UTERGag grouper fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, gag grouper peak August–November and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. September: Gag on the reef zone during the fall season — check ADCNR / NOAA.
The flounder run and the easy trout bite. Bull minnows at the Dauphin Island bridge and Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh lease poles.
Gag grouper in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilAround
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeakGag on the reef zone during the fall season — check ADCNR / NOAA.
- OctoberPeakThe flounder run and the easy trout bite. Bull minnows at the Dauphin Island bridge and Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh lease poles.
- NovemberPeak
- DecemberAround
Where to fish gag grouper 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 gag grouper hold on.
What to use for gag grouper
- 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.
- PigfishFree-lined or under a cork on a 2/0 circle hook for gator trout; on the bottom for grouper.
- Cigar minnowsNose-hooked on a stinger rig for kings, or a 4/0 circle hook dropped to the bottom for grouper.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Leader50–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook5/0–8/0
- Braid50–80 lb
Feeds in 58–84°F water, best at 64–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch gag grouper in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is August–November. Gag grouper are here year-round. September: Gag on the reef zone during the fall season — check ADCNR / NOAA.
Where do gag grouper hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on artificial reef, wreck — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for gag grouper in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: pinfish, pigfish, cigar minnows, squid. Pinfish: Hooked 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. Tackle: leader 50–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 5/0–8/0, braid 50–80 lb.
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