Sarasota Bay snook and redfish biting as fall moves fish inshore

What's biting

What's next

Grassett's October outlook has snook staging around docks and bridges in the ICW and on shallow flats as they head toward their winter areas. He recommends live shrimp around docks and bridges or pilchards in shallow water, with smaller lures and flies a good choice when the fish are sitting in skinny water. Capt. Brandon Naeve of the same shop notes that warm water keeps snook most active at this time of year, and the water here is still warm. Expect the inshore pattern to hold this week, and watch for the first real cool front, which would push fish inside faster.

Tide timing sets the windows. At St. Petersburg (NOAA station 8726520) the next high is 11:15 AM EDT and the low is 6:32 PM. At Clearwater Beach (NOAA station 8726724) the high comes at 9:04 AM and the low at 3:52 PM. Plan on the falling water after each morning high. Buoy winds of 13 to 18 mph point to a breezy day, so check the marine forecast before heading out.

Context

Early October on the Gulf side typically still feels like summer, and water near 85°F is warm for the month, so the seasonal cooling that pushes snook and redfish toward back bays and grass flats has not really started. Through October and into November, the usual pattern is for snook to move off the beaches and passes and set up along docks, bridges and channel edges as the water drops. Redfish tend to follow bait onto the flats and into the creeks. Anglers fishing this stretch in October often do best on moving tides, when current concentrates baitfish and the predators feeding on them along structure. The fall snook season on the Gulf Coast begins September 1, and anglers who plan to keep a fish should check current state regulations before harvesting, since size and possession limits can change.