St Augustine Fishing Report Today

St. Augustine Summer Bite: Reds, Trout, and Long Light Windows

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your St. Augustine fishing report. We woke up to a light southwest breeze this morning along the Ancient City, with temps starting in the low 70s and climbing into the upper 80s by mid‑day, humid and partly cloudy. Local marine forecasts are calling for 5–10 knot winds inshore, 2–3 foot seas just off the beach, and only a slight chop on the ICW as the day gets going. Sunrise hit right around 6:25 a.m., with sunset near 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long stretch of low‑light edges to work. Tides around the St. Augustine Inlet are running a typical summer pattern: morning incoming topping out mid‑morning, then a falling tide pushing water out the inlet early afternoon, with another flood building toward sunset. That first push of incoming water has been the money window in the creeks, while the start of the outgoing around the inlet has fired up the bite along the rocks and sandbars. Inshore, reds and trout have been the main story. Local anglers on the ICW between the 312 bridge and Vilano have been picking off slot reds, a few overs, and a scattering of rat reds along shell points and flooded spartina. Live shrimp and mud minnows under popping corks have produced steady action, with many boats reporting half a dozen to a dozen reds on a good tide. Topwater plugs at first light — think Skitter Walks and Spooks in bone or mullet patterns — have been draw­ing explosive strikes from both reds and gator trout on the grass edges. Speckled trout catches have been solid at dawn along the deeper bends of Salt Run and the Matanzas River. Soft plastic paddle tails on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads, in natural mullet or new penny colors, have out‑fished most hard baits once the sun gets up. Folks drifting the deeper holes with live shrimp on light Carolina rigs are bringing in a mix of trout, mangrove snapper, and the occasional flounder. Speaking of flounder, the flatfish bite is slowly waking up along the inlet rocks and dock lines. Anglers bouncing finger mullet and mud minnows on jigheads along the bottom are picking off a handful of keeper flounder each trip, mixed with undersized fish — not wide‑open yet, but worth targeting on that slower part of the tide. Around the St. Augustine Inlet, the jetties have been giving up good numbers of mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and drum. Fiddler crabs and small live shrimp tight to the rocks are the ticket. A few nice black drum have come from deeper pockets on blue crab chunks. Just off the beach, the nearshore bite has been centered on king mackerel and tarpon shadowing the bait pods. Slow‑trolled live pogies on stinger rigs are hanging kings, while free‑lined baits around nervous pods have drawn tarpon hookups for those willing to put in the time. Early morning glassy conditions are best before the sea breeze kicks up. Best lures right now: topwater walkers at dawn, 3–4 inch paddle tails on light jigs, gold spoons for covering shoreline, and shrimp‑imitating soft plastics around docks and bridge pilings. For bait, you can’t beat live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and pogies when you can net them. A couple of local hot spots to circle on your map: – The **Vilano to Usina stretch** of the ICW, working shell bars and creek mouths on the first of the incoming. – **Salt Run and the Conch House basin**, especially at daylight and the start of the fall, for trout, mangroves, and roaming reds. That’s your on‑the‑water scoop from St. Augustine. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Summer Tides and Shallow Bites: St. Augustine Inlet Report

This is Artificial Lure with your St. Augustine fishing report. We’re working a classic summer pattern this morning. Around St. Augustine Inlet you’ve got a pre‑dawn high tide rolling off into a mid‑morning fall, with the low tide late morning and another push coming in mid‑afternoon. That falling water is the money window: it pulls bait off the flats and pins it to creek mouths, oyster bars, and the edges of the ICW. Weather along the coast is warm and muggy, light southwest wind early shifting onshore by midday, with the sea breeze stacking up a little chop on the beach. Skies are partly cloudy. Sunrise is right around 6:25 a.m., sunset just after 8:25 p.m., giving you a long day but the best bite has been early and late. Water inshore is a bit stained from recent storms, with a light coffee tint in the creeks and greener water near the inlet and the beaches. That color has the predators comfortable up shallow. Finger mullet and glass minnows are thick around docks and marsh edges, with small pogies just off the beach when the wind lets you run. Inshore action has been solid. Local anglers around the Vilano and 312 bridges have been boxing good numbers of slot **redfish** and **speckled trout**, with a few upper‑slot fish caught at first light working current seams. There have also been scattered **flounder** off the rock piles and deep bends in the ICW. A few big **black drum** and **mangrove snapper** have come from bridge pilings on live shrimp and fiddler crabs. On the beaches and nearshore, the summer **tarpon** are starting to show around the pogy pods, with a mix of **king mackerel**, **jacks**, and a few **cobia** reported off the reefs and wrecks when the water cleans up. Surf casters working Matanzas Inlet and south toward Crescent Beach have picked up **whiting**, **pompano**, and the odd **bluefish** on shrimp and sand fleas. For lures, think bright and noisy. In the low light, a small topwater like a Skitter Walk or Spook Jr. in bone or mullet pattern worked along grass lines will draw trout and redfish. As the sun comes up, switch to 3–4 inch paddle tails in new penny, dark green, or purple on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads. Gold spoons slow‑rolled along oyster points are still one of the best producers for redfish here. If you’re soaking bait, the top choices are live shrimp, mud minnows, and small finger mullet. Shrimp under a popping cork around creek mouths and points has been deadly on trout and slot reds. For flounder, drag a live mud minnow on a jig or Carolina rig right along the bottom. Nearshore, slow‑trolled pogies or cigar minnows over the wrecks will give you a shot at kings and cobia, and a live pogy pitched to rolling tarpon off the beach is your best big‑fish ticket. A couple of hot spots to circle on your map: - The ICW bends and creek mouths between the 312 bridge and the 206 bridge: working the falling tide around oyster points has been putting steady redfish and trout in the boat. - St. Augustine Inlet jetties: fish the inside edges and the tips on the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing for flounder, reds, and occasional sheepshead; bring heavier tackle for the rocks and current. Work the tides, fish early and late, and match your bait to the local mullet and shrimp and you’ll stay bent all day. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

St. Augustine Fishing Report: Money Tides and Moving Water - Chase the Reds and Trout Today

This is Artificial Lure with your St. Augustine fishing report. We’re waking up to a classic First Coast morning: light southwest breeze early, building onshore sea breeze this afternoon. Air temps running mid‑70s at daybreak, pushing upper 80s by mid‑day with scattered clouds and the usual chance of a brief coastal shower. Sunrise is right around 6:20 a.m., sunset near 8:30 p.m., giving you a long window to chase a tide. According to the NOAA tide tables for St. Augustine Inlet, we’ve got an early morning high followed by a strong outgoing, then a mid‑afternoon low and a decent evening push of water back in. That falling water this morning and the first couple hours of the flood late day are your money tides. Work those edges where bait is forced off the flats and into the drains. Inshore, the Matanzas River, the ICW north toward Vilano, and the back creeks off Salt Run have been giving up solid slot redfish, scattered upper‑slot specks, and a few keeper flounder. Local shop reports from places like Oldest City Bait & Tackle say shrimp and mud minnows on jig heads or Carolina rigs are putting most of the meat in the cooler. Live mullet schools are thick along the banks, and anywhere you see nervous bait getting pushed, you’ll find reds and trout shadowing them. Artificials are playing well early and late. Walk‑the‑dog topwaters in bone or mullet patterns are drawing blowups from trout and reds on the higher water at first light. Once the sun gets up, switch to 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in new penny, root beer, or opening night on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads. For flounder, bounce a Gulp! swimming mullet or shrimp tight to docks, rock edges, and the mouths of small feeder creeks on the last of the outgoing. Off the beach and nearshore, local captains out of St. Augustine Marina and Camachee report good numbers of king mackerel on the wrecks and live bottom within 10–15 miles, with a few sailfish and cobia mixed in. Slow‑trolled live pogies and threadfins are the go‑to; if you’re running artificials, big diving plugs in blue/white or natural bunker patterns are getting bit. Bottom fishermen are still putting nice triggers, sea bass, and the occasional legal grouper on ice using cut squid, cigar minnows, and sardines on standard two‑hook rigs. Surf fishing along St. Augustine Beach and Vilano has been a mixed bag. There are still some pompano around but more whiting, jacks, and the odd slot red. Fresh peeled shrimp, sand fleas when you can find them, and Fishbites in shrimp or clam flavor have been the best producers on double‑drop rigs with 2–3 oz pyramid sinkers. Two hotspots to circle today: - The docks and oyster bars just north of the 312 bridge on the ICW during the last half of the outgoing and first of the incoming for reds, trout, and flounder. - The area just outside St. Augustine Inlet along the pogy pods for kings and cobia; look for diving birds and surface busts and get a live bait or big spoon in there quick. Overall fish activity has been good around the moving water windows. Mid‑day slack with bright sun is slow, so either go deep, fish shade around structure, or take a break and hit it again on the evening tide. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

St. Augustine Early Summer Bite: Reds, Trout, and Flounder on the Incoming Tide

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your St. Augustine fishing report. We’ve got a classic First Coast setup this morning. Around St. Augustine Inlet and the Intracoastal, the tide is running a typical early-summer cycle: an early-morning low pushing into a strong midmorning incoming, then a decent afternoon high before easing out this evening. That incoming water is your money window around the inlet jetties, Vilano Bridge, and the creek mouths north and south of town. Weather-wise, expect warm, muggy air, light to moderate onshore breeze, and the usual chance of a pop-up storm in the afternoon. Skies are partly cloudy, with enough sun to get the bait flashing in the water. Sunrise comes early over the ocean and sunset is late enough to give you a prime evening bite on the flats and docks. Inshore, fish activity has been good. Local dock talk and bait shop chatter around town say redfish and speckled trout are chewing early and late, with decent numbers of flounder showing along the ICW drop-offs and creek mouths. The reds have been cruising flooded grass edges on the higher stages of the tide, and slot-sized fish are still coming from oyster bars and deeper bends in creeks like Moses Creek, Pellicer, and the cuts behind Vilano. Trout reports are steady along deeper ICW edges and around lighted docks at night. Best lures right now: - For trout and slot reds at daybreak, walk-the-dog topwaters in bone or mullet patterns. - As the sun climbs, switch to 3–4 inch paddle tails and jerk shads in new penny, silver mullet, or natural green on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig heads. - For flounder, go with a low-and-slow presentation: small paddle tails or Gulp-style shrimp hugged tight to the bottom. Best natural bait: - Live shrimp under a popping cork along ICW edges and creek mouths. - Finger mullet and mud minnows on a fish-finder rig or jig head near structure for reds and flounder. - Cut mullet or ladyfish around dock pilings and oyster bars will draw the bigger reds. Off the beach and nearshore when seas let you get out, folks have been picking at king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and the occasional cobia along bait pods and near the local wrecks and reefs. Slow-trolled live pogies and sardines are doing work, with spoons and small dusters picking up Spanish and smaller kings. Expect that nearshore bite to turn on when the bait stacks up tight to the beach with clean green water. A couple of local hot spots to keep in mind: - St. Augustine Inlet jetties: great for reds, trout, sheepshead, and the odd snook or tarpon later in the season when the tide is moving hard. - The ICW stretch from the 312 Bridge south toward the 206 Bridge: plenty of creek mouths, docks, and oyster bars holding redfish, trout, and flounder on those moving tides. Remember, adjust to the tide and water clarity: lighter leaders and more natural colors in clear water, bump up your leader and go darker or more flashy when it’s dirty. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

St. Augustine Fishing Report: Outgoing Tide Magic and Early Morning Topwater Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your St. Augustine fishing report. We’ve got a classic Northeast Florida morning shaping up. Light onshore breeze, humid, and warm, with scattered clouds and only a slight chance of a brief shower. Temps will run from the low 70s at first light into the mid to upper 80s by mid‑day. Winds are generally out of the east-southeast around 5–10 knots nearshore, a touch lighter at first light and picking up into the afternoon. Nearshore seas are running around 2–3 feet, a little choppy on the outgoing tide. Sunrise is right around 6:20 a.m., with sunset close to 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long window to work prime low‑light periods at dawn and dusk. Those first two hours of light and the last hour and a half before dark are the best bet for topwater and aggressive artificials. Tidewise, expect a typical St. Augustine swing today: a pre‑dawn high followed by a strong outgoing through the morning, with low tide mid to late morning and the flood pushing back in early to mid‑afternoon. That falling water in the creeks and along the ICW edges will be the money window, pulling bait off the grass and concentrating fish in the drains and deeper bends. Inshore, the bite around St. Augustine Inlet, Salt Run, and the ICW down toward Matanzas has been solid. Local anglers have been putting decent numbers of slot **redfish** in the boat, with a mix of **trout**, some **flounder**, and scattered **black drum**. Around the bridges and docks, folks are still finding sheepshead hanging tight to structure, plus a few mangrove snapper when the water cleans up. Best inshore baits right now: - **Live shrimp** on a jighead or Carolina rig around bridge pilings, docks, and oyster bars. - **Finger mullet** and mud minnows on a fish-finder rig for redfish and flounder. - Cut **mullet** or ladyfish on the bottom along ICW ledges for reds and drum. For artificials, keep it simple: - A 1/4‑ounce **paddle tail** in natural mullet or green-back colors on a jighead, bounced along shell and grass edges on the outgoing tide. - Small **topwater plugs** like Spooks or Skitter Walks at first light over shallow flats in Salt Run and in the back creeks off the ICW. - Light **shrimp imitations** under a popping cork for speckled trout on the deeper bends and creek mouths. Off the beach, nearshore reports just outside St. Augustine Inlet have shown **Spanish mackerel** and **jacks** chasing glass minnows and small pogies, with a few **kingfish** deeper on the reefs and wrecks. Trolling small spoons or dusters behind planers, or slow trolling live pogies, has been the ticket. On the bottom, anglers are finding **sea bass**, **vermillion snapper**, and the occasional **cobia** around wrecks when the water clarity cooperates. Couple of hot spots to circle on your mental map: - **St. Augustine Inlet & Bridge of Lions area**: Work the jetty rocks and adjacent channel edges on the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming for redfish, trout, and the odd snook. Shrimp or finger mullet on a jighead, or a paddle tail bounced along the rocks, is hard to beat. Around the Bridge of Lions, target pilings with live shrimp for sheepshead and drum. - **Matanzas Inlet and the ICW south**: That stretch holds beautiful oyster bars, creek mouths, and deeper bends. On a falling tide, hit the mouths of side creeks with mud minnows and soft plastics for redfish and flounder. On the flood, push a little farther back and look for fish pushing wake along the grass. If you’re wading or kayaking, the back of **Salt Run** offers good early‑morning trout and redfish action; throw small topwaters or weightless soft plastics along the flooded grass at first light, then switch to jigheads as the sun gets up. That’s your on‑the‑water rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn