Shore Thing Fishing Report, 3/19/25

March 19, 2025

Sheepshead are the fish to catch right now, but large black drum are keeping things interesting, with some 50-pounders right off the beach.
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- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Brandi and Brad Baker from Madison, MS, with a nice redfish they sight-casted to in the Louisiana marsh.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow Mississippians in the northern part of the state. It seems kind of ridiculous to even say in light of the severe weather, but the south winds that we encountered down here hopefully brought some saltier water to our area. 
 

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For now, the sheepshead seem to be the most predictable fish in our area. We see them right off the beaches, way down south in the Louisiana marsh, and all points in between. We use the same setup anywhere we fish for them: live or fresh, dead shrimp fished as close as you can to any structure holding barnacles or oysters. We should see less and less sheepshead as the warming trend continues and the water temperature increases.
 

Redfishing should be fantastic in the coming weeks.

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Historically speaking, we should soon see a push of black drum and redfish. If water temperatures start getting to that magic 70 to 72° mark, the speckled trout fishing will really turn on. We still have a ways to go before we hit that magic water temperature. For now, we watch the weather and try to get out in between windier periods.
 

Big black drum like this beast should be around for several weeks.

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If you are looking to catch a true “sea monster,” the big black drum should be around for the next few weeks. We have seen these fish in the 50-pound range right off the beaches. Since the water is not very deep, you can battle them on light tackle. I promise you it is some of the most fun you will ever have. The giant black drum are not much as table fare; they are a little gamey and bloody. However, the 16- to 20-inch “puppy drum” (small black drum) are some of the finest eating that swims.

McKinley Taylor with a perfect sized puppy drum she caught on spring break in Bay St. Louis.

 
Mississippi does not have limits on black drum, so keep what you need and let the rest go. However, if you venture into neighboring Louisiana waters a few miles away, the state has a 16-inch minimum on black drum, and you may keep just five per person.

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