Autumn Angling Ignites Keys Fisheries: Redfish, Snook, Trout, and More Lighting Up the Waters

Good morning Florida Keys anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your October 28th fishing report. The *fall bite* is lighting up our waters, and today promises another classic Keys adventure, so let’s dive right in.

Sunrise hit us at 7:31AM, with sunset rolling in at 6:49PM—plenty of good light for the early risers and sunset chasers. Tides are textbook for October, starting with a nice high at 2:06AM, dropping to a low at 9:26AM, climbing again to a second high at 4:17PM, and slipping to a final low at 7:27PM. With that healthy swing, expect strong movement to get fish feeding inshore and offshore.

Weather’s dialing in with that first snap of cooler fall breeze just brushing the islands. According to Capt. Danny Stasny’s report this morning, the cooling temps are cranking up fish activity, with water clarity looking solid for sight-casting and the wind laying down enough to keep most boats comfortable.

Let’s talk fish—what’s hot and what’s getting hauled over the rails. Up and down the Keys, catches are strong for **redfish, snook, trout, and mackerel**, with plenty of action on the flats and backcountry as well as the reefs. Local trips out of Islamorada and Marathon are coming back heavy on mangrove snapper and also scoring decent numbers of muttons and some big grouper. Offshore, captains out of Key West are reporting steady picks of mahi-mahi, sailfish, and scattered tuna. Bonefish and permit are showing in skinny water, and tarpon are still around bridge shadow lines for those pitching crabs or live mullet.

Recent trips have averaged a dozen reds, limits of snappers for most, sustained mackerel runs, and quality trout coming off the grass beds. Bear Holeman Charters noted that most anglers last week each landed at least 10 snapper per outing, with a mix of keeper-size yellowtail and mangrove. Headshaker Sportfishing has seen four or five permit coming to hand on the tides, and Dog House Charters reports doubles on small dolphin during fast drifts offshore.

Now, for those who ask, “Artificial or live?” Most locals know you can get it done with both, but fall traffic favors **soft plastics**—paddle tails and jerkbaits for snook and reds, worked slow over potholes or bounced along the mangroves. Gold spoons and topwater plugs are drawing strikes early and late from spooky trout and rolling tarpon. For snapper and grouper, nothing beats a chunk of *fresh ballyhoo* or live pinfish. Offshore chasers should rig up with trolling feathers in blue-and-white for mahi or go deep with butterfly jigs for tunas. Live pilchards and cigar minnows are still top bait for the serious reef bite.

A couple of hotspots this morning:
- **Channel 2 Bridge**: Solid action for mangrove snapper, look for larger trout hugging structure on the outgoing tide.
- **Marathon’s Seven Mile Reef**: Big muttons and the odd grouper as cooler water triggers a feeding rush.
- **Islamorada’s flats**: Bonefish and permit cruising strong during midday flood, best with crab patterns or shrimp-tipped jigs.

That’s your Florida Keys fishing fix for October 28th. Remember, adjust lure and bait selections to match tidal swings and target species, and keep an eye on the weather for windows of glassy water and surface feeds.

Thanks for tuning in to your local report—be sure to subscribe for updates every week. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning floor to Keys anglers. This is artificial lore
bringing you your October twenty eighth fishing report. The fall
bite is lighting up our waters and today promises another
classic keys adventure, so let's dive right in. Sunrise hit
us at seven thirty one am, with sunset rolling in
at six forty nine pm, plenty of good light for

(00:20):
the early risers and sunset chasers. Tides a textbook for October,
starting with a nice high at two six am, dropping
to a low at nine twenty six am, climbing again
to a second high at four seventeen pm, and slipping
to a final low at seven twenty seven pm. With
that healthy swing, expect strong movement to get fish feeding

(00:42):
inshore and offshore weathers dialing in with that first snap
of cooler fall breeze just brushing the islands. According to
Captain Danny Stasney's report this morning, the cooling temperatures are
cranking up fish activity, with water clarity looking solid for
sight casting and the winding down enough to keep most
boats comfortable. Let's talk fish, what's hot and what's getting

(01:05):
hauled over the rails up and down the keys catches
are strong for redfish. Snook, trout and mackerel, with plenty
of action on the flats and back country as well
as the reefs. Local trips out of Islamorada and Marathon
are coming back heavy on mangrove snapper and also scoring
decent numbers of muttons and some big grouper. Offshore, captains

(01:27):
out of Key West are reporting steady picks of mayumahi,
sailfish and scattered tuna. Bonefish and permit are showing in
skinny water and tarpin are still around bridge shadow lines
for those pitching crabs or live mullet. Recent trips have
averaged a dozen reds limits of snappers for most sustained
macro runs and quality trout coming off the grass beds.

(01:50):
Bear Holman Charters noted that most anglers last week each
landed at least ten snapper per outing with a mix
of keeper size yellowtail and mangrove Headshaker. Sport Fishing has
seen four of five permit coming to hand on the tides,
and Doghouse Charters reports doubles on small dolphin during fast
drifts offshore. Now, for those who ask artificial or live

(02:12):
most locals know you can get it done with both,
but fall traffic favors tass of soft plastics, paddle tails
and jerk baits for snoken reds, work slow over potholes
or bounced along the mangroves. Bold spoons and top water
plugs are drawing strikes early and late from spooky trout
and rolling tarpin For snapper and gruper. Nothing beats a

(02:32):
chunk of fresh bally who are live pinfish. Offshore chasers
should rig up with trolling feathers and blue and white
for mahe or go deep with butterfly jigs for tunas.
Live pilchards and cigar minnows are still top bait for
the serious reef bite. A couple of hotspots this morning
Channel two bridge solid action for mangrove snapper. Look for

(02:54):
larger trout hugging structure on the outgoing tie marathons seven
mile reef, big mud buttons and the odd grouper as
cooler water triggers. A feeding rush, narafan islamoradas, flats, bonefish
and permit cruising strong during midday flood best with crad
patterns or shrink tip jigs. That's your Florida Keys fishing
fix for October twenty eighth. Remember a just lure in

(03:17):
bait selections to match tidal swings and target species, and
keep an eye on the weather for windows of glassy
water and surface feeds. Thanks for tuning in your local report.
Be sure to subscribe for updates every week. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
Please dot ai