Maya: Good morning, anglers. It's Tuesday, October sixth, and this is Tides and Fishing: Miami, your daily guide to the water in and around Biscayne Bay. I'm Maya.
Devon: And I'm Devon. We're watching a stretch of tall tides out of Virginia Key, a bay that is calm and fishy today, and a moonless sky tonight that night anglers are going to love. Let's get to it.
Maya: First, the tides, from Noah's predictions at Virginia Key. And this one needs a flag: we have above-normal high tides four days running now, and each day the high water is taller than the last. The threshold is two point five feet. Today, the morning high comes at five fifty-four A M at two point six one feet, flagged. Then a midday low at twelve twelve P M at zero point five six feet. The evening high is at six twenty-eight P M at two point six six feet, also flagged. And one more low tonight, just after midnight, at twelve thirty-nine A M, at zero point six one feet.
Devon: Four straight days of flagged highs, and each one taller than the last. If you fish the flats or dock your skiff shallow, that rising water matters: flooded mangrove edges and strong tidal flow, which is exactly where the predators hunt. Tomorrow, Wednesday, keeps the streak going. A low at twelve thirty-nine A M at zero point six one feet, then a morning high at six fifty-three A M at two point seven three feet, flagged. A midday low at one oh seven P M at zero point five four feet, and an evening high at seven eighteen P M at two point seven three feet, also flagged.
Maya: On to the fishing, and the fall migration is going off right now. Huge schools of mullet and pilchards are sliding south along the coast and pushing through the bay, and the predators are all over them. Cross-checking Capt. Alan Sherman's South Florida forecast and the latest guide reports out of Biscayne Bay: tarpon, snook, big jack crevalles, barracudas, and sharks have been feasting on the bait schools, especially on the outgoing tides.
Devon: In North Biscayne Bay, the mullet and pilchard schools keep moving through. In the open water, ladyfish, bluerunners, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel are crashing through the bait. Silver spoons and flashy artificials are working well there. Up along the shorelines and mangroves, big jack crevalles, snook, tarpon, and barracudas are trashing the mullet schools. And over the grass flats, big sea trout are feeding under the mullet schools. That is a classic fall pattern, so work those grass edges early.
Maya: At night, head for the bridges and dock lights. Snook and tarpon are feeding in the lights after dark, and with tonight's dark sky, the dock lights will pull even harder. A live shrimp or a big live pilchard dropped in the light is the ticket. In South Bay, the stormy conditions have made the bonefishing tough, but big jack crevalles and yellowjacks are feeding on bait schools along the outsides of the Finger Channels. And one bright note from Islamorada: the bonefishing turned good on fly and jigs in the last few days, multiple fish a day, so there are bones around when the water settles.
Devon: And offshore? The Miami wrecks are producing. Guides are reporting cobia, blackfin tuna, and some big amberjack off the wrecks, plus mutton snapper, and mahi are still biting. Kingfish, sailfish, and wahoo are working the baitfish schools from eighty feet out to three hundred feet of water. Bait of choice out there: ballyhoo and Spanish sardines. Guides also say sailfish should start rolling in soon, which is the one to watch.
Maya: Marine weather next, and this is good news for small boats. The National Weather Service forecast for Biscayne Bay today: south winds around five knots, and smooth bay waters. Tonight: southwest winds around five knots, staying smooth. No advisories in effect. This is a green light. Go fish.
Devon: One look ahead, though. Wednesday brings south winds at five to ten knots, a light chop, and showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. And by the weekend, southeast winds pick up to ten to fifteen knots with a moderate chop. So if you have time today or tonight, this is your window: calm water and dark skies.
Maya: And that brings us to the night sky, for everyone planning a late session on the water. The moon is a waning crescent, only twenty-one percent lit, and it does not rise until three sixteen A M. Moonset is at four thirty-seven P M, before sunset, which means the whole evening after dark is moonless. Sunset is at seven oh one P M, and astronomical dark begins around eight eighteen P M.
Devon: That is perfect for dock-light and bridge fishing, and perfect for the stars. Look east after dark and you will find Saturn, sitting about forty degrees up, a steady gold dot among the twinkling stars. The summer triangle is still hanging high in the west. No International Space Station passes tonight, so it is just you, the water, and the constellations. And remember: a dark moonless night like this is when the dock lights shine brightest for the night bite.
Maya: That's your Tuesday on the water: four days of flagged tides, calm seas, and a moonless sky. We'll be back tomorrow morning with fresh tides, fresh reports, and the forecast for Wednesday's wind. From all of us at Tides and Fishing: Miami, tight lines.