Since I haven’t been fishing in nearly two weeks, I thought I would share a memory of a good day fishing with family and friends. Let’s go back in time to August 9 when Tania, our friend Gil, and I embarked on an exciting fishing trip, eager to explore some deeper waters. The forecast promised 1ft seas at 7 seconds, and with this favorable outlook, we knew it was going to be a memorable day.

We started our day early, arriving at the dock by 6:30 am. After loading up the boat, we set sail. The initial stretch through Ft. Pierce Inlet was a bit rough due to the east wind and outgoing tide, but as we ventured further into open waters, the waves smoothed out.

Our first fishing spot, situated in about 80 feet of water, yielded immediate results. Within minutes of dropping our lines, we reeled in a few grunts and a short black sea bass. While the catch was modest, it hinted at the possibilities the day held.

Hoping for some keepers to fill our cooler, I decided to use a grunt plug on my conventional reel. To my delight, I managed to land a 10-inch Lane Snapper, I had hopped for something larger but lane snapper is good to eat also! This spot didn’t seem to be living up to our expectations, as all the catches were small, so we decided to try another location.

The second spot showed promise as well, where we pulled in a handful of Vermilion Snapper and a Trigger Fish. Unfortunately, the Vermilion Snappers were all too short to keep, but we were content to add the Trigger Fish to our cooler. After fishing for about half an hour without much success, we moved on once again in search of a more fruitful area.

The third spot delivered a few legal Lane Snappers, but we were still longing for larger snapper or even a grouper. Undeterred, we set out to explore another uncharted area. Despite the contours suggesting a drop-off, we couldn’t locate the desired spot. An hour passed, and without any promising signs, we decided to return to one of our reliable reefs in approximately 60 feet of water.

As we anchored up, the wind shifted to a north-east direction, and we started marking fish. Unfortunately, the structure and current made fishing challenging, with numerous snags and broken lines. Frustrated, my wife suggested we move once more to a different spot nearby.

This new location was unfamiliar to us, but the structure and marks looked promising. To our delight, we caught a few large Black Margates, several big Pork Fish, and encountered an unexpected abundance of 6 soap fish, a rare occurrence for us.

Around 2 pm, we noticed the weather taking a turn, with thunder and lightning on the horizon. Deciding not to tempt fate, we started heading back to the dock. En route, we encountered a large weed line, prompting us to try our luck with a paddle tail. We witnessed fish chasing the lure, though none committed to biting. After a few attempts at other weed patches, we struck gold on the last one – an Almaco jack eagerly took the bait, and we ended up catching seven of them in a row.

With lightning getting closer, we chose to make our way back to the dock, where we safely arrived around 3 pm. Fortunately, we managed to get all our gear off the boat and clean our catch before the storm hit.

It was undoubtedly a fantastic day spent with great company out on the ocean, providing us with the much-needed salt air therapy. Tania and I pray all who made it out this week had a blessed and safe trip. We wish all who plan on going out this weekend the same thing.  We will be heading out tomorrow to try and break-in Tania’s new jigging rod/reel. May you all have tight lines and good times!

The Treasure Coast Chapter of Salt Strong is now holding monthly meetings in Fort Pierce. The meetings are being held on the 4^th Thursday of the month. The next meeting will be July 27^th. These club meeting are for inside members only. If you would like to become an inside member here is what the membership includes: access to the in-person meetings as well as all the other perks such as 20% off all tackle, Smart Fishing spots, and insider information on trends in your area. We will also have guest speakers at our meetings and we will be holding monthly tournaments. Click the link below to get a FREE pack of slam shady or a 10-Day Test-Drive of The Smart Fishing Spots App and The Salt Strong Insider Club . . . And We’ll Ship You $35 Worth of FREE Lures, an “Inshore Fishing Manifesto” Book (Physical copy) & Decals – Yours to Keep Even If You Cancel!