With Thanksgiving, I had Thursday and Friday off from work. Tania and I had a boat reserved for Friday to take our good friends, Scott and Kim, fishing. We had hoped for good weather to run to the boils, but I got an offshore/inshore boat in case we could not get offshore. Fortunately, the good Lord blessed us with a window of opportunity to go to the boils and target some permits.

Tania and I arrived at the dock at about 6:30 a.m. and were the first in line to get on our boat. Scott and Kim beat us to the dock and walked around while Tania and I waited for the boat to get there. It was an absolutely beautiful morning with light winds. I checked the buoy, and it showed the seas to be 2ft at 10 seconds, so there was no question about where we would fish.

We had a smooth ride as we ran out of the inlet. I commented on how flat it was, and Tania mentioned she hoped it remained that way all day! About halfway to the Boils, we ran into a school of spanish mackerel, and I told everyone to grab a rod and start casting. I was the last to grab a rod but the first to hook up. Knowing it was a curse for me to catch the first fish, I handed my rod to Kim and had her reel in the fish. It was a very nice spanish mackerel.

We fished for spanish mackerel for about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, we only landed one fish. Everyone lost multiple fish, and after losing three jigs, I decided to push on to the boils. I didn’t want to lose any more jigs to spanish mackerel.

We pulled up to the boils around 7:45 a.m. and started jigging immediately. The first drift is always used to understand how we will drift. We started drifting just northwest of the buoy. With the North wind and the tide changing to outgoing, I thought we would drift Southeast. The first drift confirmed my thoughts. Unfortunately, the drift was much faster than I would have liked, but we would make the best of it.

As I set up the first drift, I noticed my buddy Vern and his friend Nick, so we yelled at them and asked if they were saving some fish for us. Even though we were in different boats, we considered this a Salt Strong meet-up as, except for our friends, Scott and Kim, we were all Insiders!

On the first drift, my fishing day ended. Scott hooked up with something that was fighting pretty well. When we got it to the boat, we realized he was doubled up, a catfish on the top hook of the jig and a jack crevalle on the bottom hook. I got the jack off quickly, and as I grabbed the catfish, with the boat rocking and the fish moving, the catfish got me with its pectoral fin. I could see the fin at least 2 inches deep under my skin, and the pain was pretty intense; however, being the captain, I looked at my buddy Scott and told him I needed his help. He held his line, and I could grab my pliers and rip the fish out of my left hand.

I have been poked before, but the pain was never this intense. I had to sit there for a minute, holding pressure on my hand to stop the bleeding. Eventually, Tania got the first aid kit out and wrapped my hand with gauze, and then I put one of my gloves on to ensure the bandage didn’t come off. I was grateful for my friend Scott as he was able to help the girls take fish off their hooks, as it took me a bit of time before I could grip anything with my hand. Everyone wanted to go in so I could get the injury looked out, but I refused. I commented that I still have all my digits, so we should keep fishing, and I would be okay.

Although I was in pain, I was glad we stayed out fishing. Everyone was catching fish and having a good time. We were catching fish every drift from croaker, ladyfish, jack crevalle, pompano, and a slot snook. We even saw a bunch of large tarpons rolling throughout the day.

The wind started to kick up, and it began to get rough, so much so I could tell Tania was not enjoying herself anymore so around 10:30 a.m. I decided we would head back in. It was rough, and we could only go about 10 miles an hour without beating ourselves up too much. It was one of the longest, roughest rides Tania and I have experienced since we have been boating here in Florida. It took us nearly an hour to get into the inlet, and I felt the weight of the situation lifted from my shoulders. It was much worse than the 2-3ft seas with 5-10kt North winds.

It was about 11:30 when we entered the inlet, so we took our friends to Little Jim’s to get some of their famous hotdogs. While we were heading to Little Jim’s, the waters were much calmer, so Tania suggested we get some shrimp as she wasn’t ready to go in yet.

We got the hotdogs and bait and headed to where we like to drift. Tania and I were hoping for some sheepshead. With the outgoing tide and strong NE Wind, we drifted slowly and nearly directly east.

We continued drifting until 2:00 p.m., when we were out of bait, and our friends needed to return to their RV to let their dog out. While drifting, we caught many short snappers, jack crevalle, and a sheepshead. Overall, we had a great day of fishing!

Tania and I send our best wishes to all fellow anglers, hoping your fishing adventures are safe, blessed, and full of tight lines and good times! Until next time, keep casting and chasing those dreams on the water.

The Treasure Coast Chapter of Salt Strong now holds monthly meetings in Fort Pierce on the 4th Thursday of each month. These meetings are exclusive to inside members, who receive various perks, including 20% off tackle, access to Smart Fishing spots, and insider information on local trends. Monthly tournaments and guest speakers are also set to feature. To become an inside member, click the link below to receive a FREE pack of Slam Shady or a 10-Day Test-Drive of The Smart Fishing Spots App and The Salt Strong Insider Club. They ship you $35 worth of FREE Lures, an “Inshore Fishing Manifesto” Book (Physical copy), and decals – Yours to Keep Even If You Cancel!