Snook slide toward winter haunts as the inshore bite stays warm

What's biting

What's next

Tides give clear windows to plan around. At station 8726520 the next high is 2:48 AM and the next low is 10:34 AM EDT. At station 8726724 the low lands at 7:55 AM and the high at 2:25 PM EDT. Moving water is what snook want around dock lines and bridge pilings, so the falling tide through the morning and the push after the low are the periods to prioritize.

With a New Moon, nights are dark and tidal swings tend to run stronger than average. That usually means more current through cuts and along flat edges, which can switch on redfish and snook that sit up on structure waiting for bait to be swept past. Early and late hours are typically the most productive, and a few anglers like to fish a slow-moving lure through the same bridge shadows after the bait has been worked over.

Over the next few days, the warm 80s water should keep the snook bite going inside. If the first real cool nights arrive, expect the migration toward winter areas to speed up, and fish will stack on deeper dock lines and bridge pilings. Redfish should stay catchable on the shallow flats as long as the water stays this warm. Check state regulations before keeping any snook, since seasons and slot limits change.

Context

Mid-October is right on schedule for the Gulf Coast shift from summer to winter patterns. Snook that spent summer around passes and the beach are typically moving inside now, and Grassett's description of fish drifting along the beach toward the ICW matches that classic fall transition. Warm water this late in the year tends to keep them feeding aggressively rather than sulking.

Tarpon are a different story. Grassett's September outlook noted that adult migratory tarpon thin out of the coastal Gulf by that time and move to inside waters, where you may find them around bridges or over deep grass flats before they leave the area. Any tarpon still around in October are likely holding in those same inside spots, and DOA lures or live bait were his suggested approach.

Redfish are a steady inshore option through the fall and winter, working shallow flats and edges. The seasonal read for this part of Florida is a strong inshore stretch now, followed by a gradual move toward cold-weather patterns as fronts become more regular.