Arlington Park, Mobile Fishing

Arlington Park, Mobile is the city's bayfront park in the Brookley area, with a walking pier that crosses the marsh to the open bay, a kayak launch and fishing listed among its uses. It is a handy after-work spot for Mobile anglers who want to soak shrimp for croaker and catfish, or work the marsh edge for trout and reds once fall arrives.

• Upper Mobile Bay shoreline inside the city
• Restrooms, pavilions and a walking trail
• Croaker, white trout, catfish and black drum much of the year
• Trout, reds and flounder when the bay turns salty

The park is at 1705 South Broad Street in the Brookley area, on the upper western shore of Mobile Bay. The City of Mobile Parks and Recreation Department runs it, and the Alabama State Port Authority built it on restored wetlands before handing it to the city in 2010.

• Parking: lots inside the park, near the pavilions
• Fees: none listed by the city
• Hours: not on the park page, so follow the posted sign
• The walking pier runs a couple of hundred yards from the park over the marsh and its tidal creeks to a platform on the bay, which is where to fish
• The U.S. Coast Guard's Sector Mobile base is next door to the north, and its docks and grounds are off limits

Salinity at the top of the bay rises and falls with the Mobile River, so the mix changes from month to month.

• Spring (Mar-May): croaker and catfish first, with trout and reds arriving once the spring river floods drop
• Summer (Jun-Aug): white trout, croaker and black drum on the bottom, and trout around first light in dry spells
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best window for redfish, speckled trout and flounder as shrimp leave the marshes
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead near pilings and hard bottom, and catfish whenever the water stays mild

Medium spinning tackle with 12 to 15 lb line suits the end of the pier, where a longer cast reaches deeper bay water.

• Bottom fishing: a sliding sinker or two-hook rig with dead shrimp or squid for croaker, white trout and catfish
• Black drum: a whole peeled shrimp or a chunk of blue crab on the bottom, fished patiently
• Trout and reds: a popping cork over live shrimp, or a gold spoon or paddle-tail plastic along the marsh edge
• Flounder: a bull minnow on a Carolina rig, inched across the bottom
• Bring a long-handled net or a drop net for lifting fish up to the pier

The upper bay sees one high and one low on most days and only a small range, so wind and river level decide the day.

• When the Mobile River is high after rain upstate, the water here turns fresh and muddy; target catfish and wait for it to clear
• A long dry spell lets salty water creep up the bay and brings trout and reds with it
• North winds behind a cold front blow water out and drop the level sharply
• A south breeze pushes bay water in and usually improves the bite
• Look up the tide for the upper Mobile Bay area, then watch the wind forecast

The park is easy to reach, but it borders working waterfront.

• Government and commercial vessels use the water to the north; stay well back from the Coast Guard docks
• Do not wade: upper bay mud can be soft and deep
• Lightning comes quickly with summer storms, and the pier is a long walk back over open marsh, so leave at the first thunder
• Catfish spines and stingray barbs both hurt; handle fish with pliers or a towel
• Access: restrooms and paved paths help, but the pier itself is a long walk out over the marsh, so check the distance and surface before you go

Arlington Park has more on site than most small bay parks.

• Restrooms
• Picnic pavilions
• A walking trail
• A kayak launch
• A walking pier across the marsh to the bay
• Parking lots inside the park
• No bait shop in the park; bring shrimp and ice

• Come when the river is low and the bay has been salty for a week or more
• A falling tide on a calm evening is the most dependable time for croaker and white trout
• Set a second rod on the bottom with cut bait for black drum while you work a cork
• Expect brown water much of the year; scented baits and a noisy popping cork help fish find the bait
• Do not fish the channel by the Coast Guard base; it is a federal restricted area
• Bring a towel and pliers for catfish, which bite here more than anything else in summer

Arlington Park is a City of Mobile park, and fishing is one of the uses the city lists.

• Follow the posted park hours and rules
• The Coast Guard property and docks next door are not open to the public, and the Arlington Channel beside the base is a federal restricted area where fishing is not allowed without Coast Guard approval
• Keep lines clear of paddlers at the kayak launch
• An Alabama saltwater fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Alabama residents who are exempt (and anglers fishing only from a pier that holds a pier license) must still complete the free Saltwater Angler Registration.
• Anglers under 16 are exempt from the license
• Check current Marine Resources Division rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything