5 Tips for Planning Your Southern Fishing Road Trip in Mississippi

Mature man fishing on the lake from inflatable boat

Mississippi is full of great road-trip destinations for fishing lovers. With great fishing spots, like Trace State Park, Natchez State Park and Roosevelt State Park, it’s no surprise there are more than 651,000 licensed anglers in Mississippi, including 57,500 non-residents, illustrating how many people travel to the Magnolia State to enjoy this pastime.

But pulling off a great road trip takes careful planning, and so does planning a great fishing trip. Here are some tips to help you combine these two favorite activities into a fun travel vacation.

Reserve Your Destination

If plans for your fishing trip include camping in a state park, you’ll want to make sure to reserve your spot ahead of time, so there is no risk of arriving without any available spots. Reserve America provides a searchable database of Mississippi camping spots, where you can select the type of spot you and your group desires. For instance, you can specify whether you’re looking for spots with an RV hookup, a trailer site, tent area, or cabin. Reserve America also allows you to reserve your site online, so you can be sure to get the spot you want.

Navigating Your Route

If you’re driving to a spot where you haven’t traveled before, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with your route ahead of time so you don’t encounter any unnecessary delays. MapQuest partner Roadtrippers.com provides an online tool, where you can enter your destination to generate a customized map. You can also search for other relevant information, including nearby hotels and local attractions. In addition to looking at a map ahead of time, you may want to bring along a GPS device to aid you in your travels.

Prepare Your Vehicle

Nothing ruins a road trip like a car that won’t start. Mobil provides a basic maintenance checklist you should run through before taking your car on a road trip. These checklist items include checking your:

• Engine oil
• Transmission and differential fluid
• Hoses and belts
• Engine coolant
• Brake system
• Battery
• Tires

All-terrain tires, like Michelin’s LTX tires, can come in handy if your road trip includes any off-road driving. Scheduling a checkup and testing your car before hitting the road are also recommended.

Get Licensed

If you’re going fishing, make sure to obviously bring along your fishing license. Reserve America offers an online avenue in which you can obtain your Mississippi fishing, saltwater fishing, or freshwater fishing license, all from the comfort of your home. Applying well ahead of time will ensure you don’t run into any last-minute snags.

Pack Up Your Gear

Reserve America contributor John Andrew Pendery recommends a few other practical tips you should take into account when planning a fishing trip. For example, make sure you pack anything you might need for bad, inclement weather. This includes rain gear and boots to protect yourself from precipitation, as well as any camping equipment you may need in the event of rain. Along with your tackle box, bring some extra tackle, rods, reels and line, along with extra gas if you’ll be using a powerboat.

In addition, make sure to pack a sealable bag or another waterproof container for your license, which you can attach to your boat if you’re using one. If you plan to pack what you catch, bring along cooler and buy some ice at a nearby convenience store. In the event you don’t catch as much as you hoped, or even if you do, it’s a good idea to bring some planned meals, along with some snacks and drinks.

By Roy Rasmussen, coauthor of Publishing for Publicity.

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