September 2024 - Transition to Fall Begins

With cooler mornings and slightly shorter days, the inshore bite began to pick up again. Redfish started schooling up ahead of their fall spawn, with large groups pushing across flats and sandbars. Live and cut bait worked well, but topwater lures also became more effective.

Snook started moving back into the bays, and the trout bite improved significantly, especially on grass flats near Longboat Key and Palma Sola Bay.

Nearshore, the gag grouper bite started shifting shallower, making them easier to catch in 30–50 feet of water. Spanish mackerel and kingfish began showing up, marking the start of the fall pelagic migration.

🔹 Best Bait: Topwater plugs for redfish; live pilchards for snook; cigar minnows for kingfish

🔹 Hot Spots: Terra Ceia Bay for redfish; grass flats near Palma Sola Bay for trout; nearshore reefs for kingfish