Weekend Roundup: Mahi, Tuna, and Redfish Galore on Florida's Gulf Coast

Artificial Lure here with your Gulf of Mexico, Florida fishing report for Sunday, June 22, 2025. Summer’s in full swing and the bite’s hot up and down the coast, from the Panhandle down to Naples and across to the southwest. Conditions are lining up for a productive weekend on the water. Weather’s steamy with highs reaching the upper 80s and low 90s and a decent shot at those classic Florida afternoon pop-up storms, so rig up early and plan to dodge some rain. Winds have been mostly light, giving us smooth runs out in the Gulf and clear waters around the passes and flats. Today’s sunrise was at 5:49 AM with sunset at 7:55 PM, offering plenty of daylight to get after it. The tide’s your friend: high tide rolled in at 7:58 AM, and we’ll hit low around 8:55 PM according to Tide Forecast. A moving tide like this usually fires up the bite near structure and on the grass flats. Offshore, anglers are reporting small packs of dolphin—mahi mahi—following weed lines and floating debris, best taken trolling small ballyhoo, bonita strips, or squid. Blackfin tuna are active in 200-300 feet, especially at dawn and dusk, with small feathers or daisy chains the top producers. Kingfish are still lining up along the 120-foot ledge; drift live sardines or troll a swimming plug early and late in the day for your best shot, per the Juno Bait Fishing Report. Reef and bottom fishing’s been steady with solid catches of snapper species—mangrove, lane, and vermilion—over rocky bottom and near artificial reefs. Sardines are the prime bait, but cut squid and live pinfish will do the trick. Look for red grouper in 60-120 feet and some cobia popping up around trap floats and structure, according to CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Inshore, snook and jacks are staged up along seawalls and deeper docks. Live mullet is the go-to bait during the day—fish them tight to cover with a little current. Night anglers are hauling in snook around bridge pilings and under dock lights with flairhawks, big swimbaits, and shrimp-imitating soft plastics. Mangrove snapper are making a push inshore, taking live shrimp and small pilchards. Redfish are patrolling the grass flats and mangrove edges. Early mornings, work topwater plugs like a Zara Spook or Skitterwalk over potholes. As the sun rises, switch to CAL jigs with shad tails or jerkworms to cover water and find those reds laid up in sand holes. Keep an eye out for Spanish mackerel, false albacore, and the occasional tarpon or tripletail near crab trap buoys and in the passes. Medium spinning tackle and a DOA Shrimp or weighted soft plastic will get the job done. Fly anglers can score with Clouser minnows on sink-tip lines. Hot spots to hit today include the passes and flats around Sarasota Bay, especially near Longboat Pass, and the reefs off Naples and Marco Island, where the bottom bite is especially strong this week. Thanks for tuning in to today’s Gulf of Mexico Florida Fishing Report. Don’t forget to subscribe for more updates. Thi This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.