Fisheries
Fishing is an important recreational activity for Mississippians. These pages include information on the fish found in Mississippi, the management of farm ponds, and recreational fishing.
Personnel from Mississippi State University Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks are available to provide advice free of charge. However, at times you may want to hire a private consultant to handle specific management tasks. Several reputable companies are licensed to work in Mississippi.
Publications
News
In the age of COVID-19, we do not need more to worry about. However, the summer of 2019 proved that even recreating in your local pond, stream or beach comes at some risk.
We saw a nationwide outbreak of rare, yet severe, maladies that originated from the water. These problems usually start in the hottest part of summer.
BILOXI, Miss.-- At Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center, we recently aged one of the largest tripletail fish ever caught.
The Dicamba Applicator Training required for individuals who plan to apply dicamba herbicide products in Xtend cropping systems is open online and scheduled at several sites across Mississippi.
The online modules are available at http://auxintraining.com.
The face-to-face workshops will be March 16-17 in Tunica, Coahoma, Hinds, Lee and Washington counties.
As some of the top predators in the ocean, sharks fill vital roles by regulating food web dynamics and maintaining balance in their ecosystems.
When most people think about tarpon, they probably picture a giant, shimmering, 6-foot fish leaping up towards the sky from the crystal-clear waters of southern Florida. What many people don’t know is that tarpon are also found just off our beaches in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Although tarpon are not considered table fare in the United States, they are prized by recreational anglers because of their large size and acrobatic behavior. Tarpon generally swim in schools and make long coastal migrations from the southern Gulf of Mexico to the north in the late spring before migrating back south in the fall.
Success Stories
When Ryan Bradley wanted to help make the Mississippi Sound cleaner and more profitable for commercial shrimpers, he knew where to turn for help launching a cleanup program.
Mississippi’s commercial fish industry employs thousands of Magnolia State workers who work along the beautiful waters of the Gulf Coast.
Kelly Griffin remembers when Harrison County began its recycling program.
“I was in elementary school when the county began curbside recycling,” she says. “My sister, brother, and I would argue every week about who was going to take the bin out to the road.”
The Mississippi Master Naturalist volunteer group, trained and supported by natural resources experts with the MSU Extension Service, learned about marine life during a recent boating trip off Gulf Shores, Alabama. Marcus Drymon (center), assistant Extension professor, measures and tags a great hammerhead.
