What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Orange Beach, Alabama for the first time?

1. Go with a knowledgeable captain – Conditions can change fast and having someone like Captain Mike who knows the waters, fish patterns, and how to adapt makes a huge difference. 2. Take Dramamine—even if you don’t usually get seasick – Especially with kids, it can make a huge difference in how much everyone enjoys the trip. Better safe than sorry. 3. Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen – It gets hot out there, especially for the kids. Staying hydrated and protected from the sun helps everyone enjoy the trip. 4. Be flexible and patient – Sometimes the first few fishing spots may not produce, but trust your captain. The fish are out there—it just takes a little work to find them. 5. Ask questions and listen to your deckhand – Ours was amazing and taught both the kids and adults a lot. Even little technique changes can help you land more fish. 6. Expect dolphins! – They're fun to see, but they also love stealing bait and catches, so don’t be surprised if your captain has to move around a bit. Involve the kids – Orange Beach charters are great for families. Letting the kids reel in fish and be part of the action made it a trip they'll never forget.

If the trip or boat says up to X# of people I would recommend 1-2 less than that. We were at the max number for our trip. While it was manageable it can get crowded if you have a good fighting fish on your line.

If possible, visit the marina the afternoon or evening before to familiarize yourself with the area and where your boat is docked. Eat at Zeke’s! Bring sunscreen and plenty to drink and a wear clothing appropriate for the heat. Hydrate the day before! We did all this, we arrived the morning of and knew were to park, went straight to the boat, and left promptly. Do this if possible and your morning will start properly and your captain and crew will no doubt be very pleased as well.

Pick a morning trip. Also, the weather can change from what’s forecasted. Our trip the previous day was cancelled because of high winds and rough seas when the forecast was for calm conditions. Just remember, it’s not the Captain’s fault. They work on a safety first schedule.

This was a great trip. The weather was nice, but hotter than typical. Fortunately, our boat had an air conditioned cabin so the ones that didn't want to hang out on deck between fishing spots were able to keep cool. Highly recommend a boat with a climate controlled cabin for this time of year. The snapper were really biting and we limited out in the first hour. We also pulled in a couple of good sized king and a few spanish mackeral.

Look ahead at the weather and talk to your captain a few times before your trip. Discuss any adjustments that might need to be made in the event of windy conditions or bad weather. Know that they do this for a living and they know what’s best for different situations, so trust them. Also, a longer trip will guarantee you a better chance at catching more fish and your target fish. Lastly, book a charter with Capt Cuz, you won’t regret it!

Houston was an awesome deck hand and our captain was top notch. They put us on fish all day long. As soon as cast out we were reeling in fish! Caught some absolute monsters either these guys. 10/10 recommend!

I’m sure fishing is better in the morning but our goal was to have fun and not bring home a bunch of fish. We didn’t catch anything large enough to keep but we caught fish and had fun, that was the goal.

Take the trip with Captain Benjamin. We were all first timers and he showed us clear and careful directions every step of the way and explained everything from the bait to the boat to the fins to the tails.

We hooked a lot of red snapper but couldn’t keep because they are out of season. A lot of our fish were too small to keep but we caught a lot and we would have done mostly catch and release anyway because of not having room/cooler to take a lot of fish home on our 14 hr car ride home.

Find a friendly, qualified captain and crew. We can recommend Seth Wilson and Fisher of the Rip Tide. In spite of the timing not being great for fishing, they still found plenty of fish for us to reel in.

We caught a lot of fish. It was our first time fishing here in Orange beach and we had a great time. I would recommend asking as many questions as possible to your crew about everything going on in the area. Most local restaurants will cook your catch for you for a small fee!

Everything was great !!!!!! only put not recommended for children just because we went in august and the heat (which the charter has no control over) is way to hot! They have an ac cabin for cooling off was very nice

Dolphins were a nuisance, stealing our bait. The captain tried very hard to move us to better fishing spots. We did the 6 hour trip. I've met people who caught a boat full in two hours and people who went out all day and didn't catch fish. So its a bit of a gamble. Happy fishing!

Capt was great. Fish were sparse and we could tell other boats were having the same issue. Just not a good week, according to Capt. He said they expected to see some other fish moving in within a week or two and then labor day usually got better. Who knows. We had fun regardless.

Be flexible. Stay hydrated and put on sunscreen. Focus on having a good time. Boat captains work hard every day to try to make sure you catch fish but the fish don’t always cooperate. Catching fish is just as important to them as it is you. Yes it is an expensive trip for you but it is their livelihood.

Message or talk with ur Captain before you get there and sorta tell them what your looking to do. I told Captain Charlie what I was wanting my son to experience and he went above and beyond to make it happen.

Leave personal matters at home or cancel the trip. Your job is to give the clients a great fishing experience. Act invested and be helpful. Especially for those of us that come back yearly you really could have established a yearly client!

Make sure if you take fish to restaurant check with them in advance!! Took fish to Flora-Bama Ole River Grill and the offered $15 hook and Fish!! The Grill was okay, Blackened needed more spice, but the fried still had the half shell on it with the scales!!! Manger apologized, but the cook said they cooked it the way you bring it!! I told the manager you can’t tell me that you chef isn’t smatter enough to filer the scales offf!! Manager took it off the bill. I would fired Cook he obviously had attitude with our waitress and Manager!!! Definitely would not recommend taking fish to this restaurant!!

Watch you tube videos if you want try some on your own fishing, there are many with good info. Many fish can be caught with walleye or bass gear, especially in the surf or around jetties or piers. Several tackle shops around plus wal mart has lots of gear. I caught many small catfish and a couple small whiting from the beach. Maybe it's just me but I didn't find Alabama's fishing info website very helpful.

AM trip is better in my opinion so it’s not so darn hot it was perfect this morning lil choopy water but wasn’t to bad if u need motion sickness medicine definitely take it I dnt need it but my dad takes it and he did just fine though

Everyone has a tough bite day , and this was ours, Captain Brian certainly tried traveling to several spots around 30 miles to try to find keeper fish on our inshore trip. We were limited in someway with rough waters also.

You catch something if you have a good angler, guiding you on your excursion, and we did with Jus Cuz . you can tell when a captain really cares about his boat, his passengers and the environment around him.

Research what the best fishing times of year are and make sure your expectations align with that. We knew we weren’t going at a good time to catch things to take home, but our trip was for fun and memories, and that is what we had!

My wife and I have been on many fishing charters and this one with Captain George and his crew was the very best! We will definitely be going on this charter again ... definitely a 5 star experience!

absolutely great area down here and so much to learn about different species and how and what to fish for them. Folks are really friendly here too I have multiple great fishing trips and great family memories here

Beautiful area...great port dock...friendly staff and crew...not just on the boat we were on...overall everyone we met was welcoming and friendly. Everyone invited us back! Our luck was just not as good landing LARGE snapper...but we did manage to get ONE out of our 18????

Don't hesitate on booking a charter. Beach fishing is fun if kids are involved, but any serious fisherman will be disappointed by the lack of bigger fish off the shoreline. You have to get off the beach and onto a boat.

Be flexible and patient. We originally booked an offshore charter but Mother Nature always has a vote and our captain changed it to inshore (bay) the night before. We didn’t get to go after red snapper but it was just as enjoyable of an experience.

Bring gear for any weather. Bring water and snacks! Keep an eye on the surf and take motion sickness medicine if you are unsure about getting seasick. Better to be prepared than get sick and ruin the trip.