Episode Details

Good morning, folks—Artificial Lure here, and it’s your St. Augustine area fishing report for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

First, let’s talk tides and sun: Today’s sunrise came right at 7:37 am and you can expect sunset around 6:40 pm. On the water, we’re looking at a low tide at 8:23 am, and a high tide swinging in at 2:44 pm, according to the latest St. Augustine tide chart. The tidal coefficient is pretty low today—hovering around 34—which means less tidal swing and a weaker current, so you’ll want to pay close attention to subtle structure and deeper holes since fish may be holding a little tighter instead of actively roaming.

Mother Nature’s tossing us a curveball offshore: the National Weather Service’s marine forecast has a small craft advisory in effect through late Thursday night with northwest winds shifting southwest, running 10 to 15 knots and seas pushing 5-7 feet, even up to 9 or 10 out past the inlet. Surf’s been reported chest- to head-high and super clean, so beach casting is a real option today if you want to avoid rougher offshore conditions.

Now for what’s biting: Captain Tommy Derringer over at the Florida Insider Fishing Report has been calling in plenty of redfish activity in the creeks and flats, especially on the clean, deeper bends just on the last of the incoming. Spotted sea trout are chasing early-morning topwaters and then sliding deeper as that sun gets up—a walk-the-dog plug like a Zara Spook or a MirrOlure She Dog can get big blowups in the first light. After the bite moves down, switch to shrimp or Gulp! paddletails under a popping cork, working tight to grass edges.

Sheepshead are showing strong on bridge pilings and dock structure—fiddler crabs or cut shrimp get the nod for those bait thieves. In the surf, fresh mullet and Fishbites are catching solid numbers of pompano and whiting, and the clean conditions are perfect for lighter tackle.

Inshore and nearshore, look for black drum and flounder stacking up in the deeper holes on the outgoing tide. Live mud minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina rig are hard to beat for flounder right now, and with the water temps stable and not yet chilly, those flatfish are still in feeding mode.

Offshore’s a bit sporty, but for those venturing out, the wrecks and reefs in 60-100 feet are holding plenty of triggerfish, sea bass, and the occasional snapper. Best bet is heavy bucktail jigs tipped with squid or cut bait, and don’t forget to drift—the slow current today means you’ll need to manage your speed and focus on that contour edge for the bite window. On lighter wind days, drop cigar minnows or live pinfish for a shot at a mutton snapper or gag grouper.

Recent catches from the charters this week have seen reds to 29 inches, trout averaging 16-20 inches, sheepshead up to 4 pounds, plenty of underslot black drum, and a smattering of legal flounder—so the action’s widespread, but you got to work the tides and be mobile to stay on fish.

For bank and wade fishermen, two hot spots to try right now:
- Oyster Creek Marina area, especially the outflows mixing with the ICW.
- Butler Beach surf zone, working the outer sandbars and any little cuts or troughs.

And of course, the St. Augustine Municipal Marina always is a solid option for families and kids, with a good shot at trout and sheepshead.

For baits today: Live shrimp is king, followed by finger mullet and mud minnows if you can net them. Want to go artificial? Paddle tail soft plastics in natural colors, gold spoons, and that trusty old white bucktail jig are all getting eats—just size down if the water’s clear and calm.

That’s the scoop for today in St. Augustine—thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local insight.

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