After a three-week hiatus dictated by unpredictable weather, travel commitments, and the demands of the daily grind, I eagerly anticipated the familiar embrace of the river. Friday marked my unofficial return to the angling world; I seized the opportunity to scout the waters, preparing for a Saturday excursion with Tania, my wife and fishing partner. The mission was clear – seek out Sheepshead or Pompano, my two favorite catches for the dinner table, and particularly, the elusive Sheepshead that Tania enjoys catching. Join me on this journey as I share the highs, the lows, and the unexpected wonders that unfolded during a day of casting lines and chasing dreams on the water.

Friday was my day off, so I took a boat out scouting in preparation for taking Tania out on Saturday. I hoped to find Sheepshead or Pompano, as those are my two favorite fish to eat, and Sheepshead is Tania’s favorite fish to catch in the river.

I started the day by arriving at the dock at about 8:00 a.m. with a few dozen shrimp. I was loaded up and heading out of the marina around 8:20 a.m. With the incoming tide, I first tried the seawall at the waste treatment plant on the east side of the river.

This location is known for having snook. I have done well with shrimp on a jighead in the past, so that is what I started with. It didn’t take long for me to start catching fish; however, they were not the fish I was looking for. I caught a few short mangrove snapper and a grunt.

After about 30 minutes of fishing this spot without anything to put in the cooler or to brag about, I decided to try a few drifts south of South Causeway Bridge. Once again, this produced little of anything. I caught a few small jack crevalle, a few short mutton snapper, a lane snapper, and a lizardfish. After three drifts, I moved to the next spot.

The following location I decided to try was the Smithsonian Dock. This location had the hallmarks of being a good spot. There was bait blowing up all over and birds diving in the area. I was hoping that with the water temperature around 58°, the sheepshead would hang out here in numbers. Unfortunately, I did not catch any sheepshead. I caught a few short snapper and a few small jack crevals.

At this point, I decided to head to where I had caught pompano the last time I went fishing in the area in December. I pulled up outside Riverside Marina. This turned out to be a good decision as on my first cast, I caught a 14in mutton snapper; on my second cast, I landed a 13in pompano; and on my third cast, I lost a pompano at the boat. Unfortunately, as quickly as it all happened, the bite turned off. I suspect the bite died due to the amount of dolphins that showed up.

I spent the next 30 minutes casting without a bite but was mainly watching the dolphins play and feed. I tried multiple times to record the dolphins, but they were camera shy for me. I ended up back at the dock around 1:00 p.m.

All in all, I had a good day exploring the waters. I realized how much I missed being on the water and seeing God’s wonderful creations, even though they did mess up the 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!