The alarm went off at 4:30 AM—never easy, but always worth it. We launched from Gulfport as the first hint of orange began to paint the eastern horizon.
The Setup The Mississippi Sound was calm, almost glassy. Water temp was hovering around 74°F after a week of south winds. I knew the baitfish would be pushed against the Ship Island shoreline, and where there's bait, there's trout.
We idled into position just as the sun broke the waterline. Within minutes, we spotted the first signs—birds working a bait pod near the grass line in about 4 feet of water.
The Pattern Here's what most anglers miss: speckled trout in this area don't feed during the actual dawn—they feed RIGHT before it. That 15-minute window from first light to sunrise is when the big girls go on the prowl.
We drifted with the outgoing tide, throwing 3-inch gulp shrimp on 1/8 oz jigheads. The first fish came at 6:47 AM—a nice 17-inch slot fish.
What Worked - 3-inch Gulp! Shrimp in pepperoni color - Ultra-light spinning gear with 6lb-test - Slow Retrieve: The key was to let the jig sink, then a slow, steady retrieve with occasional pauses
By 8 AM, we had our limit of 15 trout, with three females pushing 20 inches.
