Keys & Miami Fishing Report: Mahi, Snapper, Tarpon Action

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Florida Keys and Miami fishing report for Saturday, August 30, 2025.

Sun popped up at 7:07 a.m. and she’ll dip below the horizon tonight around 7:47 p.m., giving us just under thirteen hours of daylight—plenty of time to chase those bites. The moon’s on the rise at 1:35 p.m.; worth keeping in mind for those late afternoon runs.

The tides aren’t running hard today—low tidal coefficients mean gentler movement. Your highs at Key West hit at 2:28 a.m. (1.86 ft) and again at 3:36 p.m. (1.09 ft), while lows were at 9:41 a.m. (0.5 ft) and roll back in at 7:43 p.m. (0.91 ft). That means the water’s not flushing as aggressively, so fish aren’t being pushed deep or scattered as much. With sluggish tides, focus efforts around structures and deeper channels—fish stay put when the current’s slow according to Tides4Fishing and Tide-Forecast.com.

Weather’s classic late August Keys—humid early, highs pushing mid 80s, but a breeze out of the southeast will keep bugs down. With no major storms around, visibility’s up and water clarity will be solid for sight casting. Look for brief morning cloud cover; afternoon heat could test your patience, so hydrate and wear that sun shield.

Recent catches have been solid. Offshore, summer dolphin (mahi-mahi) action continues, especially out past the humps—most boats trolling feathers, rigged ballyhoo and pink or chartreuse skirted jigs have been picking up schoolies, with some gaffers in the mix. Blackfin tuna are trickling through, best around first light with live pilchards or small vertical jigs.

On the reefs and wrecks, yellowtail snapper reports are dependable—chum hard, downsize your fluoro leaders, and tip small hooks with cut shrimp or silversides. Mangrove snapper are thick along the inshore patch reefs at sunrise and dusk, taking fresh bait or soft plastics bounced near the bottom.

Backcountry is alive with tarpon rolling at sunrise and sunset near channels and bridges—try live crabs or mullet, or toss swimbaits in glow or bone colors when the current slackens. Snook and sea trout are still active around grass beds and mangrove points in Biscayne Bay and Card Sound; D.O.A. shrimp and root-beer paddle tails are best for artificials, while live shrimp under a popping cork gets quick eats.

Hot spots today:
- Seven Mile Bridge edges are producing solid tarpon and mangrove action during slack tide.
- Tennessee Reef is kicking up yellowtail and some mutton snapper on weighted cut bait rigs.
- Out of Miami, Featherbed Basin and Safety Valve channels are reliable for snook, trout, and mixed bag with both live and artificial bait.

Best baits:
- Offshore: Rigged ballyhoo or squid strips for dolphin, live pilchards and small jigs for blackfin.
- Reef: Cut shrimp, fresh ballyhoo, and silversides for the snapper family.
- Inshore: Live shrimp, finger mullet, or root-beer paddle tails and D.O.A. shad tails for snook and trout.

Best lures:
- Chartreuse bucktails, pilchard-pattern swimbaits, glow or bone-colored jigs for bridges and backcountry.
- Pink, blue or chartreuse trolling skirts offshore; vertical jigs for deeper tuna.

Keep those lines wet and eyes out for the midday bite when the water warms and the tidal push picks up just slightly. The bite’s best at low light and peak tide movement, so time your sets right.

Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for daily local fishing intel. 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, anglers. This is artificial war with your Ford
to Keys and Miami Fishing Report for Saturday, August thirty
of twenty twenty five. Sun popped up at seven oh
seven am, and she'll dip below the horizon tonight round
seven forty seven pm, giving us just under thirteen hours
of daylight, plenty of time to chase those bites. The
moon's on the rise at one thirty five PM. Worth

(00:22):
keeping in mind for those late afternoon runs. The tides
aren't running hard today. Low tidal coefficients mean gentler movement.
Your highs at Key West hit at two twenty eight
am one point eight six feet and again at three
thirty six pm one point zero nine feet, while lows
were at nine forty one am. That means the water
is not flushing as aggressively, so fish aren't being pushed

(00:45):
deep or scattered as much. With sluggish tides, focus efforts
around structures and deeper channels. Fish stay put when the
current's slow, According to Tides four Fish and tied forecast
dot com Weather's classic late August Keys humid early high's

(01:05):
pushing mid eighties, but a breeze out of the southeast
will keep bugs down with no major storms around, visibilities
up and water clarity will be solid. For sight casting,
look for brief morning cloud cover. Afternoon heat could test
your patients, so hydrate and wear that sunshield. Recent catches
have been solid offshore summer dolphin mahi mahi action continues,

(01:27):
especially out past the homps. Most boats trolling feathers, rig
ballyhoo and pink orcharuzse skirted jigs have been picking up
schoolies with some gaffers in the mix. Black fentuna are
trickling through best around first light with live pilchards or
small vertical jigs on the reefs and wrecks. Yellowtail snapper
reports are dependable. Chum hard, downsize your floral leaders and

(01:50):
tip small hooks with cut shrimp or silver sides. Mangrove
snapper are thick along the inshore patch reefs at sunrise
and dusk, taking fresh bait or soft plaid sticks bounced
near the bottom. That country is alive with tarpon rolling
at sunrise and sunset. Near channels and bridges. Try live
crabs or mullet or toss swim baits and glow or

(02:10):
bone colors. When the current slackens snook and sea trout
are still active around grass beds and mangrove points and
biscuit and e bay and card sound. Doa shrimp and
root beer paddle tails are best for artificials, while live
shrimp under a popping cork gets quick eats hotspots. Today
seven mile bridge edges are producing solid tarpin and mangrove

(02:32):
action during slack tide. Tennessee wreath is kicking up yellowtail
and some mutt and snapper on weighted cutbait rates out
of Miami. Featherbed basin and safety valve channels are reliable
for snoke, trout, and mixed bag with both live and
artificial bait. Best baits offshore rig ballyhou or squid strips

(02:52):
for dolphin, live pilchards and small jigs for black fin,
reef cut shrimp, fresh ballyhu and silversides for the snapper family.
Inshore live shrimp, finger mullet or root beer paddle tails
and doa shad tails for snook and trout. Best lores,
chartreuse bucktails, pilcher patterned swim baits, glow or bone colored

(03:13):
jigs for bridges and backcountry in pink, blue or shartreuse
trolling skirts, offshore vertical jigs for deeper tuna. Keep those
lines wet and eyes out for the midday bite when
the water warms and the title push picks up just slightly.
The bite's best at low light and peak tide movement,
so time your sets right. Thanks for tuning in. Don't

(03:34):
forget to subscribe for daily local fishing intel. This has
been a Quiet Beast production. For more check out Quiet
please dot ai