The guys from the Mississippi DMR are back in the studio — Trevor Moncrief (Marine Fisheries Director) and Travis Williams (Artificial Reef Director) join us to break down everything happening with Mississippi's artificial reefs and fisheries management.

🪸 Katrina Key got a major refresh — concrete from the old Broadwater Marina demolition was repurposed to cap subsided reef material south of Deer Island, bringing it back to permitted elevation

📏 Katrina Key is already over a mile and a half long and there are plans to extend it another two and a half miles — the longest artificial reef in the state

🚢 Multiple vessel deployments over the past year including a large tug with the Bay Pest sculpture, shrimp boat Captain Ben with the Gulf Fishing Banks, and a vessel on FH 14

🏗️ The Secretary of State's office is revamping the old Broadwater Marina site in Biloxi with new pilings, roadbed structure, and plans for a marina and green space — and they partnered with DMR to reuse demolished concrete as reef material

🐟 Jared was told to say "MS Creel" and not snapper... but they're talking about snapper anyway

🎣 Katrina Key doubles as island protection and aquaculture protection for off-bottom oyster operations — plus it's close enough inshore that you don't have to get beat to death running offshore to fish it

💰 Proximity matters — keeping reef projects closer to shore saves significant deployment costs for DMR

🔜 More Katrina Key extension work is funded and in the procurement process — stay tuned

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, Taylor and Cox Law Firm, and Cedar Lake Power Equipment for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

Rob Lipolla and Cody join us in the Brown Water Studio to break down everything about the Southern Kingfish Association — a tournament series that's been running since the late nineties across the entire Southeast coast from Texas to North Carolina.

🎣 Rob has been fishing SKA tournaments for roughly 25 years and shares the history of how the organization grew into a major competitive circuit with divisions broken into regions across the Gulf, South Florida, and the Carolinas

🏆 Cody is heading into his third year fishing the SKA and won the small boat division nationals last year after traveling to the East Coast of Florida — that's when the bug really hit

🐟 The tournament format is a two-day event with one fish per day and an aggregate weight of the two fish determining the winner

📍 Biloxi used to host the national championship every year in November because the king mackerel fishery was so strong — tournaments drew several hundred boats with shotgun starts that rivaled the Billfish Classic

📉 The conversation digs into why the Gulf Coast kingfish population has declined — water temperatures rising, salinity changes from Louisiana rain runoff, the lasting effects of the oil spill, overfishing, and better technology putting more pressure on the resource

🤝 Cody talks about what makes the SKA culture different from other tournament circuits — the camaraderie, the family atmosphere, and a community that keeps anglers coming back

👋 Shoutouts to Bobby Carter, Jack Holmes, and the early figures who helped bring SKA tournaments to the Mississippi Gulf Coast before the Billfish Classic even existed

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, Taylor and Cox Law Firm, and Cedar Lake Power Equipment for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter

Troy Guillotte of Trigger Time TV joins us in the Brown Water Studio for a conversation about firearms, filming, and growing up in Jackson County, Mississippi.

🦌 Troy talks about his Gautier roots and how his dad's influence shaped his love for hunting, fishing, sports, and all things outdoors in South Mississippi

🔫 From magazine junkie to TV host — Troy shares how a fascination with firearms that started at 21 led him to build a career doing what he loves instead of going into insurance or banking

🛠️ The guys bond over building ARs like "a grown man's Lego set" — whiskey, parts, and the never-ending rabbit hole of rails, triggers, barrels, and uppers that can run $5,200 deep

💥 Troy breaks down his go-to firearms — polymer based striker fired nine millimeters from Glock, SIG, HEK, Smith and Wesson, and Walther — and why he says everyone wants a 1911 until you get in a gunfight

📺 Troy opens up about getting to work alongside some of his heroes in the firearms world and chasing a dream that turned into a real career in television

🏠 A conversation rooted in South Mississippi culture — music, food, family, and the kind of rich lifestyle that has nothing to do with money

Watch the Full Episode Here ⬇️

https://youtu.be/ZfxP6OhtnR4

Also big thanks to Southern Magnolia Smiles, Forever Young Men's and Women Health, Taylor and Cox Law Firm, and Cedar Lake Power Equipment for the support!

Want to be a part of the pelican gang? Check out our merch Here.

Download our free app: Apple: Here Android: Here

All our links: https://linktr.ee/brownwaterbanter