Greater amberjack fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, greater amberjack peak May–September and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: AJs on the reefs and rigs; check ADCNR / NOAA.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Greater amberjack in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilAround
- MayPeak
- JunePeakAJs on the reefs and rigs; check ADCNR / NOAA.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberAround
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish greater amberjack near Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi
The Mississippi Sound behind Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands, the Biloxi Marsh to the west, Mobile Bay and the Mobile–Tensaw Delta, the Dauphin Island bridge and causeway, Perdido Bay and the Alabama beaches — with the world's biggest artificial-reef zone just offshore of Orange Beach.
Fish Scouter charts 1,918 artificial reef, 502 wreck, 44 ledge / hard bottom spots in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay map area — the kinds greater amberjack hold on.
What to use for greater amberjack
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- Cigar minnowsNose-hooked on a stinger rig for kings, or a 4/0 circle hook dropped to the bottom for grouper.
- Goggle-eyesBridled through the eye sockets for sailfish and kingfish, kite-fished or slow-trolled.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 64–84°F water, best at 68–80°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch greater amberjack in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is May–September. Greater amberjack are here year-round. June: AJs on the reefs and rigs; check ADCNR / NOAA.
Where do greater amberjack hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on wreck, artificial reef — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for greater amberjack in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: blue runners (hardtails), pinfish, cigar minnows, goggle-eyes. Blue runners (hardtails): Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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All about greater amberjack · Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay, the whole year