Morning Mississippi Inshore Fishing
Private Trip
Inshore Fishing
Fourhour private inshore fishing trip for two anglers.Target redfish, trout, and sheepshead in coastal shallows.All fishing gear and local captain expertise included.
Picture this: it's 8 a.m., the Mississippi coast is waking up, and you're already on the water with a top-rated captain who knows these flats like the back of his hand. This 4-hour private inshore fishing trip is built for two anglers who want quality fishing without burning the whole day. You'll be targeting some of the Gulf Coast's most sought-after species—Redfish, Black Drum, Speckled Trout, Sea Trout, Sheepshead, and Tripletail—using whatever tackle feels right for the conditions. Whether you're a fly fishing purist or prefer spinning gear, your captain will match the approach to what's working and what you're comfortable with.
The Mississippi coast offers some of the most diverse inshore fishing on the Gulf, and this trip puts you right in the sweet spot. Your captain will navigate the productive flats and coastal shallows where these fish love to hang out, adjusting the game plan based on tides, weather, and what's been biting lately. The beauty of a 4-hour window is that you get the prime morning bite without the afternoon heat, and there's enough time to hit multiple spots if one area isn't producing. You'll learn to read the water, understand why fish hold in certain areas, and pick up techniques that'll make you a better angler long after this trip ends. All the fishing gear is provided, so you can focus on what matters most—getting tight to some serious fish.
The versatility of this trip is what sets it apart from your typical charter. Your captain carries fly gear, spinning tackle, and light conventional setups, so you can match the method to the moment. When you're sight-fishing redfish on skinny flats, a well-placed fly or light jig can be pure magic. For deeper grass beds where trout like to ambush bait, a suspending lure on spinning gear might be the ticket. The key is staying mobile and adapting—one spot might call for topwater action at dawn, while another requires bouncing jigs along the bottom for black drum. Your guide will teach you to read structure, understand tidal flow, and recognize the subtle signs that separate good anglers from great ones. The Mississippi coast's mix of grass flats, oyster bars, and deeper channels means you'll experience different fishing styles in a single morning.
Redfish are the crown jewel of Mississippi inshore fishing, and for good reason. These copper-colored bruisers average 20-30 inches and fight like they're twice that size. Spring through fall offers the best action, with reds cruising shallow flats during moving tides. What makes them special is their willingness to eat everything from topwater plugs to live shrimp, and once hooked, they'll peel drag and test your tackle. The sight of a red's back cutting through skinny water gets every angler's heart pumping.
Black Drum are the bulldogs of the inshore world, often overlooked but incredibly fun to catch. These bottom-dwellers can range from schoolie-sized youngsters to bruiser adults pushing 40+ inches. They're most active in cooler months and love to hang around structure like oyster bars and bridge pilings. What guests love about drum fishing is the steady, methodical bite—when you find them, you usually find several, and their powerful runs will surprise you.
Speckled Trout are Mississippi's most popular inshore species, and it's easy to see why. These spotted beauties are aggressive feeders that'll hit everything from soft plastics to live bait. The best trout fishing happens during the cooler months when they school up in deeper grass beds and around structure. What makes specks so appealing is their willingness to bite and their excellent table fare—many anglers consider them the perfect combination of fun and flavor.
Sea Trout offer similar excitement to their speckled cousins but tend to run larger and fight harder. These silver-sided fish love the same areas as specks but are often more selective about what they'll eat. The reward for patience is a fish that can reach trophy proportions and provides some of the most consistent action on the Mississippi coast. Peak season runs from late fall through early spring when they gather in deeper channels.
Sheepshead are the technical challenge that keeps things interesting. These black-and-white striped fish have crushing jaws designed for eating barnacles and crabs, making them notorious bait stealers. Finding them around structure is easy—getting them to stay hooked is the art. What anglers love about sheepshead is that they reward skill and patience, plus they're some of the best eating fish in the Gulf.
Tripletail are the wild card that can turn a good trip into a legendary one. These oddly-shaped fish float near structure and debris, often looking like floating logs until they suddenly come alive. They're not always around, but when conditions are right—usually late spring through early fall—they provide some of the most exciting sight fishing available. The challenge is getting close enough for a good cast without spoiling them, and once hooked, they jump and thrash like fish twice their size.
A 4-hour morning trip on the Mississippi coast hits the sweet spot for serious anglers who want quality over quantity. You'll experience diverse fishing techniques, target multiple species, and learn from a captain who lives and breathes these waters. The morning bite is typically the most productive, the weather is more comfortable, and you'll still have the afternoon to enjoy everything else the coast has to offer. With all gear provided and a maximum of two anglers, this trip offers the personal attention and flexibility that makes the difference between just fishing and actually catching. The Mississippi coast is producing some world-class inshore fishing right now, and this trip
Your fishing platform for this Mississippi coast adventure is an 18' Hell's Bay Marquesa, built to handle whatever the day throws at you. This shallow-draft skiff can cross deeper channels to reach prime fishing spots, then pole quietly onto those skinny redfish flats where the big bulls cruise. The boat's equipped with GPS to mark productive areas, VHF radio for safety communication, and a fish finder to locate schools of trout and drum holding in the grass beds and oyster reefs. Whether you're sight-casting to tailing reds in two feet of water or working structure for sheepshead, this versatile skiff puts you in perfect position. The shallow-running hull design lets your captain access those back-country spots where most boats can't go, giving you shots at fish that rarely see pressure.
Pogonias CromisBlack Drum are powerful bottom feeders that run anywhere from 5-30 pounds, though we occasionally see monsters pushing 50+ pounds. They love our shallow muddy flats and oyster beds where they crush crabs and shellfish with those bulldozer jaws. Spring is prime time when they school up for spawning - that's when you'll hear them "drumming" underwater, making those deep croaking sounds. These fish are built like tanks and will test your drag. The smaller ones under 15 pounds make excellent table fare with firm, white meat. My go-to tip: use fresh crab on a circle hook and let it sit right on the bottom. When you feel that slow, steady pull, resist the urge to set the hook hard - just start reeling and let the circle hook do its job.
Sciaenops OcellatusRedfish are the kings of our shallow water flats, easily identified by that distinctive black spot near their tail and bronze-red coloring. Most of our fish run 18-28 inches and fight like freight trains in skinny water. You'll find them cruising oyster bars, grass flats, and marsh edges in 1-4 feet of water - sometimes so shallow their backs show above the surface. They're catchable year-round, but fall and spring offer the most consistent action when they school up. What makes them special is their aggressive nature and willingness to eat almost anything. The meat is excellent, with a mild flavor that's hard to beat. Watch for their tails and wakes in shallow water, and when you spot one, cast well ahead of where they're headed - they spook easily but once hooked, they'll make runs that'll test your drag.
Salmo TruttaSea Trout, or Speckled Trout as we call them here, are beautiful silver fish covered in dark spots that typically run 1-3 pounds in our waters. They love grass flats and shallow bays, especially during low-light periods like dawn and dusk. These fish are active year-round, but spring and fall fishing really heats up when they move shallow to feed. What guests love is their willingness to hit topwater lures - nothing beats watching one explode on a surface plug at first light. The meat is tender and flaky, perfect for the dinner table. They're not the strongest fighters, but they're scrappy and fun on light tackle. My best advice: work the grass edges where deep water meets shallow flats, and don't overlook those small potholes in the grass where they like to ambush baitfish.
Archosargus ProbatocephalusSheepshead are the "convict fish" of our waters with those distinctive black and white stripes. These 1-8 pound tricksters hang around any structure they can find - docks, pilings, jetties - scraping barnacles and crabs with those human-like teeth. They're notorious bait thieves, so you need to stay sharp. Spring brings the best action when they move shallow to spawn around our coastal structures. What makes them special is that delicate white meat - some of the best eating fish we have. They fight smart, not hard, using structure to their advantage. Here's the key: get your bait tight to the pilings and set the hook the instant you feel them nibbling. They'll steal your bait clean off the hook if you hesitate even a second.
Lobotes SurinamensisTripletail are one of our more unique targets - odd-looking fish that get their name from having anal and dorsal fins that mirror their tail. They typically run 2-10 pounds and have this amazing ability to change colors from mottled brown to almost pure white or black. You'll find them floating near the surface around debris, weed lines, or any floating structure, often on their sides mimicking dead leaves. Summer through early fall is prime time when water temps stay above 70 degrees. They're surprisingly acrobatic fighters for such a chunky fish, and the meat rivals red snapper in quality. The trick is sight fishing - once you spot one floating, cast well past it and slowly work your bait back. They spook easily, so stealth is key, but when they hit, it's game on.
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