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, as we chase inshore saltwater species, primarily using artificial lures. From time to time, we will include bonus reports from tournaments and 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
Fishing in July started very strong and generally tapered off for the Tru Luvin team as we got toward the end of the month. That is not unusual for July in Northeast Florida. We have transitioned inshore from a consistent Spring and early Summer bite to the tougher dog days of Summer where you must earn your fish.
As the water and weather temperatures heat up the bite tends to slow down inshore. We still caught some nice fish, but it got tougher to scratch out a consistent bite. One factor was an even hotter than normal end of July with air temperatures in the upper 90s and water temperatures not far behind that.
There is still plenty to talk about from July. Domenic and Ron fished from their Hobie kayaks in July along with several trips in the Beavertail skiff. Fish were caught on every trip, just not in the numbers we were seeing before the recent heat waves. There were also successful hosted kayak charter fishing trips by the Tru Luvin fishing team, Dominic taking a successful Tarpon Charter himself along the state’s west coast and the ICAST fishing industry showcase in Orlando. Let’s dive into all of it.
Tactics That Are Working
Early in July, Dom linked up with a customer for a couple of charter trips in the Hecksher Drive area. The first trip was just Dom and Tommy and went great. Tommy caught his first Redfish and ended up with a legal slam after landing Trout and Flounder along the way as well. What a fantastic way to start your kayak fishing journey.
It went so well that Tommy came back the following weekend with his son, Nate, who had never caught a Redfish before. Ron joined Dom on this trip. Dom guided Tommy to another saltwater slam while Ron set out to get Nate his first Redfish. Nate overachieved by catching five slot Redfish including three upper slot Reds between 25.5 and 26.5 inches. This was a live bait trip utilizing mud minnows and lightweight 1/8th ounce jig heads fished right up along the grass line on an incoming high tide.
The Beavertail skiff also got in on the action. Dom had a great day up river early in the month that included a twenty-eight-inch Redfish that crushed a ZMan Chatterbait Elite Evo.
Later in the month Ron experimented with a new top water lure on the Beavertail skiff in the St. Augustine area. He used a Googan Squad Two Step top water lure to catch eight Trout and an overslot Redfish. This lure moved through the calm shadows without making too much commotion to spook the skittish fish. That subtle top water presentation was definitely the ticket that day.
Dom also made a trip to the Steinhatchee area for a charter trip with Captain J.C. Livingston. It did not take long for Dom to hook up with a massive Tarpon estimated to be approximately 180 pounds. The hour-long battle left Dom both exhausted and satisfied. That fight was as much as he wanted for the day!
As noted, live bait was the key on a couple of trips last month including Dom’s big Tarpon. Although the Tru Luvin team typically prefers to fish with artificial lures, sometimes the slower Summer bite calls for natural bait presentations. Dom’s Tarpon came on a live Mullet, Ron guided Nate to his upper slot Redfish on Mud Minnows, and river shrimp are plentiful right now for cast netting to use for bait. When the conditions call for it, don’t be afraid to use it.
ICAST Report
The Hagan Coastal Outfitters team made their annual trip to Orlando this year for ICAST 2026. ICAST is the largest fishing trade show in the world and offers the HCO team a chance to see the latest and greatest products coming from some of the industry leaders. Everything from the best tackle, clothing, kayaks and gear were on display and the team made the rounds. Some of the hottest products were on display and will be available at your local Hagan Coastal Outfitters this fall. Some of the products that stood out were new baits from Zman and the kayak of the year, the new Voyax Moosa kayak. This kayak is available now to preorder at your local HCO.
Lessons Learned
Domenic and Ron enjoyed a great trip in the skiff toward the end of the month fishing top water lures in the St. Augustine area. The guys were fishing a shallow oyster flat next to a ten foot trough.
As noted earlier, Ron hooked a beautiful over slot Redfish that the guys estimated to be about thirty three inches in length. The fish exploded on the lure with a dynamic strike and caught the hooks firmly. Ron fought the fish for several minutes playing the fish out of the shallows to make sure the fish did not cut the line on the numerous oyster mounds on the flat.
As Dom prepared to net the fish it made one last run for deeper open water behind the boat. The hard fight came to a quick end as the fish floated to the surface amid a red cloud of blood. A shark had cut the fish cleanly in half with one bite. The Redfish was as big around as the lower portion of a grown man’s thigh. Although the guys did not see the shark, they estimated that it would take a shark at least five or six feet in length to cut a fish that size in half.
The lesson learned here is this: No matter how much time you spend on the water, and how comfortable you get handling fish, Mother Nature has a way of humbling you.
You must pay attention to your surroundings if you are releasing or reviving fish with your hands in the water. The shark that cut that over slot Redfish in half could have easily severed an arm or taken a hand. Having a first aid kit on board is also a must in case an emergency happens. Safety must always be your first consideration on the water.