Artificial Lure reporting live from St. Augustine, and it’s a picture-perfect November morning on the water. The sun broke the horizon right at 6:40 am, and we can expect sunset at 5:37 pm today. That gives anglers almost 11 hours of daylight to chase fish across the Matanzas River, Salt Run, and those infamous St. Augustine tidal flats.

If you’re out on the early bite, know we’re just coming off a high tide at dawn. According to Tide-Forecast.com, our next low tide will hit near midday—so adjust your strategy, especially when working creek mouths or oyster bars. The tidal swing is moderate, meaning currents won’t be ripping, which is ideal for pitching artificial lures tight against structure or drifting live baits over deeper holes.

Weather-wise, News4Jax and The Weather Network report we’re looking at a cool start in the high 60s, warming up to right around 80 this afternoon. Winds are light out of the west, gusting up to 11 km/h, so boaters and kayakers can count on a glassy morning. Surf Station’s latest surf check notes a clean waist-high swell—favorable if you’re tossing jigs right in the trough or working spoons through a moving tide.

Fish activity has been strong. Locals and guides are reporting solid catches of **redfish**, **speckled trout**, and **flounder**—the usual suspects this time of year. Reds are being pulled from the flats near Vilano and Guana, often stacked up on drop-offs and grass edges. Trout action remains steady in Salt Run and along the Intracoastal; morning topwater plugs are drawing some real nice speckled trout with this still air. Flounder numbers from the city docks have improved, especially for folks dragging mud minnows or white gulp shrimp.

Artificial lures are getting the job done:
- **Soft plastics** (paddle tails in new penny or pearl) rigged on a 1/8 oz jig head are working wonders over grass beds and oyster bars.
- **Topwater plugs** like the Heddon Super Spook Jr. shine during the sunrise strike—especially for trout and slot reds.
- For flounder, switch to **slow-rolled bucktails** or scented gulp swimming mullets.

Live bait is also producing quality fish. **Shrimp** and **mud minnows** under popping corks are fooling both reds and trout, while finger mullet remain the go-to for bigger flatties. For those venturing offshore or around the Jetties, cut bait and heavy spoons are bringing in black drum and sheepshead.

Recent reports from Captain Experiences and Coastal Angler Magazine show limits being hit on reds, with individual fish running from 23 to 30 inches—perfect for catch-and-release or a fish fry. Speckled trout are averaging 18 to 22 inches, and flounder up to 18 inches, though the bite does slow a touch with each incoming cold front.

Hot spots today:
- The Matanzas River flats near the 312 Bridge for early redfish and trout.
- Salt Run by the Anastasia State Park for topwater action and good flounder numbers.
- Vilano Beach Pier for anglers preferring a land-based setup—reports of sheepshead and drum have been steady, especially during the change of tide.

Remember, keep an eye on the late afternoon as the tide pushes in—predators get hungry and those backwater creeks fire up all over again. The mullet run may be tapering, but there’s still plenty bait in the system drawing strikes.

Thanks for tuning in to your St. Augustine fishing update. If you want more detailed tactics or daily conditions, be sure to subscribe and stay hooked.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI