Redfish Guide — Biloxi, MS

Redfish in Back Bay Biloxi are a local's fish. You can run the same water for years and never crack the code without knowing the history of the coastline. That history is the key.

The stretch along the Biloxi peninsula from the I-110 bridge east toward the point near Deer Island holds fish for a reason. That corridor was once lined with seafood processing plants, including the old Cozy Kitten factory near the point, which used byproduct from the other plants to make canned cat food. Those operations kept the channels well dredged for supply boats. The deep water is still there. So are the redfish.

The other piece most outsiders miss is the creek and bayou network feeding into the bay. Every creek and stream that drains into Back Bay cuts a natural channel as it meets the deeper water. Some of those creeks have been buried under roads or replaced with drainage pipe over the last 20 to 30 years, but the channels they carved are still on the bottom. If you know where those drainages were, you know where to fish. The reds hold in those natural pockets where the bottom drops and the current pushes bait through.

The setup is straightforward. Live shrimp on a circle hook with a couple of split shot crimped on the leader about six inches above the hook. Enough weight to keep the bait down near the bottom where reds are rooting, not so much that it kills the action. No cork needed — you want that shrimp working the bottom.

Tie 20 to 30lb fluorocarbon leader and run PowerPro braided line as your mainline. Braid gives you the sensitivity to feel the bottom and detect the soft pick-up a red often gives before it runs.

Spring through fall is prime, but reds live in Back Bay year round. They're a hardy fish and the deeper holes hold them even in winter. An inshore spinning rod and reel combo in medium-heavy handles everything you'll need in this water.

Watch the birds and the bait movement, same as you would for specks. When redfish push baitfish shallow, you'll see it on the surface. And don't be surprised if a nice speckled trout or flounder comes up on the same hole. The same structure that holds reds holds everything else.