insight for anglers who know the line between salt and freshwater is always moving.

  1. 2d ago

    Crappie Are Crushing It, and the Reds Are Moving In

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers some of the best fall fishing conditions of the year, with an outstanding crappie bite, unusually clear water, redfish and speckled trout pushing into the rivers, and excellent opportunities for bass, bluegill, and kayak anglers. Nick Williams opens the show with a recap of a week spent exploring the Delta, catching bluegill and crappie, hunting hogs, and taking his daughter on her first overnight canoe trip. Justin Dunnam of Eight Mile Drifter kicks things off with a kayak fishing report from the Mississippi Sound, where speckled trout, flounder, and redfish have been biting around grass lines, creek mouths, rocks, and moving water. Justin explains how he's using shrimp-colored soft plastics to catch all three species, including a tournament-winning redfish. He also shares his first impressions of the Jackson Knarr pedal kayak, discusses the advantages and drawbacks of larger fishing kayaks, and talks with Nick about using side-imaging sonar, custom maps, and unusually clear water to find fish and structure across the Delta. Then Dip McMillian of Dippi Outdoors joins the show with an outstanding fall crappie report from the Tensaw River. With water temperatures dropping into the low 70s, crappie are stacking up around submerged logs, stumps, and brush in five to ten feet of water, especially near sharper drop-offs. Dip explains why fish have become so aggressive, how he's catching them on ATX jigs and live minnows, and why the next several weeks should offer some of the best crappie fishing of the year. He also walks through his process for scouting banks with side-imaging sonar, identifying productive structure, and choosing spots that hold fish as water levels change. Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle closes the show with a live report from the delta, where he's catching slot redfish and speckled trout on popping corks, live shrimp, and H&H TKO shrimp imitations. Josh explains how unusually high salinity has pushed saltwater species farther into the Delta, creating excellent mixed-bag fishing opportunities even as the crappie bite remains strong farther north. He also shares updates on bait availability, productive inshore presentations, and why he believes crappie size limits deserve another look as modern electronics continue to change the fishery. With clear water, comfortable temperatures, aggressive crappie, and redfish moving farther into the rivers, this episode highlights just how good fall fishing can be in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. SPONSORS KillerDock SlipSki Solutions Southern Cypress Bait & Tackle Boutwell Bait & Tackle Millennium Marine Black Buffalo Dixie Supply / Baker Metal Works

    Crappie Are Crushing It, and the Reds Are Moving In

  2. Oct 22

    The Man Behind the Moon Charts: Don Green

    This special episode of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report revisits a conversation with Don Green, a longtime Great Days Outdoors writer, tournament angler, and the man behind the magazine’s legendary lunar fishing charts. Nick Williams sits down with Don to discuss a lifetime spent fishing the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, the origins of his popular solunar predictions, and the lessons he has learned from decades of paying close attention to fish, weather, water levels, and the natural world. Don explains how his fascination with moon phases began as a child fishing with his father and studying the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Over the years, he developed his own lunar charts, eventually becoming a fixture in Great Days Outdoors magazine. He breaks down how he uses the positions of the sun and moon, moon phases, tides, barometric pressure, seasonal changes, and water temperatures to predict productive fishing periods. He also explains why keeping a detailed fishing log can help anglers recognize patterns and improve their success over time. The conversation goes well beyond lunar charts. Don shares his approach to fishing the Delta during winter floods, catching bass around drainage areas, targeting bream and crappie in different seasons, and building his own soft plastics, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and fishing rods. He reflects on how fishing tackle, tournament fishing, and pressure on local fisheries have changed since the 1940s, and why old-school techniques can still be just as effective as modern tackle. Don also shares memorable stories from a lifetime on the water, including salvaging his first boat from Lake Seminole, catching bass on Christmas morning, encountering thousands of ducks in the Delta, and navigating creeks and bayous that have changed dramatically over the decades. He discusses the loss of aquatic vegetation, sediment filling historic waterways, and his concerns about the future of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta fishery. Throughout the conversation, one theme stands out: Don’s commitment to sharing what he has learned. From helping tournament anglers and teaching kids to fish to publishing his lunar charts for generations of Great Days Outdoors readers, Don has spent a lifetime passing along his knowledge. This episode is part fishing masterclass, part Delta history, and part tribute to one of the people who helped shape the Great Days Outdoors community.

  3. Oct 16

    Fall Crappie, Causeway Reds, and Swamp Deer

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report looks at how the Delta is shaping up after Hurricane Isaias, with surprisingly good water conditions, cooler temperatures, improving crappie and bream fishing, and the first signs of the fall inshore bite. Nick Williams opens the show with a look at how the storm spared much of the Mobile Bay area, leaving relatively clean, salty water and plenty of bait just as the fall fishing season begins. Brenton Grace of Southern Cypress Bait & Tackle kicks things off with a Causeway report, where redfish and flounder have been showing up around the Blakely and Apalachee rivers. Brenton explains why the speckled trout bite has been slower to develop than usual, how falling water temperatures should help push more fish north, and why anglers should focus on shallow points, flats, and areas where bait is moving through. He also shares updates on shrimp availability, crabbing activity, bass fishing, and the expectation that the next cool fronts will bring some of the best mixed-bag opportunities of the year. Then Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren joins the show with an upper Delta report covering a strong pre-storm bite for crappie, bluegill, and goggle-eye. Darren explains how he has been catching crappie around submerged logs and laydowns in six to eight feet of water with Beetle Spins, while bream have been holding much shallower on the same structure. He also breaks down how he plans to switch to minnows and vertical fishing with cane poles as the crappie begin stacking up for fall. The conversation takes a turn toward hunting as Alabama's archery deer season opens. Nick and Darren swap stories about hunting the remote swamps of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, including close encounters with bucks, deer swimming through flooded timber, finding hidden ridges and oak flats, and what makes true river-swamp deer so difficult to hunt. They also reflect on the value of simply spending time outdoors, whether that means bringing home a mess of fish, chasing a buck through the swamp, or just enjoying a quiet afternoon exploring the Delta. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Killerdock Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

  4. Oct 8

    How Heavy Rain Changes Delta Fishing

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report looks at what Hurricane Isaias could mean for the Delta just as the fall bite was starting to set up. Nick Williams opens the show with a reminder that cooler weather often comes with a price on the Gulf Coast, and this week that price is more rain, higher water, and changing conditions from the upper Delta down to the Causeway. Dip McMillan of Dippie Outdoors kicks things off with a look at the upper Delta, where crappie fishing was just about to turn on before the latest round of storms. Dip explains that water temperatures were dropping into a better range, the fall pattern was beginning to take shape, and fish were getting close to stacking up on structure in 6 to 10 feet of water. But with more heavy rain coming, he expects muddy water, stronger current, and higher river levels to slow things down for a while. He stresses safety first, especially when logs, debris, and heavy current make running the rivers risky, and suggests anglers be patient until the water falls, clears, and stabilizes again. Dip also gives an update on Dippie Outdoors, including recent giveaways, upcoming youth-focused events, and the annual squirrel hunt at Hubbard’s Landing on December 5. He and Nick talk about why getting kids into the Delta matters, especially when many local kids have only seen the swamp from the interstate or the Causeway. For Dip, the squirrel hunt is about more than hunting. It is a chance to show young people big cypress trees, backwater habitat, and the beauty of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta up close. Then Capt. Patric Garmeson of Ugly Fishing joins the show for a lower Delta and Causeway report focused on how tropical rain, river levels, salinity, and bait movement affect speckled trout, redfish, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, and bass. Patric explains why the storm track matters so much, especially whether heavy rain falls across the upper Mobile Bay watershed or stays more local. A quick-moving storm with only a few inches of rain may not hurt fishing too badly, but a slow system dumping heavy rain upstate could freshen Mobile Bay, raise river levels, muddy the water, and make trout fishing difficult for weeks. Patric also breaks down how to fish the Causeway if conditions hold together. He explains why fish have been moving daily, why reports from yesterday may not always help today, and why anglers should look for bait, clamshell beds, salinity swings, and productive tide windows rather than getting locked into one spot. He shares tips on finding shell bottom, using rattle traps as “clue finders,” and targeting trout, redfish, flounder, and bass with Slick Juniors, artificial shrimp, Z-Man PaddlerZ, popping corks, live shrimp, bull minnows, and cast-net bait. The episode closes with a practical reminder that the Delta is right on the edge of one of its best mixed-bag windows, but the next few days of weather will decide how quickly that bite comes back. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Killerdock Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

    How Heavy Rain Changes Delta Fishing

  5. Oct 1

    Darren Shirah and Josh Gunter on the Fall Delta Bite

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers the first real taste of fall in the Delta, with cooler mornings, better boat weather, bluegill, bass, crappie, shrimp, redfish, jack crevalle, and the beginning of the inshore transition. Nick Williams opens the show with an update on getting his jon boat back in shape with a new motor, taking the family out on the water, and looking ahead to the part of the year when fishing, hunting, crabbing, hogs, and cooler weather all start to overlap. Darren Shirah of Reel Time Outdoors with Darren kicks things off with a mixed Delta report focused on bluegill, bass, crappie, and old-school rough fish tactics. Darren explains that bluegill are beginning to bunch up around points, creek mouths, small drops, and shallow structure as the water cools and days get shorter. The size has not fully turned on yet, but he is starting to see better-quality bream show up, especially in the creeks and in parts of the interior Delta that had been quiet most of the year. Darren also reports that bass are biting well, though most of his recent fish have been smaller. He has been catching them on June bug worms, purple worms, speed craws, and other simple Delta staples rather than shrimp imitations, partly because there are so many live shrimp in the system right now. He also shares encouraging crappie signs, including fish showing up shallower around structure and hitting beetle spins. The conversation takes a fun turn into buffalo carp, cane poles, dog food chum, gold hooks, carp ribs, mullet fishing, and the old-school ways people used to make use of just about everything they caught. Then Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle checks in with an update on the shrimp-driven fall transition. Josh says shrimp are everywhere right now, including places where people might not expect to find them, and that bass, crappie, and inshore fish are all keying in on the same food source. The abundance of bait has made the fishing a little more mobile, with anglers having to move from school to school and focus on active points, cuts, flats, lily pad edges, and other places where shrimp are moving through. Josh also reports strong salinity, live shrimp availability, hot DOA shrimp colors, jack crevalle showing up in the rivers, and a building sense that the river and Causeway fishing is right on the edge of breaking wide open. The coming rain may slow things briefly, but with so much salt in the system and big tides pushing water around, Josh expects the bite to bounce back quickly. The episode closes with the sense that the Delta is entering one of its best windows of the year, when anglers can leave the ramp with shrimp, artificial lures, or a fly rod and realistically run into bass, bream, crappie, redfish, speckled trout, jacks, and more in the same general system. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Killerdock Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

    Darren Shirah and Josh Gunter on the Fall Delta Bite

  6. Sep 24

    Cool Creeks and Deep Grass: Late-Summer Delta Fishing

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report covers late-summer creek fishing, blackwater rivers, fly fishing, family-friendly wading trips, Big Creek Lake bass, crappie, and kayak fishing. Nick Williams opens the show with a recap of taking a local DCNR biologist out for his first moorhen hunt in the lower Delta, then shifts into a recent blackwater creek trip with Peter Jordan that turned into one of the most relaxing fishing days of the year. Peter breaks down why shaded, tea-stained blackwater rivers can be such good late-summer fishing options. Cooler groundwater, sandy bottoms, canopy cover, flowing water, and deep holes create thermal refuge for spotted bass, bluegill, and other creek fish when the Delta proper is still brutally hot. He explains how to fish these creeks with fly rods or conventional tackle, including small topwater bugs, terrestrial patterns, streamers, hellgrammite patterns, crawfish imitations, small spinnerbaits, Mepps-style spinners, and crankbaits. The key is reading current breaks, laydowns, holes, and shaded structure, then covering water quickly until you find willing fish. Nick and Peter also talk about why these creeks are such good places to introduce kids to fishing and the outdoors. Clear, shallow water, firm sandy bottoms, cooler temperatures, swimming holes, dip nets, minnows, bugs, and easy-access fish make them less intimidating than the Delta swamp, especially for young kids. Peter also stresses catch-and-release in these lower-biomass creeks and reminds anglers that exploring and loving these places is one of the best ways to build the desire to protect them. Then Matt Frazier joins the show with a Big Creek Lake report, where bass and crappie have been moving deeper into 20 to 40 feet of water as summer hangs on. Matt explains how bass are schooling, how crappie are still producing limits, and how hydrilla, ledges, Carolina rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits, neutral-colored soft plastics, and deep grass all factor into the current pattern. He also talks about adapting to kayak fishing on such a big lake, using fish bags instead of stringers, and why the coldest days of the year can be some of his favorite times to fish Big Creek. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

    Cool Creeks and Deep Grass: Late-Summer Delta Fishing

  7. Sep 17

    Josh Gunter on the Delta’s Fall Shift

    This week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report looks at the fall transition taking shape across the Delta, from cooler mornings and new hunting licenses to flounder, shrimp, crabs, white trout, squirrel hunting, and boat-season prep. Nick Williams opens the show with a quick reminder for anglers and hunters to renew their licenses and get familiar with Alabama’s new DCNR licensing system, then checks in with Josh Gunter of Steele Creek Bait & Tackle about what he’s seeing as summer finally starts to loosen its grip. Josh reports that the inshore transition is starting, but the bigger speckled trout and redfish have not fully pushed north yet. Shrimp numbers have been strong, flounder reports have been excellent, and legal mangrove snapper are still showing up around structure in the Mobile River, but hot water has kept the fall bite from really breaking loose. He and Nick also talk through why this has been an odd year for bream and crappie, how cooler weather may reset the fishing, and why white trout stacking up in the river should soon provide one of the easiest kid-friendly bites of the season. The conversation also branches into the outdoor opportunities that make this time of year so good in the Delta. Nick and Josh talk squirrel hunting, early teal reports, hog hunting from the boat, crabbing with hand lines, dip nets, rod-and-reel crab rigs, and even hookless crab trotlines. They also cover practical safety and preparation, including spare clothes, fire-starting gear, getting back into a boat after falling overboard, checking batteries and fuel systems, winterizing boats, and why now is a smart time to get maintenance done before hunting and fall fishing seasons get busy. The episode wraps with a broader appreciation for the strange, local character of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta fishery, from counting minnows instead of weighing them to Snagless Sallys, sideways automatic fly reels, glow bugs, bull bream, and the mix of freshwater, brackish, and saltwater opportunities available within a short drive of Mobile and Baldwin County. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

    Josh Gunter on the Delta’s Fall Shift

  8. Sep 11

    Snook in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta?

    This special episode of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report turns the show over to Butch Thierry of the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report and Joe Baya of the Northwest Florida Fishing Report for a conversation about snook showing up along the northern Gulf Coast. Once thought of mainly as a South Florida fish, snook are now being reported more often around Mobile Bay, Fowl River, Fish River, Perdido Pass, the Emerald Coast, and other waters that many local anglers never associated with the species. Butch and Joe are joined by Zoe Hendrickson, a PhD student at the University of South Alabama working with Dr. Charlie Martin in the Estuarine Ecology Lab. Zoe explains how snook have expanded northward in Florida, how similar patterns may now be developing in Alabama and Northwest Florida, and why warmer winters, shorter cold snaps, river systems, deep holes, and other thermal refuge areas may be helping these fish survive. She also discusses what researchers still need to learn, including where local snook go during cold weather, whether they are becoming true residents, and how anglers can help by reporting sightings and tagged fish. The conversation also covers snook biology, including their tolerance for fresh and salt water, their use of rivers as juveniles, their movement toward jetties, flats, and estuaries as adults, and the fact that they can change sex as they grow. Zoe, Butch, and Joe also talk through current harvest regulations, why many anglers may want to release northern Gulf snook while the population is still developing, and what this new fishery could mean for the future of fishing in Mobile Bay, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, and nearby Gulf Coast waters. SPONSORS Boutwell Bait and Tackle Southern Cypress Bait and Tackle Dixie Building Supply Black Buffalo SlipSki Millennium Marine

    Snook in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta?
See All (341)

4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Nick Williams brings you the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report; a local, no-nonsense fishing report built for anglers who fish one of the most unique river systems in the country. Covering everything from the marshes along the Causeway to the quiet backwaters around Miller’s Ferry, the show breaks down what’s biting, where it’s happening, and how people are catching fish right now. From bass, crappie, and bream in muddy backwaters to specks and reds pushing upriver with the tides, this podcast delivers honest, on-the-water insight for anglers who know the line between salt and freshwater is always moving.

Information

You Might Also Like