Sunday's Keys and Miami Fishing Report: Tides, Snapper, Mahi, and More!

Artificial Lure here, bringing you Sunday’s fishing report from the heart of the Florida Keys and Miami waters. Let’s get you rigged and ready.

First up—**tides and sunlight.** Over in Shell Key Channel, high tide hit at 12:01 a.m. with the next rolling in at 12:53 p.m. Low tides are 3:26 a.m. and 11:03 p.m. Sunrise was at 7:09 a.m., and sunset falls at 7:27 p.m. Fish the hours around those changing tides for the strongest bite action—especially the early afternoon push and twilight calm, when both predators and bait are on the move.

**Weather’s looking prime this morning:** humidity’s moderate, highs in the mid-80s, light southeast breeze, with scattered clouds keeping things comfortable and water temps hovering near 83°F—the classic Keys late-summer setup locals dream about. Expect patchy rain but no serious squalls to knock you off the water.

Now on to **fish activity:** The Gulf of Mexico, Florida Daily Fishing Report podcast notes a surge in snapper activity, with mangrove snapper and yellowtail showing up in strong numbers around patch reefs and deeper channels. Several boats reported solid catches of schoolie mahi-mahi offshore, with some bigger bulls taken farther east. The September permit run is in full swing—multiple local captains landed pairs up towards Biscayne Flats, and tarpon are rolling in the backcountry channels during the lower tides. Grouper are still biting especially well just inside the reef edge.

For those chasing table fare, Miami saw good hauls of blackfin tuna and scattered Spanish mackerel along the shipping channel rips. And lobster are back in focus—visitors were cited recently for nabbing over a dozen illegal bugs out of season, but locals following the rules are finding plenty tickling around the bridges and holes.

**Best lures and baits:** Locals swear by live pilchards for snapper and yellowtail; drop those freelined or on a light knocker rig. For mahi-mahi, go with small trolling feathers or rigged ballyhoo, pink and chartreuse producing best. Artificial shrimp and crab imitations are smoking hot for permit over the flats—brown and tan patterns matching the bottom. For tarpon, toss DOA Baitbusters and big swimbaits during the outgoing tide. Cut bonito and sardines are pulling in grouper, while for blackfin tuna, vertical jigs in silver and blue are snagging limits.

A couple of **hot spots:**
- **Long Key Bridge:** Early-morning slack tide is perfect for snapper, tarpon, and the occasional big jack. Fish the pilings and shadow lines.
- **Biscayne Flats (just outside Coconut Grove):** Afternoon permit and bonefish bite has been electric, especially near channel edges as the tide rises.

If you’re venturing offshore, the humps—**Islamorada Hump** in particular—are proven for mahi and blackfin with chunking and jigging. For lobstering, work the grassbeds and potholes north of Marathon, but triple-check those regulations.

That wraps today’s action from the Florida salt—don’t forget to clean up after yourselves, respect the regulations, and share the stoke with your fellow anglers. Thanks for tuning in to this daily report. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss a tide, a bite, or a tip from the local crew.

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