UTERBlackfin tuna fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, blackfin tuna peak October–April and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. February: Blackfin on the deep rigs.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Blackfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryPeak
- FebruaryPeakBlackfin on the deep rigs.
- MarchPeak
- AprilPeak
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberPeak
- DecemberPeakWinter on the pilings. Bridges and docks for sheepshead; deep river bends for trout.
Where to fish blackfin tuna 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 blackfin tuna hold on.
What to use for blackfin tuna
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Threadfin herring (greenbacks)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined, or slow-trolled. Fragile — handle them wet and fast.
- Goggle-eyesBridled through the eye sockets for sailfish and kingfish, kite-fished or slow-trolled.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 70–86°F water, best at 74–82°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch blackfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is October–April. Blackfin tuna are here year-round. February: Blackfin on the deep rigs.
Where do blackfin tuna 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 blackfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: pilchards (whitebait), threadfin herring (greenbacks), goggle-eyes. Pilchards (whitebait): Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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All about blackfin tuna · Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay, the whole year