Florida fishing: Are the mullet on the move? Snook, sharks and jacks will follow

It's September so my email inbox is filling up with the one question I get every fall: Where are the mullet?

Last time I checked, mullet do not have a calendar. However, moon phases and tides do factor heavily into their movements. So we just had a full moon and I suggested we may see the mullet begin to gather for the big move. Maybe I was a little early on that call.

Good news is, we're closer every day to them starting their migration. Keep checking the inlets and beaches and lagoon shorelines. Action is only a few days away.

Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:

• Snook: Harvest reopened Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.

• Blueline tilefish: Harvest closed Sept. 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. Season re-opens for harvest May 1, 2024.

• Golden tilefish: Harvest closed July 17. Harvest opens Jan. 1, 2024.

• Lobster: Regular season opened Aug. 6-March 31, 2024. No egg bearers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. Lobster stamp required.

• Alligator: Hunt season opened Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.

• Flounder: Harvest closes Oct. 15 to Nov. 30. Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person.

• Hogfish: Harvest closes from Nov. 1 to April 30.

• Spotted seatrout: Harvest closes November and December in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest reopens Jan. 1.

• Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1.

• Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.

• Redfish: Harvest of redfish has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.

• Dolphin: Bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began on May 1, 2022, for state waters.

• Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.

For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.

Snook regulations workshop

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering new fishing regulations to protect snook from environmental and human factors. The agency has proposed 10 management regions instead of the current two and other regulation changes. The agenda for a Sept. 7 meeting will include a discussion of:

• Making snook catch-and-release in the Tampa Bay region beginning 2024

• Adding September to the closed season for the Southwest region

• Reducing the bag limit to two per vessel statewide

To participate in the workshop, go to MyFWC.com/Marine and click on "Saltwater Fishing," or submit public comments online. A recording of the Sept. 7 meeting will be available by Sept. 15 on the FWC Saltwater Fishing YouTube channel.

For information on public workshops, call 850-487-0554 or visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click “Saltwater Fishing” then “Public Meetings for Rulemaking.”

Indian River County

Offshore: It's that time of year when there is a little lull in the fishing action offshore. Anglers' best bets include fishing for snapper, porgies, kingfish, cobia, triggerfish and sharpnose sharks on the reefs in 70-90 feet of water. Don't expect a lot of action. Soon the dolphin and blackfin tuna will be moving south.

Inshore: Great news: The red minnows showed up around North Jetty at Sebastian Inlet on Wednesday. That means the mullet can't be far behind. The minnows, actually bay anchovies, often precede the mullet migration and ignite the feeding activity of dozens of predators both finned and winged. It's hard to fish because matching the hatch is virtually impossible, but those tossing a fly from the beach actually have a chance.

Freshwater: Bass fishing has been getting better with shorter days on tap. Toss spinnerbaits, lipped crank baits or worms for the best action at Blue Cypress Lake, Headwaters and Stick Marsh.

St. Lucie County

Offshore: It's been a little slow on the bluewater scene. Dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo will be easier to catch in 120 to 300 feet of water later in the season. There have been mangrove snapper and mutton snapper caught in 80 feet of water.

Inshore: Snook fishing has been a little slow. Look for bites during moving tides around the docks of the inlet, the bridges, Turning Basin and the spoil islands. Use live mullet or mullet-patterned lures. Other catches include snapper around South Bridge and trout on the flats near Bear Point.

Surf: It's been pretty slow at the beaches on Hutchinson Island. There has been no bait, but the mullet should start showing any day now which will energize the activity along the beaches.

Martin County

Offshore: Anglers have been exploring Push Button Hill, the Wickstrom Reef complex and the deep wrecks. The bite has been a little slow, but there have been some vermilion snapper and blackfin tuna at the Hill. Bait is scarce. Soon, the mullet will start coming back through followed by pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel.

Inshore: Snook fishing is the most reliable action going. Bait is starting to gather in some of the back waters. Fish structure for snook which will be facing into the tidal current. Snook will be around Jensen Beach Causeway, Evans Crary Bridge and Roosevelt Bridge and will hit jigs.

Lake Okeechobee

Bass fishing is getting better around King's Bar and Horse Island. Use shiners, topwater frogs or spinnerbaits cast into the vegetation and slowly drawn back.

Ed Killer is the fishing writer for TCPalm. Email him your fishing report at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fishing: Mullet run is coming; Will energize snook, sharks