Shore Thing Fishing Report, 4/15/2026

April 15, 2026

Windy conditions still prevail, but inshore fishing is providing plenty of  action for those who want to brave the wind.

​- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Puppy drum are hard fighters, and the youngsters love them.

Day 237 of 20 mph winds…
 
These high winds have been around for long enough. We are still fishing almost every day, but we are very limited in the amount of water we can cover in safe, protective waters. 
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​Despite the wind, the fishing has remained good. We are seeing some beautiful trout, no big numbers, but some nice fish. The star species of this windy week, hands-down, has been the puppy drum. This is the first year in a while we have seen big numbers of those 14- to 18-inch puppy drum.
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Kari Henley from Bay St. Louis with a hefty speckled trout she caught near Bay St. Louis.

 
The extended forecast shows we may be getting a break this week. All the fingers are crossed. I promise this wind should get out of here in our lifetime.
 

There are still plenty of redfish to be caught. When this wind lays down, there will be miles of shoreline to fish for them.

 
I’m also happy to report that the local bait shops have begun to offer good numbers of live shrimp. Despite the rough conditions, those hard-working folks have been bringing in some beautiful live bait.

Perfect sized black drum, aka “puppy drum,” have been plentiful this spring.

 
If you’re able to get out and the wind is still blowing, please be safe and don’t take any chances. If you opt out of fishing until calmer days, this is a good time to restock your tackle and get ready for some great springtime fishing. And we know just where to go, which leads us to more good news: Captain Paul Leoni is opening Shore Thing Outdoors this week in Waveland, offering primarily inshore fishing tackle. The shop is located at 222 Highway 90, at the corner of McLaren and Highway 90 next to the McDonald’s. 
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