Fishing the Florida Keys: Snapper, Sailfish, and Stellar Sights on the Water

Artificial Lure coming to you with the Florida Keys fishing report for Sunday, October 19, 2025.

First thing, get ready for a beautiful day on the water. Sunrise in Key West hit at 7:27am and sunset’s coming at 6:56pm, giving us nearly twelve hours of solid fishing time. Tides are working in our favor for active bites today: low tide wrapped up at 2:55am, first high hits at 9:41am, another low swings by at 3:03pm, and a second high at 9:33pm. If you’re looking for that prime window, focus your efforts around high tide this morning and again after dark—the bite tends to peak as that water starts moving in and out, especially around the bridges and channels. Winds are predicted light to moderate, skies mostly clear and temps easing into the mid-80s. Classic Keys fall weather, folks.

Fish activity is on the upswing. According to local guides and the Daily Fish Report, offshore waters have been seeing solid runs of mutton snapper, Spanish mackerel, and fall sailfish, while inshore flats action is heating up for snook, bonefish, and some decent redfish. Tarpon and juvenile grouper have been more active this week, and anglers are reporting quick hookups at dawn on patch reefs from Key Largo down to Big Pine.

Reports say the snapper bite has been best on cut pilchard and squid, while mackerel, jacks, and ladyfish have been hammering silver spoons and fast-ripped Got-Cha plugs. Sailfish and king mackerel offshore are hitting live ballyhoo and blue runner. If you’re working the shallows near the flats and mangroves, bonefish are loving pink shrimp-tipped jigs, while snook and redfish are dialed in on dark-colored paddle tails and DOA shrimp. For tarpon, dusk brings out their appetite—try floating a live crab under bridges as the sun sets.

Best bait right now:
- **Live shrimp** for snapper, bonefish, and trout
- **Cut bait** like pilchard and mullet for mutton snapper and grouper
- **Silver spoons, MirrOlures, and topwater plugs** for mackerel and jacks
- **Soft plastics and jerk baits** for snook and redfish on the flats

Hot spots you don’t want to skip:
- **Seven Mile Bridge:** Both sides are producing. Early morning you'll see mutton snapper and juvenile grouper holding up around the pilings.
- **West side of Big Pine Key near Pine Channel:** Bonefish and snook have been coming in on the incoming tide. Channel edges and grass flats here are a must at daybreak.
- **Marathon patch reefs:** Patch reefs 4-6 miles out are giving up quality catches of lane snapper, mackerel, and some nice mangrove snapper.
- **Long Key flats:** Good shots at tailing reds and cruising snook, especially mid-morning as that tide comes up. Sight-casting with weedless jerk baits is money.

The past week’s action saw most boats reporting limits of mangrove snapper, a couple sailfish releases, and solid numbers of Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. The bonefish bite has especially been strong near sandy potholes on the ocean side flats.

Heads up for slack tide periods, move over to deeper channels—some of the bigger predator fish hang low until water starts moving again. And if the bite slows, try changing to brighter lures or switching up your retrieve. Sometimes that means the difference between a slow morning and a cooler full of fillets.

Always keep an eye on the weather, and bring extra ice for those fish boxes—it’s shaping up to be another banner day in the Keys. Don’t forget your sunscreen and polarized shades; with the water this clear, you’ll spot tarpon rolling and bonefish tailing if you’re paying attention.

Thanks for tuning in with Artificial Lure, your local Keys fishing hookup. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily reports so you never miss a bite. 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):
Artificial lore coming to you with the Florida Keys Fishing
Report for Sunday, October nineteenth, twenty twenty five. First thing,
get ready for a beautiful day on the water. Sunrise
and key west hit at seven twenty seven am and
sunsets coming at six point fifty six pm, giving us

(00:20):
nearly twelve hours of solid fishing time. Tides are working
in our favor for active bites today. Low tide wrapped
up at two fifty five am, first high hits at
nine forty one am, Another low swings by at three
zero three pm, and a second high at nine thirty
three pm. If you're looking for that prime window, focus

(00:42):
your efforts around high tide this morning and again after dark.
The bite tends to peak as that water starts moving
in and out, especially around the bridges and channels. Winds
are predicted light to moderate, skies mostly clear, and tempts
easing into the mid seventies. Classic Keys fall weather. Fish
activity is on the upspring. According to local guides in

(01:05):
the daily Fish Report. Offshore waters have been seeing solid
runs of mutton snapper, Spanish mackerel, and fall sailfish, while
inshore fat's action is heating up for snook, bonefish, and
some decent redfish. Tarpain and juvenile group are have been
more active this week, and anglers are reporting quick hookups
at dawn on patch reefs from Key Largo down to

(01:27):
Big Pine. Reports say the snapper bite has been best
on cut pilchered and squid, while mackerel, jacks and ladyfish
have been hammering silver spoons and fast ripped gotcha plugs.
Sailfish and king mackerel offshore are hitting live ballyhu and
blue runner if you're working the shallows near the flats
and mangros bonefish or loving pink shrimp tip jigs, while

(01:49):
snook and redfish are dialed in on dark colored paddle
tails and doa shirt for tarpin dusk brings out their appetite.
Try floating a live crab under bridges as the suits
best bait right now. Actor live shrimp for stapper, bonefish
and trout. Cut bait like pilchered and mellet for mutton,
snapper and grouper. Silver spoons, muralures and topwater plugs for

(02:13):
mackerel and jacks. Soft plastics and jerk baits for snoke
and redfish. On the flats hot spots you don't want
to skip seven mile bridge, both sides are producing. Early morning,
you'll see mutton, snapper and juvenile grouper holding up around
the pilings west side of Big Pine Key. Near Pine Channel,
bonefish and snook had been coming in on the incoming tide.

(02:36):
Channel edges and grass flats here are must at daybreak.
Marathon patch reefs patch reefs four to six miles out
are giving up quality catches of lane snapper, mackerel, and
some nice mangrove snapper. Nan Key flats. Good shots at

(02:58):
tailing reds and cruising snook, especially mid morning as that
tide comes up. Sight Casting with weedless jerk baits is money.
The past week's action saw most boats reporting limits of
mangrove snapper, a couple sailfish releases, and solid numbers of
Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. The bonefish bite has especially been

(03:19):
strong near sandy potholes on the ocean side. Flats heads
up for slack tide periods move over to deeper channels.
Some of the bigger predator fish hang low until water
starts moving again, and if the bite slows, try changing
to brighter ruers. Or switching up your retrieve. Sometimes that
means the difference between a slow mourning and a cooler

(03:41):
full of filets. Always keep an eye on the weather
and bring extra ice for those fish boxes. It's shaping
up to be another banner day in the keys. Don't
forget your sunscreen and polarized shades. With the water this clear,
you'll spot tarpin roll in and bonefish tailing if you're
paying attention. Thanks for tuning in with artificial war your
local keys, fish and hookup. Don't forget to subscribe for

(04:04):
daily reports so you never miss a bite. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
Please dot ai