Southern Exposure Inshore Fishing Charters

Mobile Bay’s shallow grass flats and marshy backwaters have made the waters around Fairhope some of the most productive inshore fishing grounds on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and Southern Exposure Inshore Fishing has built its reputation guiding anglers through them. Captain Chris Tew runs the operation out of Fairhope, offering guided trips that target speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, and white trout across Mobile Bay, Weeks Bay, and the surrounding inshore waters.

Tew is a United States Coast Guard licensed captain who has fished these waters long enough to know how the bite shifts with the tide, the season, and the weather rolling in off the Gulf. Trips are custom tailored rather than run on a fixed itinerary, which means a charter can be built around a specific species, a specific skill level, or simply a request to catch whatever is biting best that day.

Beginners and first time anglers are welcome, and no prior fishing experience is required. Tew handles the technical side, from rigging tackle to reading water for signs of fish, which lets newcomers focus on simply casting and reeling rather than getting bogged down in logistics. Families with kids, corporate groups looking for a team outing, and serious anglers chasing a personal best all show up on the client roster, and trips flex to match whoever is on board that day.

Tarpon fishing is one of the charter’s specialties during the warmer months, when the massive, acrobatic fish move into the bay and draw serious anglers from well outside the immediate area. Southern Exposure has placed in the tarpon division of the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo multiple years running, a competitive result that speaks to how seriously the operation takes its tarpon game even though most of its bookings target more everyday inshore species.

Charters depart from locations around Fairhope, Point Clear, and other spots along Mobile Bay depending on where the fish are holding on a given day, and Tew works with clients directly to coordinate the meeting point and departure time. Because trips are weather and tide dependent, booking usually happens by phone or text well ahead of a planned visit, especially during the busiest spring and fall fishing windows when good dates fill up quickly.

For visitors who want to experience Mobile Bay from the water rather than just admiring it from the bluff in downtown Fairhope, a half day or full day charter with Southern Exposure offers a genuine, guided introduction to the same grass flats and channels that have supported commercial and recreational fishing along this stretch of coast for generations. Anglers who bring home a cooler of trout or redfish tend to come away with a much different sense of what makes this part of the bay special than those who only ever see it from the pier.

Corporate groups looking for a team building outing have become a regular part of the client base as well, with half day trips split among a few boats when a larger group wants to fish together. Photos from a good day on the water often end up circulating around local offices afterward, which has helped word of mouth carry the charter’s reputation well beyond the usual fishing crowd and into the broader Fairhope business community.

What to bring is fairly simple: sun protection, polarized sunglasses, closed toe shoes, and a valid Alabama fishing license, which the captain can typically help arrange for visitors who do not already have one. Coolers for the catch are welcome, and Tew is generally happy to offer advice on cleaning and cooking whatever ends up on the boat, whether that means classic fried trout or a simpler grilled preparation for redfish and flounder.