Greetings from Tru Luvin Fishing and Hagan Coastal Outfitters. This blog provides you with a front row seat to what Domenic and Ron are seeing on the water in Northeast Florida from our kayaks and new skiff, as we chase inshore saltwater species, primarily using artificial lures. From time to time, we will include bonus reports from fishing trips around the region as we travel. We want to keep you informed of what is biting, what lures are working for us and what gear has been helping us get on the fish.
Overall Fishing Report
September was a transitional weather month that bridged our hot Summer into the beginning of Fall. But, October arrived with a full-on Fall feel and the fish responded. The October bite was hot and Redfish were the stars of the show. We found them eager to feed everywhere from forty feet of water fishing for Bull Reds to four inches of water sight casting to belly crawling Reds on the mud flats. The waters have still been warm enough to entice both Reds and Trout with topwater lures. For those who use topwater lures regularly, you understand the attraction. The strikes are sudden, violent and provide an adrenaline rush every time they hit.
Tactics That Are Working
Warm weather tactics, such as fishing topwater lures, continued to produce quality Trout and Reds. This included a solid 31-inch beast of an inshore Redfish that Ron caught on a red and white 4-inch Yozuri Topknock Pencil. This fish, along with several others this month, missed the lure on the first strike. We like to leave the topwater lure in place after a missed strike, until the water settles, and then slowly start twitching the lure back with our retrieve cadence. This mimics a stunned baitfish and most often will entice a second strike to hook the fish. Some anglers will immediately reel the lure in for another cast after a missed strike, but you are taking your lure away from a hungry fish that is willing to strike your topwater lure. Patience pays off in circumstances such as this with quality Redfish. Remember, too, that the mouth of a Redfish is angled downward for feeding from the bottom. They are eager but inaccurate topwater strikers, so be patient. Although you can catch fish on topwater lures year-round, the topwater bite will slow as water temperatures drop so get out there and throw those topwater lures now.
Full of Bull Redfish Tournament
Domenic and Ron both fished the Full of Bull Redfish Tournament. This is a catch, photo and release tournament that requires the use of circle hooks to ensure the safe release of these big breeder fish. Captain Don Dingman runs this tournament and stressed the importance of the safe handling and reviving of fish at the captain’s meeting. Domenic and Ron fished with Jeff Anderson on his boat and all three of us caught quality Bull Reds on tournament day ranging from 34 to 37 inches but we just could not get a bite from a 40-inch fish to push us into the top 5. Our fish were caught on large chunks of Blue Crab. Thank you, Jeff, for a great day of fishing. Congratulations are in order to Kaley Mrozinski who won both the Lady’s Division and the Overall Tournament with a 43 and 5/8 inch Redfish.
Lessons Learned
This past month’s lesson came while fishing very shallow water. I saw Redfish chasing small shrimp in very shallow water. In fact, the water was so shallow that the Reds were belly crawling through mud in inches of water to chase these tiny bait shrimp. I tried throwing a ZMan Prawn Star shrimp imitation to them, but the lure profile was just too big compared to the bait shrimp in the water and was spooking the fish when it landed. So, I went to a cool water tactic by tying on a Ned Rig ZMan Tickler presentation that more closely matched the shrimp the Reds were chasing. I pulled my pedal drive up and quietly paddled toward the Reds. I was able to catch two really nice mid slot Reds by sight casting to them. Stalking Reds like this is both exhilarating and rewarding. Don’t be afraid to use unorthodox tactics when the right conditions are present.
Tackle and Equipment
On the tackle front, Domenic and Ron both spent a lot of time successfully working with the new ZMan Thick Trick this month. It is a very versatile bait that can be rigged in a variety of presentations to suit any water condition you are fishing. We would suggest starting to fish it similar to a jerk bait by simply lifting the rod tip and adding a twitch or two on the retrieve. The ribbed body of the Thick Trick also holds scents such as Pro Cure very well. The Reds absolutely slurped them down during October. On the equipment front, Domenic picked up a new Beavertail Mosquito skiff to add to the Tru LUVIN fleet and Ron picked up a new Hobie Lynx as well. Great fish were caught from both platforms this month and we will be featuring fish from the new watercraft in the coming months.
Submitted by Domenic Paniccia and Ron Lendvay.