White marlin fishing out of Biloxi, on the Mississippi Gulf coast, is thinly documented. The documented white marlin evidence is one older regional article on the coast’s billfish season, and no white marlin ground is named for the port. For the port itself, start with the Biloxi port page. The species overview is in the white marlin fishing guide. For the wider coast, see the white marlin fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico offshore fishing guide.
When white marlin are around Biloxi
White marlin are expected on the Mississippi coast from September into October, the window documented for the species here. That statement comes from a regional article rather than a Biloxi-specific one. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic is held in June, and it lists a white marlin state-record prize, though its main category is blue marlin.
Where boats run
Biloxi sits on a peninsula jutting into Mississippi Sound, with Biloxi Bay behind it. Boats reach the Gulf through the barrier-island passes. Dog Keys Pass, at the west end of Horn Island, carries about 13 feet over the bar and is used mainly by local fishing craft. Little Dog Keys Pass, about 2.5 miles west, has 14 feet or more and is used by sport fishermen. Ship Island Pass has a dredged bar channel with a federal project depth of 38 feet. A continued north wind can set a current of as much as 3 knots on Ship Island Bar, and a bar crossing can feel very different after several days of north wind. Thunderstorms usually build inland and move toward the coast in the afternoon from late spring through early fall, so an early return fits the pattern. Check conditions yourself, and treat these depths as the figures for the bars, which can shift.
Grounds and structure
No white marlin ground is named for Biloxi. The state’s artificial reef program permits 15 offshore sites, but their names and depths are not given. Blue marlin grounds named in regional writing, Nipple, Spur and Mississippi Canyon, apply to blue marlin, not to white marlin from this port. Katrina Key, a reef just south of Deer Island, is documented for speckled trout, and no billfish link is documented for it.
How white marlin are fished out of Biloxi
No method is documented for white marlin from Biloxi. The general approach is a light spread of dredges, teasers and small dink ballyhoo, with a pitch bait on a circle hook. When a marlin shows on a teaser, pull the teaser away so the fish turns to the hooked bait. Let the fish come tight on the drop-back without jerking the rod. Many crews fish 20 to 30 pound class tackle, and released fish should stay in the water.
Who fishes it
No charter is documented with a white marlin trip out of Biloxi, so none is named here. The Billfish Classic in June is the one billfish tournament documented for the port.
FAQ
Is Biloxi a good white marlin port?
The evidence is thin. A regional season window and a June billfish tournament are documented, but no white marlin ground or charter is. Treat any white marlin trip from here as exploration.
When should I look for white marlin off Biloxi?
Plan for September and October, which is the documented window. Check conditions yourself, because the bite follows the water more than the calendar.
How do I tell a white marlin from a roundscale spearfish?
Check the vent against the anal fin. On a white marlin the vent sits close to the anal fin, and on a roundscale spearfish it sits well forward. Photograph the vent area before you release a close call, because the two fall under the same federal rules.
