Each year, wildlife agencies in each state designate “Free Fishing Days” for the public to fish recreationally in public waters without a fishing license. These events are part of National Fishing and Boating Week, which this year runs June 1st to June 8th.
Free fishing days are the perfect opportunity to try out fishing for the first time, or introduce a beginner to the sport. For experienced anglers willing to travel, it’s a chance to partake of fishing in another state without having to purchase a license. Some states may have certain restrictions, so please check before making plans.
Although anglers are not required to have a recreational license for Free Fishing Days, they must still adhere to all other regulations, including size and possession limits.
Here are the free fishing days in Gulf Coast Council states:
– Alabama – Sat., June 7 (fresh, salt) *
– Florida – Sat-Sun, June 7-8 (fresh), June 14-15 (salt)
– Louisiana – Sat-Sun, June 7-8 (fresh, salt)
– Mississippi – Sat-Sun, June 7-8, July 4th (fresh, salt) **
* AL State Fishing Lakes still require a permit
** MS State Fishing Lakes require a permit on the July 4th date
Note: Free fishing days are a great opportunity to destination fish for species in the GCC Suncatch Challenge
Launched in 2020, the Tripletail Classic is a fly fishing only tournament in the Mobile Bay area and surrounding waters targeting the Atlantic Tripletail only. In a few short years, it has exploded in popularity, such that the 35 team registration limit is now reached many months before the tournament is held.
Two developments last week in the ongoing efforts to mitigate the proposed Mobile Bay dredging project. FYI, this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to deepen and widen the ship channel in the bay for larger ships to use the Port of Mobile calls pumping sediment directly into the bay. The amount of sediment involved – estimated to be 90 million cubic yards over 20 years – threatens to smother seagrasses, oysters, and reduce dissolved oxygen negatively impacting all aquatic species.
Caddo Fly Fishing Expo
A reminder that our 3rd annual Gulf Coast Classic fly fishing festival is next weekend, May 2nd and 3rd, at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. If you’ve procrastinated about going, or your weekend (or Saturday) is suddenly free, it’s not too late to register. Or sign up for workshops, the Fly Fishing Film Tour on Saturday evening, or register for the Mixed Bag Contest.
This past Wednesday, the Louisiana House Natural Resources Committee met to consider several legislative bills, including HB604. This bill would’ve established a program for purchasing tags to kill red drum over the 27 inch maximum size limit. A limited number of tags would be sold for a fee of $25 each.
The Spring 2025 edition of The Gulf Streamer, the newsletter of the Gulf Coast Council of Fly Fishers International, is now available to the public online.
Registration is now live for our 3rd annual Gulf Coast Classic to be held May 2nd and 3rd at the Learning Campus in Gulf State Park. This event continues to grow in popularity, featuring some of the nation’s top fly tiers, regional fishing experts, educational workshops, as well as a slew of fun activities such as a Mixed Bag Challenge fishing contest, a Fly Fishing Film Tour showing, and a large raffle with many one-of-a-kind items.
