I have been eager to get offshore ever since a buddy showed me the relief shading in the Navionics app. I have found so many spots I want to try out, but between weather and life, Tania and I have yet to have the opportunity to go.  

Monday allowed me to take time off work and go fishing with my friend Lee and his son, Gabriel. The winds were forecasted to be 5-10kts out of the east, and the seas were 3-4ft at nine seconds. I contacted my buddy, who told me they would be good if we went offshore. I prepared for inshore and offshore fishing without knowing how rough it would be.

I arrived at the dock at about 6:30 am, loaded the boat, and got it ready. My friend and his son arrived just before 7:00 am, and we headed out. When we got to the inlet, we grabbed some threadfins from Wardaddy Baits and continued out the inlet.

Going out with an outgoing tide and an east wind was a little bumpy, but that is expected. Once we were out of the inlet, it wasn’t bad at all. We started at the first red buoy to see if there was any bait; even though we had some, it never hurt to get more. After three drifts and only getting three baits, we moved on to start fishing.

I went to the first spot I wanted to try, just north of the inlet. I was not disappointed as we all started to catch fish within a few minutes. My first fish was a small Jack, but my buddy Lee and his son caught two nice sheepsheads, one being 16in and the other 18in. I was using 75 squidtrex, my buddy was using a 60g Gypsea slow pitch jig from Nomad Design, and my We continued to drift the reef for another 30 minutes, in which time we landed multiple fish, but most were small jacks, except a decent black margate.

Gabriel wasn’t feeling well at this point, so we returned to the inlet. We decided to toss some threadfins in the rocks to see if we could catch a snook, but it was rough, so we continued into the river to see what we could find.

I worked hard to put my guests on fish, with little success. Even though we caught fish, the bite in the river was slow. Gabriel had a memorable catch when he brought up two jack crevalles at the same time. On the bright side, I feel we had some great fellowship between the bites. We praised the Lord for showing us his creations and allowing us to bring some fish home.

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!