Redfish and snook turn on as Gulf anglers ditch the plugs

What's biting

What's next

Expect the pattern to hold through the next couple of days. At Fort Myers, the next low tide falls around 9:54 a.m. Eastern with the high following near 3:58 p.m.; at Cedar Key the low comes earlier, around 7:46 a.m., with the high near 2:03 p.m. Those midday-to-afternoon highs are worth building a redfish and snook trip around, since moving water pushed against structure in that window lines up with when Salt Strong's soft-plastic switch produced fish.

With the moon in a waning crescent phase, tidal swings are moderating rather than maxing out, so anglers chasing a stronger moving-water bite may find it builds toward new moon later in the week. If the plug bite stays sluggish elsewhere along the coast, the jerk-lure adjustment is worth trying before moving spots entirely, since it turned around an outing in water that looked right but wasn't producing.

Context

Early October sits squarely in the fall transition for Gulf Coast saltwater fishing, and the mullet run already underway is a big part of why. Saltwater Sportsman's coverage of the migration notes mullet pouring out of rivers, bays, and estuaries along the Gulf of Mexico by the millions from September into November, a bait push that typically pulls predators like redfish and snook tight against beaches, passes, and backwater edges as water temperatures ease down from summer highs. The spread between the Fort Myers and Cedar Key readings this week is consistent with that cooling trend moving through the region at different rates depending on depth and exposure. Snook season is generally open in Gulf state waters at this point in the year, though anglers should confirm current regulations before harvesting any fish. Overall, the coast is on a fairly typical schedule for this point in fall, with the mullet-driven bite still building rather than tailing off.