Islamorada Fishing Report: Snook, Redfish, and Tarpon Abound in Cooler Fall Conditions

As of November 29, 2024, the fishing scene in Islamorada, Florida, is looking promising, especially with the cooler temperatures setting in. ### Weather and Tides Today, you can expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures ranging from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. The winds are moderate, blowing at about 10-15 mph. For tides, we have a high tide at around 10:30 AM and a low tide at 4:30 PM, which should provide some good movement for the fish. ### Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise is at 6:43 AM, and sunset will be at 5:28 PM, giving you ample daylight to get out on the water. ### Fish Activity The fish have been quite active lately, particularly in the backcountry. Snook and redfish have been the stars of the show, with many anglers reporting catches of nice-sized fish. Tarpon are still present around the local bridges and channels, although their numbers are dwindling as the weather cools down. ### Catches Yesterday saw some excellent catches. In the backcountry, anglers were landing multiple snook and redfish, with some reports of fish in the 24-27 inch range for snook and smaller but still decent numbers of redfish. Offshore, there were reports of mahi-mahi and some big spanish mackerel on bait balls, which made for exciting fishing. ### Best Lures and Bait For snook and redfish, live bait such as shrimp, pinfish, and mullet have been working well. Soft plastic lures like DOA shrimp or jerk baits are also effective. If you're targeting tarpon, try using large streamers or live bait like crabs or mullet. For offshore fishing, jigs and spoons are great for catching mahi-mahi and mackerel. ### Hot Spots One of the best spots right now is the backcountry areas around Florida Bay, where you can tuck away in more protected waters even on windy days. Another hot spot is around the local bridges and channels, which are still holding some tarpon and other species like snook and redfish. Overall, it's a great time to be fishing in Islamorada, with comfortable fall temperatures and active fish. Make sure to be out there as the sun warms up the waters, as this is when the fish tend to go crazy feeding. Enjoy your day on the water