Sunday Gulf Report: Kings, Snapper, Trout Dominate Warm May Bite

Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Gulf of Mexico, Florida fishing report for Sunday, May 11, 2025.

We’ve been riding a classic May pattern along the Gulf this week—clear skies, light winds, and that early-summer warmth making for smooth water and strong fish activity. Sunrise hit just after 6:30 this morning, and sunset will be around 8:00 tonight, giving you a long window on the water. The tidal phase today is mostly incoming during the morning and peaking late afternoon, which is a great setup for action along the grass flats, passes, and reefs.

Offshore, the kingfish bite is running hot, especially around bait schools near the edge and along the color change in 90 to 140 feet of water. Several boats reported multiple king mackerel up to 30 pounds, with wire leaders a must due to plenty of toothy strikes. Blackfin tuna are hanging deep in the water column, and mahi are starting to show up in scattered weedlines. Smaller wahoo have also hit the deck this week. For baits offshore, slow-troll live pilchards and threadfin, or toss out skirted ballyhoo and deep-diving plugs for kings and mahi. Early morning and late afternoon have definitely produced the hottest bites[1][2].

Bottom fishing is picking up steam now that grouper season is open. Red and gag grouper are snapping on live pinfish and frozen sardines along nearshore wrecks and limestone bottom, and the mutton snapper bite has been steady on the reefs. Amberjack are thick on deeper wrecks, and vermillion and lane snapper round out the catch. If you’re targeting snapper and grouper, rigs baited with squid or cut bait are reliable, but live bait will produce the bigger fish[1][2].

Inshore, the grass flats and bay systems from Tampa Bay up to the Panhandle are fishing well for speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. Work the edges of oyster bars and current breaks with MirrOlures, Gulp shrimp, or live shrimp under a popping cork. Pompano and whiting are thick in the surf zone and easy to catch with sand fleas, FishGum, or fresh shrimp. Tarpon are showing in increasing numbers, particularly in passes and near beach troughs—try live crabs or big swimbaits for a shot at a silver king[2][3].

Spanish mackerel are blitzing bait from the beaches to the piers, and ladyfish are everywhere for some light-tackle fun. For the best results, throw silver spoons or Gotcha plugs into the schools[3].

Hot spots to try today:
- Destin East Pass for king mackerel and tarpon runs
- Clearwater’s nearshore reefs and ledges for snapper and grouper
- St. George Island surf for pompano and whiting
- John’s Pass and the adjacent grass flats for redfish and trout

That’s your Gulf of Mexico bite for today—tight lines and see you on the water[1][2][3]!