I was free Friday afternoon, so I contacted fellow insiders Tim Cox and Walt Laurel to see if they wanted to meet me at the dock after my doctor’s appointment. We all looked forward to fishing together and agreed to meet by 11:30 a.m.

Given the time constraints of our quick three-hour trip, I informed the guys that we would be using artificial bait only. I also mentioned that I wasn’t bringing any ice to bring fish home. When asked about this, I revealed our strategy was targeting over slots today, a decision that sparked curiosity and anticipation.

As I pulled up at the dock around 11:15 a.m., a sudden gust of wind slammed my car door shut, locking it. Luckily, a passerby offered to fetch the necessary tools to unlock my car. Walt and Tim arrived before the gentleman returned, and we shared a few laughs, albeit with a tinge of anxiety, as I was inadvertently delaying our boat trip.

The gentleman from the city returned and unlocked my car so I could unpack my gear. By the time we loaded the boat, it was about 11:45 a.m. It was the start of the incoming tide, so I wanted to go to the oyster bar near Snapper Cut to start.

I started throwing the Prawn Jr. on a 1/8oz Hoss Weedless jig head. Walt and Tim were throwing different paddle tails; however, I am not 100% sure what they were tossing. It didn’t take long for us to start getting bites. My first hit was on my second cast, and it cut my bait off at the hook. I believe it was a small cuda, but I didn’t see it, so I cannot say for sure.  We didn’t stay here long as the puffer fish were terrible, and they kept tearing up all our baits.

I decided to move around the corner to a spot where I had caught Snook before. I had a massive bite on my fourth cast, but unfortunately, my main line snapped within seconds. I believe my line got a nick in it while fishing the oyster beds. I must be more conscious about checking my line after fishing oyster beds.

With little luck, we kept working our way around the bend, so we returned to the main channel. The smart fishing spot showed Spoil Island 15 as a hot bite for Redfish, Snook, and Trout, so we started at the island’s south side. I really liked the look of this area.

We started fishing on the south side of the island. This was my first time fishing in this area, and it looked really fishy. As we worked our way east, I noticed several cuts that went into the middle of the mangrove island. With the incoming tide, the current was flowing in the wrong direction for how we were positioned to fish, so when we got to the east side, I went into the cut.

Once we were back in the middle of the mangrove island, we saw tons of bait and an egret at the mouth of the first entryway. While approaching the bird, I saw a splash right behind the bird and cast right near the splash. I did one twitch, and something slammed my bait. When I first started fighting the fish, it broke the top of the water, and with its size, I thought I had a decent snook on; however, as it got closer, I could tell it wasn’t a snook. With the size and the coloring, I shifted my thoughts to a redfish. Still, once I got to the boat, I saw it was a huge trout. It was exciting bringing this big fish onboard. I could barely get my hands around its belly for the picture, and it measured in at 24 inches.

While I was fighting my fish, Tim lost a smaller trout near the boat. Not long after that Walt had his paddle tail nailed right at the boat. He was bringing it in quickly and was at the top of the water when it was hit. It was an amazing blow-up, and after five minutes of fighting, we got the fish on the boat and realized it was a decent-sized Jack.

It turns out that just as we found the fish, it was time to head back to the dock. We fished our way out of the mangrove island and to the channel, hoping to put Tim on a fish. Unfortunately, it was not his day, and I felt bad as the captain as I would prefer my guests to catch fish over myself.

We made it back to the dock shortly after 3:00 pm, which is what time I needed to get back. I needed to be home when Tania got home from work so we could do our workout together. Since we had no fish to clean I was able to get everything offloaded from the boat and loaded into my car quick enough that I was able to get home just as Tania arrived.

Even though we didn’t all catch fish, and it was a short trip, I had a great time fellowshipping with Walt and Tim. I learned from both of them, and I hope I was able to teach them a thing or two. I cannot forget to mention the beautiful weather and the crystal-clear water, which made for a wonderful day on the boat, with or without fish being caught!

Tania and I send our best wishes to all fellow anglers. May your fishing adventures be safe, blessed, and filled with 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 hosts monthly meetings in Fort Pierce on the 4th Thursday of each month. These meetings offer a range of benefits to members, including a 20% discount on tackle, access to Smart Fishing spots, and insider information on local trends. Additionally, there will be monthly tournaments and guest speakers featured. If you’re interested in learning more about Salt Strong, click the links below to receive a FREE pack of Slam Shady or a 30-day test drive.