Bona Fide Inshore Charters

A 2014 Skeeter SX240 bay boat with a 300 horsepower Yamaha four stroke, Garmin sonar and GPS and a Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor is what this Mobile operation fishes from, and the hull choice is deliberate: it can work the shallow bays and rivers and still handle a nearshore run. Launch points are not fixed. Captain Shane Traylor, a United States Coast Guard licensed charter captain born and raised in Alabama, puts in at Daphne, Fairhope, Point Clear with a pickup at the Grand Hotel, the Mobile Bay Causeway, Fowl River, Dog River, Dauphin Island or Bayou La Batre depending on where the fish are. Speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead and flounder are the main targets across Alabama's 60 miles of coastline and more than 600 miles of tidal shoreline, with large jack crevalle, black drum and tripletail turning up as well. Standard trips take up to three anglers, and a fourth or more may be added at the captain's discretion for an extra fee per person. Tackle, bait, ice, water, the fishing license and fish cleaning are all included. Anglers bring sunglasses, sunscreen that is not the spray type, a hat, weather appropriate clothing and any food or drink beyond water. For parties too large for one boat, the operation books alongside other guides working Mobile Bay. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.