September Fishing – What’s Biting / Conditions

Offshore/Deep Sea: Kingfish are around using live bait or trolling. Some wahoo are being caught, especially behind planers with bonito or strips.
Bottom/Deep reef fishing: Snapper bite is hit-or-miss lately. Some reports of bottom fish but current and “funky water” are making things unpredictable.
Inshore: Mullet schools are starting to move inshore more in low-light times. Snook, tarpon, and jacks are following them, especially around structure (bridges, docks, seawalls).
Surf / Pier: Some pompano showing up on the beach; bait like sand fleas working. Early morning & late afternoon seem best. Also snook near piers/beach when mullet are present.

Best Places & Tactics

Area	What to Use / Strategy	Time / Tide Advice
Offshore (near edge / Gulfstream)	Trolling bonito strips, sea-witches, planers. For bottom, heavier rigs for snapper or grouper if drop-offs accessible.	Early morning or when current picks up. Look for clean water, avoid areas with a lot of floating debris if you want better visibility.
Inshore channels, docks, bridges	Live bait (mullet, small fish), swimbaits, plugs, and topwater lures (especially for snook & tarpon).	Night or low light; outgoing tide often better. Also around dawn/dusk.
Surf & Pier	Use sand fleas or small live bait for pompano. Free-lining live bait near structure works for snook.	Early morning or late afternoon; watch for clean, calm water. After storms may need to wait for water clarity.

Water conditions are kind of “funky” in places — turbidity or dirty water reduces visibility. That can slow things down.
Tides and currents are variable — fishing patterns change with tide flow.
Weather fronts or mild systems coming through can help stir things up but also bring rougher conditions.

Based on recent charter reports and fishing-report sites:

Kingfish: Solid early morning bites. Good numbers showing up.
Amberjack: Big AJ’s are being caught midday in offshore structure/wrecks.
Wahoo: Reports indicate Wahoo are around, especially trolling behind planers or with big diving plugs. Tend to be in 150-300 ft (sometimes deeper) water.
Snapper (Mutton, Yellowtail, Mangrove) & Bottom Fish: Bottom fishing has been somewhat unpredictable, but mutton snapper and yellowtail are showing in 90-100 ft depths. Sardines and live bait are working.
Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi): A few scattered reports out deep, but not a hot bite currently. Likely more spacing between fish; more time/fuel needed.
Blackfin Tuna / Pelagics: Some action out deep, though not super consistent.
Barracuda, Bonitas, Sharks: These are frequently being encountered as bycatch or side action — good for filling up the deck even if not your target.

150-300 ft water: Good zone for Wahoo and kingfish. Trolling planers/fast diving lures work well here.
90-100 ft: Snapper/ bottom-fish depths, especially around reefs, ledges or structure.
700-1100 ft: For those willing to run deep and spend the fuel, dolphin tends to show up deeper.

Trolling is doing well for pelagics. Use plugs, strips (bonita, etc.), diving lures, and planers with strip baits.
Live bait / chunking around structure helps for snapper and amberjack. Using sardines, pilchards, live fish when possible.
Timing helps: Early morning tends to be better for pelagics (kingfish, wahoo). Moderate current helps bottom bites.
Watch the weed / floating debris: There’s scattered weed in many trolling paths that can make trolling slower or more frustrating. Need to pick lines carefully or adjust trolling speed.