Episode Details
Back to Episodes
St. Augustine Fishing Report: Reds, Trout, and Pompano Bite Strong on October 20th, 2025
Published 6 months, 1 week ago
Description
Good morning, Northeast Florida! Artificial Lure here, bringing you your St. Augustine Fishing Report for October 20th, 2025.
First light broke at 7:26 AM this morning, with a sunset coming up at 6:47 PM. We’re looking at a classic autumn day out here: temps hovering in the upper 60s at dawn, warming to the mid-70s with a light northeast breeze cooling things down—perfect jacket weather on the water. Skies are partly cloudy, giving you a bit of cover for mid-morning bites, and humidity is hovering around 70%. Barometer’s steady, just a slight drop expected late in the afternoon.
Tides are swinging pretty good today. We’ve got a high tide peaking around 8:16 AM and the low swinging back at 2:37 PM. Plenty of moving water, priming our area for a solid bite window all through the morning and late into the evening.
Now, let’s talk about the fish—that’s what you’re really after! Local captains and pier regulars all week have been buzzing about the redfish bite. In the ICW near Vilano and beneath the Matanzas Bridge, slot reds in the 22-24 inch range have been steady. Shrimp on a jig head and cut mullet are getting it done—especially around the oyster bars. Topwater plugs like the Zara Spook and Skitter Walk are producing good early morning blowups, especially in the boulder fields north of Salt Run.
Speckled trout are starting to push a bit shallower as the water cools. Reports yesterday out of Salt Run had several anglers limiting out before mid-morning, most on live finger mullet and MirrOLure suspending baits, especially in that greenback colorway. The trick was to fish the middle of the incoming tide in three to five feet of water along healthy grass edges.
The surf bite on St. Augustine Beach is also picking up. Pompano are moving in, especially on the incoming. Sand fleas are harder to come by after the big nor’easter earlier this month, but fresh dead shrimp and Fishbites in orange or pink have been working for folks posted up around A Street and just south of the Pier. Along with pompano, folks are catching good numbers of whiting and a few slot-sized black drum.
If you’re itching for a little heavier tackle, folks running out to the party grounds are still bringing in decent king mackerel and the odd cobia. Slow-trolled live pogies remain the ticket, but don’t be surprised if a few big Spanish macks crash the party.
Today’s best bets: Get on the water early to catch the top of that first high tide, especially if you’re targeting redfish or trout inshore. For lures, topwater plugs in bone and chartreuse are ringing the dinner bell just after sunrise, switching to soft plastics in new penny or natural mullet hues as the sun comes up. If you’re fishing live bait, finger mullet and mud minnows will both get attention—just keep them close to structure.
Hot spots to try: The flats around Vilano’s oyster bars for reds and trout and the surfline around St. Augustine Beach Pier for whiting, pompano, and the occasional big drum. Quick tip—keep an eye on the birds. If they’re diving by the inlet or off the flats, odds are you’ll find hungry fish underneath.
That’s the local scoop for today. Appreciate you tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the bite window. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
First light broke at 7:26 AM this morning, with a sunset coming up at 6:47 PM. We’re looking at a classic autumn day out here: temps hovering in the upper 60s at dawn, warming to the mid-70s with a light northeast breeze cooling things down—perfect jacket weather on the water. Skies are partly cloudy, giving you a bit of cover for mid-morning bites, and humidity is hovering around 70%. Barometer’s steady, just a slight drop expected late in the afternoon.
Tides are swinging pretty good today. We’ve got a high tide peaking around 8:16 AM and the low swinging back at 2:37 PM. Plenty of moving water, priming our area for a solid bite window all through the morning and late into the evening.
Now, let’s talk about the fish—that’s what you’re really after! Local captains and pier regulars all week have been buzzing about the redfish bite. In the ICW near Vilano and beneath the Matanzas Bridge, slot reds in the 22-24 inch range have been steady. Shrimp on a jig head and cut mullet are getting it done—especially around the oyster bars. Topwater plugs like the Zara Spook and Skitter Walk are producing good early morning blowups, especially in the boulder fields north of Salt Run.
Speckled trout are starting to push a bit shallower as the water cools. Reports yesterday out of Salt Run had several anglers limiting out before mid-morning, most on live finger mullet and MirrOLure suspending baits, especially in that greenback colorway. The trick was to fish the middle of the incoming tide in three to five feet of water along healthy grass edges.
The surf bite on St. Augustine Beach is also picking up. Pompano are moving in, especially on the incoming. Sand fleas are harder to come by after the big nor’easter earlier this month, but fresh dead shrimp and Fishbites in orange or pink have been working for folks posted up around A Street and just south of the Pier. Along with pompano, folks are catching good numbers of whiting and a few slot-sized black drum.
If you’re itching for a little heavier tackle, folks running out to the party grounds are still bringing in decent king mackerel and the odd cobia. Slow-trolled live pogies remain the ticket, but don’t be surprised if a few big Spanish macks crash the party.
Today’s best bets: Get on the water early to catch the top of that first high tide, especially if you’re targeting redfish or trout inshore. For lures, topwater plugs in bone and chartreuse are ringing the dinner bell just after sunrise, switching to soft plastics in new penny or natural mullet hues as the sun comes up. If you’re fishing live bait, finger mullet and mud minnows will both get attention—just keep them close to structure.
Hot spots to try: The flats around Vilano’s oyster bars for reds and trout and the surfline around St. Augustine Beach Pier for whiting, pompano, and the occasional big drum. Quick tip—keep an eye on the birds. If they’re diving by the inlet or off the flats, odds are you’ll find hungry fish underneath.
That’s the local scoop for today. Appreciate you tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the bite window. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI