Fishing along the northern Gulf Coast is great all year-round; however, most anglers would agree that fishing is at its best during the summer. By this point in the year, the northern Gulf of Mexico waters have warmed and the migratory fish species that left during the previous fall have returned. While redfish and speckled trout can be caught all year, summer signifies the start of red snapper season and prime fishing conditions of many popular species such as king mackerel, cobia, tripletail and even tarpon.
The rich abundance of sport fish along the Gulf Coast provides anglers with ample opportunities to experience a variety of fishing adventures. Anglers can use popping corks to pursue speckled trout and redfish, troll for king mackerel, chase after large ships for cobia, sight fish for tripletail, deep-sea fish for red snapper or wait patiently for schools of tarpon – the possibilities are endless.
We've put together a two-page fishing guide fact sheet that shows which fish are in season, where you can find them and how good they are to eat.
Don’t have a boat? Luckily, Mississippi and Alabama possess countless experienced fishing guides who can get you hooked up to all the Gulf Coast species. Information about these fishing guides can easily be found on a variety of different websites like Coastal Mississippi and Tripadvisor, or by simply using a search engine to search for local fishing guides. The Gulf Coast also features numerous fishing piers, some of which are free to the public.
Have a boat, but don’t know how to target some of the Gulf’s most popular species? You can find tons of helpful tips on online fishing blogs. If you are more of a visual learner, sites like YouTube contain thousands of fishing videos that can help even the most novice angler learn new fishing techniques. All of this being said, sometimes the best way to learn how to fish for a new species is to simply go out with a local fishing guide, where you can learn from the best local anglers and have a great-hands on experience in the process.
Overall, the northern Gulf Coast provides ample opportunities to anglers of all fishing preferences, ages and skill levels. If you have never experienced saltwater fishing in Mississippi or Alabama, then I highly recommend you give it a try this summer!