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St. Augustine Spring Bite: Reds, Trout, and Sheepshead Firing Up
Published 1 week, 6 days ago
Description
Hey y'all, this is Artificial Lure comin' at ya with your St. Augustine fishing report for April 17, 2026, right around 3 AM low tide kickoff. Tides today got a low at 3:00 AM, risin' to a high of about 5 feet by 9 AM, then droppin' back for the afternoon outgoing—perfect for pushin' baitfish into the skinny waters. Weather's lookin' mild, partly cloudy with winds out of the east at 10-15 knots, temps climbin' from 65°F mornin' to 78°F afternoon. Sunrise at 7:05 AM, sunset 7:50 PM, so hit that golden hour hard.
Fish are wakin' up this spring—redfish schools crashin' the flats, trout stackin' in the creeks, and sheepshead huggin' the pilings. Recent catches? Local crews reportin' solid reds up to 33 inches, speckled trout in the 18-22 range, plus mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel tearin' it up on calmer days. One guide out of nearby Panama City Beach said reds at 26-33 inches goin' crazy with water temps hittin' 69-71°F. Activity's peakin' on the outgoing tide when fish ambush in channels.
Best lures right now: topwaters like poppers and walk-the-dog baits for reds and trout—work 'em slow over grass flats. Switch to soft plastic paddletails on jigheads or gold spoons for macks. Live bait? Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a knocker rig for sheepshead; finger mullet free-lined for reds. Don't sleep on DOA shrimp or MirrOlure twitchbaits.
Hot spots: Vilano Beach ramps for inlet reds on the flood, and the Matanzas Inlet jetties for trout and macks—park early, it's gettin' busy.
Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more local intel! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Fish are wakin' up this spring—redfish schools crashin' the flats, trout stackin' in the creeks, and sheepshead huggin' the pilings. Recent catches? Local crews reportin' solid reds up to 33 inches, speckled trout in the 18-22 range, plus mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel tearin' it up on calmer days. One guide out of nearby Panama City Beach said reds at 26-33 inches goin' crazy with water temps hittin' 69-71°F. Activity's peakin' on the outgoing tide when fish ambush in channels.
Best lures right now: topwaters like poppers and walk-the-dog baits for reds and trout—work 'em slow over grass flats. Switch to soft plastic paddletails on jigheads or gold spoons for macks. Live bait? Fiddler crabs or shrimp on a knocker rig for sheepshead; finger mullet free-lined for reds. Don't sleep on DOA shrimp or MirrOlure twitchbaits.
Hot spots: Vilano Beach ramps for inlet reds on the flood, and the Matanzas Inlet jetties for trout and macks—park early, it's gettin' busy.
Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more local intel! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI