Bubba had more than 20 ways to cook shrimp in the movie Forrest Gump.

But no matter how you like your shrimp cooked, they’ve first got to be caught. And in Alabama shrimping season begins in coastal waters at sunrise on June 1.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) announced Tuesday that the annual season for state waters begins at 6 a.m. Sunday. It will last for nearly seven months, until New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31.

The season begins for all inside waters not permanently closed by Alabama state law or regulation. That includes Mobile Bay, Bon Secour Bay, Mississippi Sound, Perdido Bay, Arnica Bay, Wolf Bay, and Little Lagoon.

ADCNR is reminding live bait dealers holding a permit for special live bat areas that the area beside the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park south of the Tensaw River Bridge will be open from one hour before sunrise until sunset from June 1 to Dec. 31.

The Alabama Gulf Coast is among the more popular shrimping spots in the United States. The Gulf typically accounts for about 70% of the country’s shrimp catch due to the long season that generally runs from June to December.

June through August is considered the peak season when huge numbers of brown shrimp are harvested. White shrimp catches ramp up more in late summer and fall.

The state urges people to call 251-861-2882 for more information.