MERIDIAN —  Shad skittered near the shoreline of a lake early last Saturday morning just a split second before a lunker bass slammed into the school sending a spray of tiny baitfish up onto the banks. A lone angler promptly pitched a purple Fliptail worm near the commotion and the lunker bass sucked it in. Almost simultaneously I slammed the hook deep into the bass’ jaw and it exploded through the surface and fought wildly all the way to the boat!

    I was living the dream and enjoying stress relief smack dab in the middle of some of the finest hunting and fishing in the world; in the heart of the Mississippi Foothills.

    And I paused a moment to thank God for the opportunities that abound in this Southern Promised Land we call The Mississippi Foothills.

    If you build it they will come. Unfortunately this is a popular phrase that many people believe. While it sounds good in the movies and in theory, nothing could be further from the truth! Almost every portion of this great country has some type of unique attraction that they bank on to attract tourists and dollars to support their local economy.

    But first you have to have a dream. And then you must promote your dream and your assets and show the people what you have to offer. And we have some of the best opportunities in the world right here in the Mississippi Foothills area. Come with me and see people living the dream right here in Lauderdale County. Come with me and explore our outdoor opportunities and a well-kept secret; The Mississippi Foothills.



Wildlife checklist



    Come to the place where monster bucks roam. To the place where Ricky Sullivan harvested a monster buck this past January that sent shock waves through Mississippi and the South. The magnificent deer shocked the deer hunting world by scoring over 201 4/8 BTS points and could have been mistaken for a Canadian whopper.

    Come to the backwaters of Okatibbee Lake as Wade and Tyler Wood and Justin Giles fill their limits on an early morning teal hunt in the flooded backwaters of a beaver slough.

    Come with me to the magnificent cypress swamps along the Chunky River on an action packed wood duck hunt as Coach Rick Roberson and Randy Pope harvest a limit of wood ducks while being serenaded by barred owls signaling the dawning of a new day.

    Follow me to the flooded minnow ponds of Okatibbee Lake and a springtime crappie outing where Bruce and Baleigh Robinson joined me on an action packed crappie fishing trip of a lifetime. Crappie head to the shallow waters of Okatibbee each spring and provide glorious fish catching opportunities second to none.

    Follow me still to the hills south of Chunky as pair of gobblers scream out their early morning wake up calls, a challenge to all comers and hunters, and a come hither pleading to any hen within hearing distance. Come with me as Scott Dillon makes his first Mississippi visit and accompanies me on an early spring gobbler hunt and harvests a trophy tom.

    Come with me to the Chunky or Chickasawhay Rivers and shoot the shoals as Dr.  George Arrington maneuvers the beautiful rocky strewn river and catches another limit of spotted bass.

    Come to Kemper Lake and catch a lunker bass amidst the lilies while eagles soar overhead.

    Come to the fertile streams of Kemper County where bucks roam the banks, ducks fill the sloughs and even walleye swim the streams! Come and enjoy.



Looking southward



    Follow me into the woods of Clarke County on a pitch black night with Gary Rodgers and his world class coon hounds as they sing a glorious tune and tree another coon.

    Be still and listen to the harmonious sounds of a pack of Chuck Hamrick’s beagles as they run another rabbit race in Jasper County. Whippoorwills whistling tunes fill the nights and early morning hours with melodious refrains free to all who will listen.

    Come again and join Taylor Odom on a lunker hunt and catch the bass of a lifetime at Okatibbee Lake and watch Taylor catch a 10.64 pound behemoth!

Come with me and view the sizzling dove hunting action as Scott Davis and Frank Eddins burn up the doves and fill their limits on an early fall outing near Stonewall.

    Come and kayak or canoe Okatibbee Creek right near Meridian and observe the wondrous assortment of wildlife living right here among us. See the bucks, ducks, coyotes, hawks, and even wild hogs while catching red bellies, spotted bass or catfish.

    Come and explore beautiful Bonita Lakes. Catch a monster bass, or bike, hike, or jog the hills and hollows. Come this fall and walk the trails, canoe the waters and enjoy the beautiful explosions of color painting the fall foliage with a magnificent harvest scene second to none.

    Come and lose yourself in the Mississippi Foothills Area for just a short while and bring your camera along to capture the beauty and wonder of it all. Join me and have the experience of a lifetime in this place I choose to call home!



    Contact  Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or e-mail him at mikegiles18@comcast.net.