Fish free on the coast for July 4

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources designates holiday as ‘Free Saltwater Sport Fishing Day.’

Fishing along the Mississippi coast is free again on July 4 – at least it doesn’t require a fishing license, according to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

The agency has designated July 4 as “Free Saltwater Sport Fishing Day” on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, allowing anyone to recreationally fish without a license in the marine waters of Mississippi.

All waters south of Interstate 10 are included in the license-free area.

Although anglers are not required to have a recreational saltwater license on July 4, they still need to adhere to all size and possession limits.

“Creel limits and size limits of fish are still in effect,” said Walter Chataginer, MDMR Marine Patrol’s chief of enforcement. “This just entitles recreational anglers to fish on July 4 without a recreational saltwater fishing license.”