Mississippi – June 28, 2019

JULY | AUGUST 2019 163

beyond the islands. After 2013, using disaster funding from
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the state added more ma-
terial to some reefs, including the ones we fished outside
of Gulfport. The state also works with oil and gas compa-
nies to convert decommissioned oil rigs into deep-water
fishing sites.
On his second cast, Chris, one of our companions,
hauled in a speckled trout—an elegant fish, iridescent grey
with a greenish back, known as excellent table fare. We lin-
gered for a few more minutes, hoping for more action, but
all we got were fish too small to keep. Regulations require
fishermen to throw back trout shorter than 15 inches, so
they have a chance to breed.
Speck, as these trout are often known, tend to get lethar-
gic and hard-to-catch as the day gets hot. So Marquez de-
cided to push on towards new territory out by Cat Island. “I
hate to run past this,” Marquez says, “but I hate to burn my
mornings if it’s not happening.”
Marquez has always known these waters. His grandpar-
ents, who lived in New Orleans, summered in Pass Chris-
tian and rode the train back to the city to work each day.
His father loved those summers so much that he eventually
settled in Gulfport. It’s a story typical of Mississippi’s coast.
The first resorts opened here in the mid-1800s, catering to

nearby city dwellers by marketing the supposed healing

powers of the local mineral springs. Charter boats and fish-

ing piers were always key amenities.

The industry has changed through the years; bigger

boats and engines mean that fishermen can get to deeper

waters. The desired species have changed, too. Marquez

points out that redfish, once deemed a nuisance, is now

a popular catch. Mississippi’s charter fishing industry is

smaller than in nearby states with longer coastlines, but

marine recreational fishing nonetheless adds $650 million

to the economy annually, creating more than 5,000 jobs.

Things boom in summertime: speckled trout congregate in

oyster beds, snapper proliferate offshore. The Mississippi

Gulf Coast Billfish Tournament, each June, is one of the

biggest competitions on the coast, and every July 4th week-

end Gulfport hosts a “Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo” with tens of

thousands of dollars in prizes.

Recreational fishers sometimes spar with the commer-

cial industry over regulations. Both worry that the other is

overfishing, reducing populations. Marquez, for his part,

notes that the number of recreational fishermen has been

increasing, which puts more pressure on fisheries. He’s not

the kind to drive relentlessly after his daily catch limit.

“If that’s the only measure of success, you’re going to

The boats in the Mississippi Sound and the surrounding Gulf of Mexico come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the budget and style

of each fisherman.