UTERSpanish mackerel fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, Spanish mackerel peak April–September and are around March–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Schools off the Gulf State Park pier and the passes.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Spanish mackerel in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchArrivingFirst Spanish on the Alabama beaches and the Dauphin Island pier.
- AprilPeakPeak cobia and pompano; trout on the grass. Sight-cast cobia; pompano jigs at Perdido Pass; trout on the Biloxi Marsh grass beds.
- MayPeakSchools off the Gulf State Park pier and the passes.
- JunePeak
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeakFall blitzes at the passes.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Spanish mackerel 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, 3 marker / buoy, 1 pass / inlet spots in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay map area — the kinds Spanish mackerel hold on.
What to use for Spanish mackerel
- Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
- 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.
- Spanish sardinesNose-hooked and free-lined in a chum slick, or slow-trolled on a stinger rig.
- Leader30–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 64–84°F water, best at 68–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Spanish mackerel in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is April–September. Spanish mackerel are in Mississippi & Alabama Coast March–October. May: Schools off the Gulf State Park pier and the passes.
Where do Spanish mackerel hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on artificial reef, pass / inlet, beach / surf, marker / buoy — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for Spanish mackerel in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait), threadfin herring (greenbacks), spanish sardines. Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 30–40 lb fluorocarbon, braid 10–20 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores Spanish mackerel for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about Spanish mackerel · Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay, the whole year