UTERTarpon fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, tarpon peak July–September and are around June–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. July: Tarpon off the Alabama beaches, Dauphin Island and the Mississippi barrier islands.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Tarpon in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneArrivingFirst fish off Dauphin Island and Pass Christian.
- JulyPeakTarpon off the Alabama beaches, Dauphin Island and the Mississippi barrier islands.
- AugustPeakPeak; rolling fish around the bait pods off the islands.
- SeptemberPeakThe last fish head south.
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish tarpon 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 pass / inlet spots in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay map area — the kinds tarpon hold on.
What to use for tarpon
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Threadfin herring (greenbacks)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined, or slow-trolled. Fragile — handle them wet and fast.
- 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.
- Finger mulletLip-hooked on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook and free-lined, or on a fish-finder rig in the surf. Cut mullet on the bottom for redfish and drum.
- 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.
- Leader50–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook5/0–8/0
- Jig head1–1 1/4 oz
- Braid40–65 lb
Feeds in 74–90°F water, best at 78–86°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch tarpon in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is July–September. Tarpon are in Mississippi & Alabama Coast June–October. July: Tarpon off the Alabama beaches, Dauphin Island and the Mississippi barrier islands.
Where do tarpon hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on pass / inlet, beach / surf, bridge, channel edge — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for tarpon in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: blue crabs, threadfin herring (greenbacks), pilchards (whitebait), finger mullet. Blue crabs: Whole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia. Tackle: leader 50–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 5/0–8/0, jig head 1–1 1/4 oz, braid 40–65 lb.
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