September is the month St. Augustine anglers wait for. The bull reds have arrived at the inlet, the mullet are pouring down the beach with tarpon and jacks on them, and the flounder are starting their fall run around the docks and the inlet rocks. I have been fishing the mullet run on the Florida Atlantic coast for years, and the first week of September is the one I never miss.
What’s Hitting
What’s hitting this week: bull redfish at the St. Augustine Inlet and along the channel edges inside, with fish from 20 to 40 pounds on the outgoing tides. Tarpon and big jacks are on the mullet schools along the beach from Vilano down to Crescent Beach, and there are snook in the inlet and on the beach with the season open. Flounder are showing around the docks, the inlet rocks, and the Vilano bridge, and they will build through October. Slot reds and trout are steady in the creeks of the Intracoastal and the Matanzas River on the higher tides. Nearshore, kings are on the bait and the reefs, and there are cobia on the nearshore structure.
Where to Find Them
Bull reds on the inlet jetties and the channel edges near Porpoise Point on the outgoing. Tarpon along the beach in 10 to 20 feet from Vilano south, and at Matanzas Inlet. Flounder around the Vilano bridge pilings, the Bridge of Lions area docks, and the inlet rocks. Slot reds and trout in the creeks off the Tolomato River and the Matanzas River, and on the oyster bars near Butler Beach.
Tides & Conditions
Water temps are in the mid-80s and the first slightly cooler mornings are starting to show. The outgoing tide at the inlet is the bull red tide, and the last two hours are best. Northeast wind builds swell on the beach and makes the inlet rough — check the marine forecast. Watch the tropical outlook.
Tackle & Tactics
Bull reds take a big chunk of cut mullet or a blue crab on a fish-finder rig with a 6/0 circle hook and 50-pound leader. Tarpon on the beach want a live mullet on a 7/0 circle hook and 80-pound leader. Flounder take a mud minnow or a finger mullet on a jig head bounced slowly on the bottom. Lighter tackle with a gold spoon or a soft plastic handles the slot reds and trout in the creeks.
Local Intel This Week
Public ramps: the Vilano Beach ramp, the Lighthouse Park ramp on Salt Run, the Devil’s Elbow area ramp on the Matanzas River, and the Palm Valley ramp on the Intracoastal. Fish are concentrating at the inlet for bull reds and along the beach on the mullet. Bull reds are over the slot and must be released, and snook season is open on the Atlantic coast with slot, bag, and permit rules — check current FWC regulations before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Flounder in September are staging on the down-current side of the inlet rocks and the bridge pilings. Cast up-current, let the jig hit bottom, and drag it slowly past the structure edge with the current — the bite is often just a heavy weight, so set the hook on anything that feels different.
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