Shore Thing Fishing Report, 7/9/25

July 9, 2025

Fishing in Hancock and Harrison Counties has been nothing short of incredible this week, so go early, stay hydrated, and have fun!

​- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

Estelle, Max, and Hadley with bull shark they caught and released in the Louisiana Marsh.

The pop-up storms and the heat have been our biggest issues the last few days. The fishing has been absolutely incredible and will hopefully stay the same for the next several weeks. Early starts have been key to getting in on the better speckled trout bites. Everywhere we fish has been loaded with bait. Shrimp, pogies, finger mullet, rain minnows just seem to be everywhere. Our boats have been fishing from western Hancock County to eastern Harrison County and are catching fish from Lake Borgne, inside Bay St. Louis, around the barrier islands, and throughout the Louisiana marsh.
 

This Fishing Report 
​is supported by

Father and son duo with two nice speckled trout (one of which is a recaptured tagged fish) they caught with Capt. Darien Ladner south of Bay St. Louis.

 
We rely heavily on live shrimp and croakers to locate the fish. Our guides are focusing on these three components when deciding where to fish. Moving water, bait, and birds. Whether you are fishing near Bayou Caddy or around Isle Au Pitre, if you find the signs, you’ll find the fish.
 

John McQueen of Baton Rouge with a tripletail he caught with Capt. Richard Schmidt near Pass Christian.

We have seen a big push on those tasty white trout moving in. We are focusing on deeper holes with preferably a shell bottom. Once we get a few in the boat on live bait, we switch to soft plastics and go to work on those tasty silver delights. Kept cold and eaten fresh, they are some of the finest fish that swim on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We often see big speckled trout mixed in with the whites in the deeper holes later in the mornings, too.
 
There have been a good many tripletails caught across the coast. There is no magic spot for them; it’s just a matter of cruising the Mississippi Sound and checking any structure or buoy. Get a live shrimp or frisky minnow near them, and once they eat, do everything you can to get them away from the structure.
 

Les Lewis from New Orleans (and Waveland) with a recaptured redfish he caught and released near Bayou Caddy.

 
Our snapper boat is still doing well. Now that the big tides have subsided, they are able to fish deeper structures and keep their baits in the strike zones.
 
I’m not gonna lie; fishing has been nothing short of incredible. With that, we all need to be careful and respectful of other boaters and anglers. Please be cautious of the weather before and during your trip. Bring plenty of water and snacks as well.
 

---

Enjoy this feature?