St. Augustine Fishing Report: Rising Tide, Slot Reds, and Tarpon Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your St. Augustine fishing report. We’ve got a light onshore Atlantic breeze early, 5–10 knots, building a bit through midday, with scattered clouds and only a slight chance of a passing shower. Air temps are running from the low 70s at first light into the mid 80s this afternoon. According to the National Weather Service marine outlook, seas are sitting around 2–3 feet just off the beach, so it’s very manageable for nearshore runs. Sunrise is right around 6:20 a.m., with sunset close to 8:25 p.m., giving you a long fishing window on either side of the tides. The recent tide tables for the St. Augustine Inlet show a pre-dawn high followed by a solid falling tide through the morning, then a low and a clean incoming this afternoon. That outgoing morning tide has been the money time in the creeks and at the inlet rocks. Inshore, folks have been picking at **slot redfish**, **speckled trout**, and a few **flounder**. Local reports from the Vilano and Salt Run crowd say reds have been stacked on oyster points where the current sweeps past hard edges. Shrimp and mud minnows on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads are putting fish in the boat. For artificials, a 3–4 inch paddle tail in natural mullet or green-back colors has been hot. Topwater plugs at first light over grass lines and creek mouths are drawing explosive trout strikes. Flounder numbers have ticked up around docks along the ICW and in the Matanzas River. Anglers drifting finger mullet or mud minnows just off the bottom are finding a mix of keepers and shorts. A plain jig head with a Gulp! swimming mullet in white or new penny is a solid artificial choice. Around the St. Augustine Inlet, the jetty rocks are holding **mangrove snapper**, **sheepshead**, and a few **black drum**. Live shrimp on light fluorocarbon leaders, tucked tight to the rocks, are producing. Work the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming for the best bite and safer conditions. Nearshore, the beach has seen **tarpon** rolling, scattered **king mackerel**, and plenty of **sharks** shadowing the pogie pods when they’ve been up. Local charter chatter out of Camachee suggests slow-trolled live pogies on stinger rigs just outside the breakers are getting kings and the occasional big jack. If the bait pods are scattered, try diving plugs in natural or chrome patterns. If you’re looking for a couple of hot spots: - The **Matanzas Inlet area** and the flats just north have been very productive on the falling tide for reds and trout. - **Salt Run and the nearby grass edges** inside the inlet are holding good trout at dawn and reds on the higher water phases. Best overall baits right now: live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet, and pogies. Best artificials: topwater walk-the-dog plugs at dawn, 3–4 inch paddle tails in natural mullet colors, and Gulp! shrimp or swimming mullet worked slowly near structure. That’s the rundown from in and around St. Augustine. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn