As we locals drag out our “winter” clothes for their brief stint outside the closet this time of year, fishing may be the last thing on your mind.

Unless you’re the type who thinks about fishing all year long. Then you know it’s time to swap t- shirts for long-sleeves and join the pursuit of bull redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, and the many other species moving inshore due to changing weather conditions and water temperatures. With so many varieties gathering so close to shore—and so many tourists out of town—it’s the perfect time of year to fish our uncrowded beaches. Also, offshore charters don’t run as much in Fall and Winter due to weather and time spent getting equipment ready for Spring and Summer, making November ideal for inshore fishing near our bays, rivers, and flats.

For anglers, it can be a challenging (and therefore more fun) time to fish. Different tidal movements and changing weather patterns test their knowledge and skills when making strategic bait choices. Successful catches become all the more rewarding in this environment.

Then there’s the food. While pompano and migrating Spanish mackerel may not replace your Thanksgiving turkey, the area’s seafood is a delicious reason to go fishing this November. After all, our appetite for the world’s finest assortment of seafood is a yearlong craving.

But the best reason of all to fish right now? Summer’s brutal heat and oppressive humidity are nowhere to be found. So enjoy it while you can, because before you know it, those long-sleeves will be going back into closet hibernation. Not that we won’t go right back to fishing, because that’s just what us locals do.

Need a fishing license? Visit outdooralabama.com and download one today.

No time to fish? Visit Rouses.com for delicious recipes and the freshest seafood around.

Our friends at Zeke's were kind enough to provide a list of legal catches in November. If you are wanting a "Chartered" trip give them a call: (251) 981-4044