When French settlers first came to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1699, they found rich estuaries teeming with fish. While the area changed hands numerous times over the next three centuries, the waters still offer an abundance of fishing opportunities.
The town of Biloxi sits astride a peninsula with Biloxi Bay, also known as Back Bay, on the northern side and Mississippi Sound to the south. An arm of the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi Sound extends about 90 miles along the coast between the mainland and a chain of barrier islands. The bay averages about four to 13 feet deep with some dredged channels. A pass averaging about 15 to 21 feet deep connects Back Bay to Mississippi Sound.
Many Species, Many Opportunities
“Eastern Mississippi has some great fishing,” said Capt. Mike Adams of Fort Bayou Charters. “Fort Bayou has a lot of redfish. It has some holes down to about 30 feet deep. In the spring, trout move out of the marshy bayous and into the bay and sound. We get a lot of bull reds in late summer. I’ve caught some over 30 pounds.”
Flounder and redfish hunt along marshy shorelines. Speckled trout hover near reefs dotting the bay. Numerous bridges, dock pilings and other barnacle-encrusted structures hold good populations of sheepshead, black drum, redfish, croaker and other species. In the bay or the sound, anglers might also catch whiting, known locally as ground mullet or channel mullet, jack crevalle, bluefish, sharks, cobia, Spanish mackerel, white trout, tripletail and several other species.
“We have gulf fishing, river fishing, island fishing, surf fishing and bay fishing all combined in one general area,” said Capt. Robert Brodie of Team Brodie Charters. “In late spring or early summer, the bay is full of white trout, ground mullet, drum and sheepshead.”
Storm Creates Habitat
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina smashed into area, scattering debris everywhere. Although clean-up crews removed most of the debris, the state used some rubble to create artificial reefs. One, Katrina Reef, protrudes from the water near Deer Island just outside of the pass in Mississippi Sound. Comprised mainly of chunks from the old U.S. 90 bridge that once spanned the pass, it stretches about a mile and creates excellent habitat for various species.
“Starting in the spring, fish move out from the back part of the bay into Mississippi Sound,” said Capt. Steve Perrigin of Strictly Fishin’ Charters. “Katrina Reef is a great summer fishery. I’ve had days where I’ve caught a 10 to 12 species of fish there.”
The storm also reconfigured barrier islands, shifted sandbars and cut new channels. Congress authorized funds to rebuild some islands. In the summer, these islands often produce bull redfish up to 50 pounds and large numbers of trout. Many people wade in the surf to fish the beaches while others head to the channels or reefs.
Island Paradise
“The beaches hold a lot of good fish,” said Capt. Sonny Schindler of Shore Thing Fishing Charters. “Cat Island is an incredible place to fish with sugar sand surrounded by oyster reefs and grass beds. It’s a wade fisherman’s paradise. The reefs have really taken off for big trout, redfish and sheepshead. Sometimes, we catch tripletail around the bridge pilings, but we usually go out into the sound looking for them from May through early fall.”
While borders might change and storms might reconfigure geographic features, the rich waters along the Mississippi Coast can provide outstanding action at any time. For booking trips, contact Adams at (228) 697-4808 or www.fortbayoucharters.com, Brodie at (228) 392-7660 or teambrodiecharters.com, Perrigin at (228) 217-0458 or www.strictlyfishincharters.com and Schindler at (228) 342-2206 or www.shorethingcharters.com. For area information, see www.gulfcoast.org.
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