Florida Gulf Coast Fishing Forecast: Redfish, Trout, Snook, Grouper Bite On

Artificial Lure checking in from Florida’s Gulf coast, and this Tuesday morning kicks off prime late-fall fishing with a touch of cool air drifting over the water. Sunrise hit at 6:49 a.m. and sunset’s due by 5:28 p.m. The tide’s on the upswing across the region, with a high of about 2.8 feet rolling in around 7:15 a.m., a low at 1:46 p.m., then another high near dusk—predict a fair bit of current all day, and that always perks up the bite according to the Tides4Fishing folks. Weather’s sitting mild for November, breezy from the north with a gentle shift predicted south by afternoon; not much chop, just a little ripple, making it ideal for working the flats and nearshore structure. According to the South Florida Water Management District’s King Tide Outlook, tides this week are above average, so expect some swollen marshes and back bay access. Fish activity has spiked since the cold snap rolled through. Reports from The Islander and Spreaker confirm solid action: **Redfish** are thick along the oyster bars and grassy edges, and **black drum** are hugging the deeper holes just offshore. Trout are feeding heavy early, and snook are cruising lights at bridges and mangroves as that water temp drifts down near 68°F. Offshore, guys are decking plenty of mangrove snapper and slot-sized grouper over the wrecks and patches. Captain Rick’s picks from Florida Insider Fishing Report mention cobia showing north near Port Inglis and steady Spanish mackerel around passes. Catch numbers since the weekend have been strong. Several crews pulled double-digit reds up near Boca Grande, with a mix of slot and upper-slot fish. The black drum bite has turned on at Anna Maria, especially using cut blue crab. Mixed bags from Sarasota to Naples included pompano, flounder, and 20-30 Spanish per trip, and offshore boats saw grouper limits with mangos mixed in. For tackle: locals are smashing it with **swimbaits** and soft plastics—white paddletails and rootbeer shrimp imitators rigged weedless get crushed at first light. Topwater plugs like the Super Spook Jr. and MirrOlure She Dog are working the shallows near the grass. Live bait’s always a winner, and fresh shrimp or pilchards are in hot demand right now. If you’re set up for cut bait, blue crab or pinfish chunks are the ticket for drum and reds. Two hot spots for today: - **Boca Grande Pass:** Redfish and Spanish mackerel are thick with incoming tide, and afternoon low fills the pass with feeding drum. - **Sarasota Bay Grass Flats:** Early birds targeting skinny water will find trout and mixed reds near the Long Bar and City Island edges. Stay flexible—tide swings and a little breeze can push schools onto new structure quick. Wade fishers in Pine Island Sound saw surprise flounder, and folks drifting in Estero Bay netted a handful of pompano between the oyster beds. Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss local updates and top tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more chec This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.