Angels Over the Bay Air Show - Mississippi Gulf Coast Updates

The military plays a very important role on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and hosts some great events for the public! Susan LaBrecque reports from the Angels Over the Bay Air Show and open house at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. It's a very special event for Keesler as they celebrate 70 years of history on the coast. The Blue Angels and other military aerial performers put on an amazing show, and that was just one part of the wonderful weekend event. Discover all of the fun things taking place this spring on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at www.visitmscoast.org. Wish you were here!

'Saltwater Sportsman' Editor and Host of ESPN's 'Offshore Adventures' Taut MS Gulf Coast Fishing and Seafood.

What did you do for Mardi Gras?

Did you hit the streets of Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach or even Bay St. Louis looking to grab a few beads?

Or did you hit the water looking to land a nice speckled trout or even a redfish?

If you were lucky, you might have been able to do both despite a nasty thunderstorm on Mardi Gras.

I did both.

Instead of wetting a hook, I talked fishing with three of the top minds in the business -- brought to Biloxi by the tourism commission -- about the possible long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill before the parade began.

Like I’ve said in the past, the major effects will be with certain species like tuna, dolphin and a few bottom dwellers of the Gulf of Mexico.

John Brownlee, the editor-in-chief of Saltwater Sportsman Magazine, as well as Chris Fischer and his wife, Melissa, agree.

Chris and Melissa Fischer are host of Offshore Adventures on ESPN where they travel around the world fishing and diving some of the top destinations.

“The Biloxi area is great,” Brownlee said. “I have always loved the area because it has the best hunting and fishing in the world. You have the Florida Keys, Biloxi and the Carolinas.

“But Biloxi has the biggest fish of the three places. And you have more of them, too.”

Brownlee, like myself, believes we’re dealing with a misconception that South Mississippi is dead in the water due to the oil spill and Hurricane Katrina nearly six years ago.

“To some, perception is reality,” he said. “The perception among anglers is the government is out of control with its regulations, especially with snapper and grouper.

“Plus, consumer confidence is low, but that is getting better. Then you have the misconception that you can’t catch fish in the Gulf and that is not true. The oil is one more bad thing to set the area back. Now, you have dead porpoises washing up on the beaches. That is not good.”

With all that in mind, Brownlee in a future Saltwater Sportsman Magazine issue will dedicate a story to the world that South Mississippi is open.

H also said the Gulf will be fine for three to four years.

That’s based on a year spawning cycle for species like red snapper, tuna, dolphin and others that may have been whipped out last year by the oil spill.

“We have to keep hammering the message that fishing is as good as it has ever been,” he said. “We may find out that the oil did (damage) the bluefin tuna because this is a major breeding ground for them. I am worried about that because no year class of bluefin or dolphin will hurt.

“We should know something in a couple of years and that could have an effect on local seafood. Right now, there are no reports that there is anything wrong with the seafood and we have to keep hammering that to the public and get rid of the perception. I ate seafood since I got here and it’s fine. The oil spill was a major event, but the ocean is resilient.”

Chris Fischer, like John Brownlee, believes in the overall mechanics of the Gulf of Mexico.

“I believe in the power of the ocean and the scale of the ocean,” he said. “It can handle a lot of tough times, like the oil spill. Friends of mine have told me that fishing in the Gulf right now is as good as it has ever been.

“I think the Gulf is going through (recovery mode) right now.”

Chris and Melissa Fischer are optimistic about the future of the Gulf.

After all, they are known for their extensive research on large bodies of salt water and are founding chairmen of Ocean Research (ocearch.org).

“Think about how much of the world is covered by water,” he said. “Most people do not understand how big the Gulf is. Even with millions of gallons of oil, it’s small within the overall size of the Gulf. But it can be and was scary. When I first heard of the oil spill, I was sick.

“Look at things a year later. My hope is to get Mississippi back on the map for its world-class fishing. Most people think you have to get on a plane and travel to exotic places to fish on a world-class level. That is not true. This is a jewel of America that many Americans do not know about.”

To help promote Biloxi and South Mississippi, the Fischers will film a TV show later this year and air the show next spring showcasing its beauty.

The show is called “Want to go fishing.”

“Our host, Matt Eastman, will walk up to a complete stranger with a cameraman,” Chris Fischer said. “Hopefully it will be from an event where it’s cold. He will ask that person ‘Hey, what are you doing this weekend? Do you want to go to Biloxi for three days or world class fishing?’ ”

But there will be a small catch.

“Matt will tell them they have five minutes and two phone calls -- then it’s off to Biloxi,’’ Chris Fischer said. “It’s normally a phone call to the boss and a call to the bride.

“They have to do it in five minutes. Then we bring them to Biloxi and show how pretty the area is. That is something that Melissa and I can do for this area. We want to show on TV that Biloxi is open and the fish are biting. I am pulling for the people and the economy.”

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