Florida Keys Fishing Report for Aug 28, 2025 - Lively Tides, Mixed Bag Bites, and Poaching Warnings

Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys fishing report for Thursday, August 28, 2025.

We kicked off the day with sunrise at 7:04 a.m. and we’ll see sunset tonight at 7:56 p.m., giving us nearly 13 hours of daylight to wet a line. Tides today were lively, with the first low hitting just before 2 a.m., a hearty high at 9:05 a.m., another low around 3:53 p.m., and the last high washing in at 10:25 p.m. The tidal coefficient peaked at 80 and finished around 87, which means significant current movement—right on cue for getting fish on the chew, especially along the deeper cuts and points, so plan your drifts accordingly. Guides say water temps are holding steady in the mid-80s, setting up prime conditions for a mixed bag as summer wraps up, but always check the latest wind and surf forecast before running out.

Weather today has been classic late-summer Keys: partly cloudy, humid, and hot, with the breeze staying mostly out of the east-southeast. That’s keeping backcountry waters moving and reef edges alive with action.

Now, let’s get to the meat and bones: fish activity. The backcountry has been lit up with mangrove snapper, yellowtail, and some big muttons mixed in around the channels and patch reefs—live pilchards remain the hot bait, though small pilchard-tipped jigs and Gulp! Shrimp are putting fish in the cooler as well. Over by the bridges, it’s still prime permit season; Tsunami Tackle posted today about one of their best bridge catches ever, with permit falling to live crabs drifted on outgoing tide. Tarpon are still stacking up under the fenders for anglers fishing dusk to dawn, taking big mullet or artificial swimbaits during those shadowy tide changes.

Offshore, Mahi are working weedlines in 400-600 feet, with plenty of schoolies and a few heftier gaffers coming over the rail this week. Trolled skirted ballyhoo and flashy dolphin jigs have been the ticket—Captain Experiences confirms light-tackle trolling is keeping coolers full, especially on calm mornings. Keep a pitch rod ready for those cruising fish that show up behind debris. Blackfin tuna and skipjack schools are under birds and over humps deeper out, so vertical jigs and live pilchards work great when you’re in the marks.

Inshore, bonefish and permit are tailing on the morning flats—just after sunup’s been best, working shrimp-tipped jigs or small natural crabs. The outflow after morning high tide pushes the bite, especially near channel points where mixing currents are strongest.

A quick word of warning: FWC reports some recent run-ins with poachers—like the fellow caught yesterday with 53 lobsters, a black crab, and a snapper, all out of season or illegal by method. Remember, regular lobster season’s underway since August 6, but stick to legal gear and limits—hand or net only, no spears or harpoons.

For best results right now, pack a box with live shrimp, pilchards, and crabs. Top artificial picks: Gulp! Shrimp in New Penny for the snapper and muttons, and Yo-Zuri crystal minnows or Rapala X-Raps for casting to pelagics. Early morning topwater action can fire up for snook and jack near the mangroves on a calm day, with Bone Skitter Walks drawing big surface strikes.

A couple hot spots to focus your efforts:
- The Seven Mile Bridge for big mangroves and tarpon, especially on sustained outgoing tides at dusk.
- Islamorada’s Snake Creek and Whale Harbor flats at sunrise for tailing permit and bonefish.

Thanks for tuning in to the Florida Keys fishing scene with Artificial Lure. Don't forget to subscribe for tomorrow's on-the-water updates, tips, and hot bites.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lure. Here with your Ford to Keys fishing report
for Thursday August twenty eighth, twenty twenty five. We kicked
off the day with sunrise at seven zero four am,
and we'll see sunset tonight at seven fifty six pm,
giving us nearly thirteen hours of daylight to wet a line.
Tides today were lively, with the first low hitting just

(00:21):
before two am, a hardy high at nine oh five am,
another low around three point fifty three pm, and the
last high washing in at ten twenty five pm. The
title coefficient peaked at eighty and finished around eighty seven,
which means significant current movement right on que for getting
fish on the chew, especially along the deeper cuts and points,

(00:43):
so plan your drifts accordingly. Give say water temps are
holding steady in the mid eighties, setting up prime conditions
for a mixed bag as summer wraps up. But always
check the latest wind and surf forecast before running out.
Weather today has been classic late summer Keys, partly cloud,
humid and hur rate move all weights staying mostly out

(01:04):
of the east south. That's keeping backcountry waters moving and
reef edges alive with action. Now let's get to the
meat and bones. Fish activity. The backcountry has been lit
up with mangrove, snapper, yellowtail, and some big muttons mixed
in around the channels and patch reefs. Live pilchards remain
the hot bait. Those small pilcher tip jigs in gulp

(01:27):
shrimp are putting fish in the cooler as well. Over
by the bridges, it's still prime permit season. Tsunami Tackle
posted today about one of their best bridge catches ever,
with commit falling to live crabs drifted on outgoing tide.
Tarpin are still stacking up under the fenders for anglers
fishing dust to dawn, taking big mullet or artificial swin
baits during those shadowy tipe changes. Offshore Mayer working weed

(01:51):
lines and four thousand, six hundred feet with plenty of
schoolies and a few heftier gathers coming over the rail
this week told skirtig, barleyhe and flashy dolphin jags have
been the ticket. Captain Experiences confirms light tackle trolling is
keeping coolers full, especially on call mornings. Keep a pitch
rod ready for those cruising fish that show up behind debris. Blackfin,

(02:13):
tuna and skipjack schools are under birds and over humps
deeper out, so vertical jigs and live pilchards work great
when you're in the marks inshore. Bonefish and permit are
tailing on the morning flats just after sun up's been
best working shrimp, tip jags or small natural crabs. The
outflow after morning high tide pushes the bite, especially near

(02:35):
channel points where mixing currents are strongest. A quick word
of warning. FWC reports some recent runnings with poachers like
the fellow caught yesterday with fifty three lobsters, a black crab,
and a snapper, all out of season or illegal by method.
Remember regular lobster seasons underway since August sixth, but stick

(02:58):
to legal gear and limits or net only no spears
or harpoons for best results. Right now, pack a box
with live shrimp, pilchards and crabs, top artificial picks, gulp
shrimp in new penny for the snapper and muttons, and
Yozeri crystal minnows or rapalla x raps for casting to pelagics.

(03:19):
Early morning topwater action can fire up for snook and
jack near the mangroves on a calm day with bone
skin or walks, drawing big surface strikes. A couple hot
spots to focus your efforts. The Seven Mile Bridge for
big mangroves and tarpain, especially on sustained outgoing tides at dusk,
Islamortous Snake Creek and Whale Harbor Flats at sunrise for tailing,

(03:42):
permit and bonefish. Thanks for tuning in to the Florida
Keys fishing scene with artificial lure. Don't forget to subscribe
for tomorrow's on the water updates, tips and hot bites.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet Please dot ai