Shore Thing Fishing Report, 8/7/24

August 7, 2024

The big fish are here, and early mornings are the time to catch 'em. Baitfish are abundant, and there are a few surprises in our waters, too.

​- by Sonny Schindler, Shore Thing Fishing Charters

4 for 4 on redfish for these lucky gentlemen fishing with Capt. Paul Leoni out of Pass Christian Harbor.

We are basing all of our fishing around the heat right now. We are doing very few trips in the afternoon because of the 100-degree temperatures. Getting on the water as early as possible and doing everything we can to maximize our efforts before midday has been our main focus.
 

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Puppy drum and speckled trout for Ashley and Lynn caught at Cat Island.

 
With that said, when we get out in the early mornings, it is all about finding the bait and getting to work as quickly as possible locating the fish. The big critters are definitely here. Since the big rafts of mullets and pogies have pushed in, the bull reds, Jack Crevalles, and sharks have taken over. We have even seen a few tarpon rolling in some of the bait schools.
 

Griffen Smith with two very nice speckled trout caught out of Bayou Caddy.

 
There are still plenty of speckled trout around, but it seems there is a big wave of smaller fish pushing through – but hey, little fish get bigger every day. Hopefully these trout will stick around in the fall as most of them are just an inch or less short of the 15-inch legal harvest size.
 
Surprisingly, we are seeing a healthy mix of big white trout, sheepshead, and puppy drum. The white trout are very normal to see this time of year, but this many big sheepshead and puppy drum are an unusual, but very welcome, surprise. The majority of these fish are seen over oyster reefs in deeper water, usually 5 feet or more. Live or dead shrimp fished deep will definitely get it done if you can avoid the catfish.
 

Early morning black drum for this gentleman, caught near Bay St. Louis.

 
The tripletails have been very good on the eastern side of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and they have started to push a little further west into our front yard. The next few weeks should be our best chances to get those big tasty critters. For now, we are checking every buoy, piling, or any structure that the tripletails may be holding onto.
 
Bring plenty of fluids, sunscreen, and do all you can in the early morning hours. This heat is no joke, so please be careful.
 

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