Early embryogenesis is characterized by the maternal to zygotic transition (MTZ), in which maternally deposited messenger RNAs are translated and subsequently degraded while zygotic transcription begins. Posttranscriptional gene regulation by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is a dominant force controlling pre-zygotic gene expression. Here we describe the first in vivo mRNA-bound proteome in early Drosophila melanogaster embryos. mRNA interactome capture using conventional (254nm) and photoactivatable ribonucleoside-enhanced UV-crosslinking (365nm) was applied to detect RBPs bound to maternal and early zygotic polydenylated transcripts within the first two hours of embryogenesis. We identified a high confidence set of 476 putative RBPs and confirmed RNA-binding activity for most of the tested candidates. The majority of the identified proteins in the early fly mRNA interactome were known RBPs, harboring canonical RBPs features. Nearly hundred of the identified proteins were previously not known to bind RNA. Interestingly, mRNAs encoding RBPs and TFs exhibit time specific expression modules, in which RBPs dominate the first hours of embryonic development. Using fly-FISH data, we could show enriched RBP localization in the posterior embryo during these first hours of fly embryogenesis, suggesting general importance germ cell maturation.