Tania and I were up early Saturday morning and headed to Blue Heron Beach in Fort Pierce. We had 25 people signed up for our surf fishing outreach with the Reel Blessed Chapter of Fishing’s Future, and with the weather forecast looking beautiful, I knew we’d need to get there early to grab enough space for everyone. We rolled in around 6:45 AM, and sure enough—two of our volunteers were already waiting and ready to go.

I brought 10 rods and reels, along with rod holders, 3 oz Sputnik sinkers, rigs, and Fishbites (huge thanks to Captain Paul Sperco for donating both the bait and tackle). Joe Oyster, one of our awesome volunteers and a fellow Salt Strong member showed up with six more rods and reels, fully rigged and ready, plus bait and gear. So, we had 16 rods out and ready to fish when families started showing up.

Once everyone got settled, I opened the event by welcoming everyone and thanking them for coming out. I informed our new families that events like this are only possible thanks to our generous sponsors and donors. After thanking our volunteers, we kicked things off with a prayer and got to fishing.

The conditions couldn’t have been better—flat, calm water, a light northwest wind, and the sun warming things up just right. Each family picked a rod to watch, and our volunteers helped them cast and keep baits fresh. We had high hopes for how nice the surf looked.

But man, the fish just didn’t want to cooperate.

We soaked bait and waited, switched out rigs, re-baited lines, and stayed optimistic. Only one short pompano came up all morning, and even though we were doing everything right, the fish just weren’t there. It happens. Sometimes, the Lord uses days like these to teach us all a little patience.

By around 10:45 AM, some of the kids started getting a little restless, so we decided to call it early. Even without much action, the families enjoyed being together on the beach, learning the basics of surf fishing, and spending quality time outdoors.

Not every trip is about loading the cooler—sometimes, it’s about making memories, connecting with others, and just being thankful for another day on the sand.

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.

If you would like to find out more about Fishing’s Future and Reel Blessed Click the links below.