Snook and redfish active inshore around docks, bridges and flats

What's biting

What's next

Tide timing is the planning anchor this week. At station 8726520 the high falls at 7:45 AM and the low at 4:44 PM, and station 8726724 runs earlier, with its high at 5:32 AM and its low at 2:06 PM. Build your plan around those windows.

Expect the snook movement Grassett describes to keep building as the fish settle onto docks and bridges, and let the flats bite decide where you spend the morning. Kurtz's trip and the Pine Island Sound redfish both point to redfish staying active inshore, so they're a reasonable second target. Capt. Brandon Naeve's weekly report at CB's says the warm water this time of year makes snook most active, and the 83.8°F reading fits that. Tarpon are a slow bite until reports say otherwise.

Check the local forecast before heading out, and check state regulations before keeping any snook, since CB's notes the fall Gulf Coast season opened September 1.

Context

Early October sits at the tail of the warm season in Tampa Bay and Sarasota, and water in the low 80s is typical for this stretch, so the fish are still in late-summer patterns. The fall transition, when snook and redfish gather around structure and move inside as the water starts to cool, usually builds through October and into November. Tarpon run on their own schedule, moving inside to rest and feed before they leave the area, so a thin tarpon bite now fits a typical fall pattern rather than running early or late. Last Quarter typically means smaller tidal swings than the spring tides, so expect less current through the passes than during the new and full moon phases.