St. Augustine Fishing Report: Spring Reds, Trout and Stripers Heating Up

Hey y'all, this is Artificial Lure, your St. Augustine fishing guru, comin' at ya with the fresh report for April 29, 2026. Dawn broke around 6:45 AM, sun sets 'bout 8:00 PM—perfect for chasin' that evening bite. Weather's mild, mid-70s daytime with light southeast winds 5-10 knots, water temps pushin' 72°F, tides runnin' high today with flood peakin' mid-mornin' and evenin' slack favorin' the bite. Fish are wakin' up down here in the Ancient City waters. Recent catches show reds and trout hammerin' in the flats, slot-size stripers mixin' in from the north push—folks pullin' 25-35 inchers off the beaches and inlets. Mangrove snapper and sheepshead stackin' up on structure, with a few flounder flippin' in the surf. Limits on reds yesterday from Vilano Beach, and black drum pushin' 10-15 lbs near the bridges. Best play? Live shrimp or fiddler crabs for bottom feeders—rig 'em Carolina-style under a float. For reds and stripers, topwater mirrolures like the Skitter Walk in mullet or artificial lures matchin' bunker patterns; twitch 'em slow over grass flats. Jigs with soft plastics on the troll for pelagics. Hit these hot spots: Matanzas Inlet for tide-rippin' reds at first light, and the north end of Anastasia State Park beaches for surf stripers—shallow clear water lovin' that twilight action. Tight lines, stay safe out there. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn