Gulf Coast Fishing Report: Red Snapper Season, Spanish Mackerel Bites, and More

This is Artificial Lure with your Gulf of Mexico fishing report for Saturday, August 30, 2025, coming to you straight from Florida where the sunrise hit at 7:07 AM and sunset is set for 7:54 PM. Tides today show a high at 5:15 AM up to 3.78 feet and a lower slack at 1:37 PM dipping to just under a foot, before the final high tide comes through close to sundown at 7:30 PM at 2.86 feet. These good tidal swings mean plenty of water movement—should help get things biting, especially around those early and late shifts.

Weather-wise, the Florida Division of Emergency Management says you can expect warm, muggy conditions and a high chance of scattered afternoon showers thanks to a stalled front and remnants of Hurricane Erin stirring up breezy winds and some elevated surf. Watch for dangerous rip currents, especially near panhandle beaches and jetties.

Now for the action: last evening, Navarre’s piers lit up with Spanish mackerel, yellowtail snapper, and hardtail showing up in good numbers, especially during those best windows—5 to 6 AM for early risers, midday bites between 11:30 and 1, and then the magic hour from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Keep an eye on those windows; they’re often the difference between catching and just casting.

Just about every angler in town is gearing up, as the Gulf Red Snapper private fall season officially opens tomorrow, running for selected dates through late December. Remember, you need that State Reef Fish Angler designation along with your regular license if you plan to target snapper starting September 1, whether you’re fishing state or federal waters—check MyFWC.com/Marine for full details. Don’t be surprised to see some quality red snapper caught in deeper structure, along with Amberjack and gag grouper as reported by local charters.

Over in the nearshore and inshore zones, flounder have been making a strong late-summer showing, with folks landing keepers on flashy Johnson silver spoons and soft plastics bounced along sandy drop-offs. Offshore, some nice mahi have turned up—most caught on live or rigged ballyhoo trolled around weedlines off Stuart and down towards Cudjoe Key.

For bait and tackle, the locals swear by:

- **Live shrimp** for everything inshore—especially specks, reds, and flounder,
- **Pinfish and menhaden** for snapper, grouper, and big trout
- **Silver spoons** and **soft plastic paddle tails** for flounder and Spanish mackerel
- **Ballyhoo and squid strips** for mahi and kingfish offshore

If artificials are your game, try a bright MirrOlure or a Rapala X-Rap for those early Spanish bites; switch to chartreuse jigheads and paddle tails when the water muddies up after rain.

Today’s **hot spots**:
- **Pensacola Pass**: Early run for Spanish and hardtail right where the tide turns.
- **Destin East Jetty**: Classic spot for catching reds on the outgoing tide with live shrimp or white bucktail jigs.
- **Egmont Key Reefs**: Deep structure is perfect for snapper and grouper now as seasons swing open.
- **Boca Grande Pass**: Flounder stacked up on the outgoing, especially under cloud cover.

Stay safe if you’re launching anywhere near the passes; surf and current could kick up as the day warms and storms roll in.

Thanks for tuning in to this Gulf Coast fishing report—be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest bite, weather updates, or regulations. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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