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 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 month, weather wise. We had uncharacteristically cooler days early in the month which helped drop our water temperatures from the Summer extremes. Unfortunately, that came at the expense of a couple of “Nor’easters” which were extended periods of strong onshore Northeast winds that made fishing challenging. We also had a few tropical weather systems offshore which is also common for September. These events coincided with the start of the Mullet run where schools of Mullet started moving from the back waters toward the inlets. This is an important annual migration that triggers a strong Fall bite. The Redfish bite was the highlight of September with large bull Reds being caught regularly by anglers fishing deep water in our rivers and inlets. The Flounder bite continues to be steady in our waters and Trout have started to show up in better numbers with the dropping water temperatures.
Tactics That Are Working
“Matching the hatch” is a phrase you often hear from fishermen. This refers to using lures that most closely match what the fish are currently feeding on in local waters. For our area right now, the fish are feeding on those migrating Mullet. So, one good strategy is using lures that mimic those baitfish in our tributaries. You can cover all depths of the water column with Mullet imitations by using soft plastics on the bottom, twitch bait in the middle of the water column, and topwater lures on the surface.
Anglers for a Cure Tournament
Domenic and Ron both supported the 19th annual Anglers for a Cure Tournament. This tournament raises awareness for the early detection and screening of colon cancer while seeking to raise funds for colorectal cancer research. This is a really laid back, family-friendly and fun event headquartered at the Vilano Boat Ramp in St. Johns County. The tournament has both boat and kayak divisions with multiple prize categories. They serve a great meal at the captain’s meeting, feature live music and plenty of raffle prizes. Congratulations are in order to the following first place prize winners in the kayak division; Travis Goodale – 40.75-inch Redfish, Craig VanBrocklin – 22-inch Flounder, and Sandy Stark – 25-inch Trout. These guys are all great kayak fisherman who frequently make the podium in local tournaments. If you have never fished this tournament, it is a fun and very well-run tournament for a great cause.
Lessons Learned
We love fishing ZMan soft plastic lures because their Elaztech material is lightweight, buoyant, durable and has great action. However, there are times when these lightweight buoyant lures might not be the best choice. We were fishing a local tributary on the outgoing tide when we found Trout stacked up in a small deep trough in front of an oyster mound with strong current in front of it. The Z Man soft plastics were getting carried away by the current before we could get them into the hole where the Trout were holding. A switch to a Slayer Sinister Swim Tail, made of a heavier and denser material, was all it took to get those lures deeper into the hole where those fish were holding to trigger the bite and land some fish.
Tackle and Equipment
Lures that imitate Mullet were a good choice for September and will continue to be a top option throughout October. The previously mentioned Slayer SST in the “Venice Glow” color is a great example of an effective Mullet imitation that you can use at both the bottom and middle of the water column by using heavier or lighter jig heads. Rapala makes Skitterwalk topwater lures in multiple sizes that closely match the Mullet in our local waters. Both of these produced fish in September and will continue to be effective in October.
Submitted by Domenic Paniccia and Ron Lendvay.