Today’s (October 19) forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies, a high of 81 degrees, NE winds of 19 mph, and 8 to 10-foot waves.

Our fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry share an update about the mullet run, plentiful redfish action, and brutal wind and waves ahead:

“Hello to all my Sebastian Inlet friends and family!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend despite the rain and wind that moved in Saturday afternoon and continued throughout the weekend. It was pretty much a total blowout!

Unfortunately, it looks like this entire week is going to be just as brutal, with strong ENE and NNE winds and surf reaching up to 8 feet. Don't expect fishing from either jetty to be very productive—or even safe—with the combination of rough surf and the seasonal king tides, especially during high tide periods.

If you do head out, your best bet is to find a protected area to fish.

Before all this nasty weather moved in, however, fishing was actually pretty decent along the north jetty and north side of the inlet. Here's the breakdown!

North Jetty

The massive schools of mullet moving through the inlet last week attracted quite a few predator species, including bluefish, Spanish mackerel, plenty of redfish, and some big jack crevalle.

The redfish action was especially impressive—the best I've seen since the fall 2022 mullet run following Hurricane Ian! Anglers were catching redfish on just about any live bait they threw, particularly during the incoming tide and on the outgoing tide at the tip of the jetty.

There were so many redfish around that even the snook anglers were getting tired of catching them! Lol!

Most of the redfish were remarkably similar in size, measuring approximately 28 to 32 inches. They were practically cookie-cutter fish!

Big jack crevalle were also chasing the mullet schools, with some fish reaching an impressive 15 to 20 pounds.

Spanish mackerel were being caught on live greenies, small silver spoons, and crappie jigs. Most of the mackerel measured between 14 and 16 inches.

As for the snook, only a handful were caught. There were simply too many redfish around! Normally, you'll find redfish schooling alongside the snook, but the water conditions seemed to favor the reds. They tolerated the water quality better, while the snook weren't nearly as cooperative. A couple of slot-sized snook were caught early in the week, though.

Fishing was also productive along the wall between the bait shop and the bridge. Anglers were catching big jacks and redfish using live pigfish, pinfish, and artificial lures. The incoming tide was the best time to target them.

South Jetty

Fishing along the south jetty was pretty good for snook early last week, before the rough weather arrived.

Anglers were catching plenty of undersized snook on just about any live bait during the incoming tide. A few keeper-sized fish were also landed, but not many.

During the outgoing tide at the tip of the jetty, anglers encountered the usual cast of characters: blue runners, jack crevalle, black margate, a few redfish, and, of course, the ever-present puffers and kitty fish!

Overall, the action wasn't especially exciting on this side of the inlet, and the weekend was a complete washout. Conditions became far too dangerous to fish!

T-Dock

Conditions around the T-Dock were a little calmer, although the strong NNE winds made fishing difficult, especially with the wind blowing directly into anglers' faces.

Several anglers were out trying their luck. I saw some small mangrove snapper and sheepshead caught on cut shrimp around the dock pilings and the rocks near the small pool area.

There were also tons of finger mullet in the area, and the jacks were keeping them on the run most of the time!

Anglers were catching jack crevalle, bluefish, small snook, and some of the redfish that had moved into the inlet during the week.

The incoming tide was the ticket, along with the very beginning of the outgoing tide before the water became too stained.

Surf Fishing

ALL BLOWN OUT!

Rough surf and strong winds made beach fishing pretty much impossible over the weekend.

Looking Ahead

Well, my friends, that's it for this week!

It certainly wasn't a good weekend to fish the inlet, but hey, it is what it is! This is October, and fall weather like this is to be expected.

Unfortunately, this week looks like it's going to be another rough one out there. If you decide to head out, please be careful and look for calmer, more protected areas to fish. You never know what you might catch!

In my many years of fishing Sebastian Inlet, I've noticed that when conditions get nasty out front, fish will often move farther back into the inlet, particularly around the west side of the bridge, where the water is calmer.

One positive thing about these brisk NNE winds is that they can help push the nasty, dark freshwater south and away from the inlet, allowing cleaner, saltier ocean water to move back in. The water may still be a bit dirty at first, but that's alright. Once the winds settle down, we should hopefully see some improvement in water quality.

Until then, stay safe, keep an eye on the weather, and find yourself a protected spot if you're heading out to fish."

Cheers, everyone!" - Snookman