Redfish and fall mullet run set the Gulf tone

What's biting

What's next

Both CO-OPS stations show the next predicted low tide later today, at 20:05 UTC for station 8735180 and 21:07 UTC for station 8736897. That works out to roughly 3:05 PM and 4:07 PM Central. Falling water through the afternoon tends to push bait out of the shallows and concentrate it along edges and drop-offs, which is where predators stage to feed.

Plan the best window around that outgoing tide, then the turn at the bottom. Fish the last of the falling water and the first of the rising tide, when current movement is strongest and bait is most vulnerable.

With the First Quarter moon, tidal swings are moderate. That usually means steady, workable current rather than the extremes of a new or full moon, which suits anglers who want manageable conditions for shallow-water work.

If water temperatures keep easing through late October, expect the bait to keep moving and fish to follow it. Sport Fishing Mag points out that as water cools, slow-sinking and suspending plugs become increasingly productive for large speckled trout along the Gulf coast. Trout are not something our readings or reports here confirm for this stretch, so treat that as a seasonal technique to keep in the box rather than a local call.

The pattern for the coming days is straightforward: follow the mullet, fish the tide change, and keep lures moving at a pace that matches cooling water. Check state regs before harvesting anything.

Context

Mid October on the northern Gulf is typically a transition period. Summer heat has broken, water temperatures are drifting down from their peak, and baitfish begin staging and moving as the fall run builds. Readings in the low to mid 70s are about what we'd expect for this point in the calendar, so the season looks to be right on schedule rather than early or late.

This phase usually brings more consistent inshore action than the heat of midsummer, with fish feeding more actively through the day as the water cools. Late fall tends to push the larger fish toward slower, more deliberate presentations, and that shift generally strengthens as temperatures continue to fall into November.