Bayou Cumbest Boat Launch Opens in Moss Point

Today a ribbon cutting celebrated the opening of a long awaited boat launch in Jackson County. This is something local fishermen and boaters tell News 25 the community has needed for years.
It’s been in the works for several years and under construction for about three months, fishermen and boaters are already taking advantage of the brand new boat launch and pier at Bayou Cumbest in Moss Point, a long awaited asset to the community for fisherman Alton Barrow. “It means a lot to a lot of people here. We’ve always had to pay launches. People was poor. We tried to make a living out here in the bays and this out here will give us a little bit more leverage where we can launch more, have a better place to come with our children and grandchildren.”
The new pier features parking for up to 30 trailers, a 150 foot lighted pier complete with a fish cleaning station and all at no cost to residents. Fisherman Robert McDuffie said, “We had to go around to what you call Point of Pines and the man charges $5 and now we don’t have to pay anything because of the tax payers. This is something good for everybody and we’ll take care of it.”
The $370,000 project was funded by a Mississippi Tidelands trust fund grant with a 20 percent county match. Supervisor Barry Cumbest says the work here isn’t finished yet. “The bayou actually needs dredging. It’s had a lot of fill in since Hurricane Katrina. We’d like to get it dredged and we’d like to do more here in the parking lot areas, maybe build a pavilion here for the people down the road where people can come have picnics and that type of stuff you know and maybe even put restrooms out here.”