This week was my off week, which usually means one thing: time to hit the water. I originally planned to fish on Wednesday, but I forgot I had a doctor’s appointment. Thankfully, my buddy Don was coming off shift, and we were able to adjust plans and meet up on Tuesday morning instead.

We linked up at the dock around 8:30 AM and got everything loaded up. As we made our way toward the inlet, we crossed paths with the War Daddy bait boat. I waved them down, picked up some live bait, and we were officially ready to fish.

Conditions were a bit sporty — 11-knot winds with 2.4-foot seas rolling in every four seconds — but it was definitely fishable. On our way to the Boils, we noticed some serious bird activity and surface commotion. Sure enough, schools of Spanish mackerel were busting bait near the top, and we couldn’t resist stopping to cast into the action. Despite throwing a variety of lures at them, we couldn’t get them to bite. They just weren’t having it.

When we reached the Boils, my buddy Captain Bo Samual from Pullin Drag Charters was already out there. He told us they’d hooked some big ones but lost a few to sharks. Sounded like it was going to be one of those days.

Our first drift gave us one good bite, but we couldn’t seal the deal. We kept at it, making multiple drifts with a few more hits and some frustrating misses. I lost two fish on the way up before Don finally hooked into something big. He was fishing a pilchard on the bottom, and whatever it was hit hard and peeled off. Unfortunately, it broke off not long into the fight.

On our next drift, Don got tight again. This one stuck, and the battle was on. With a 4000-size reel and light tackle, he fought the fish for about 15 minutes before we got a look — a hefty blacktip shark, around 5 to 6 feet long. Don managed to get it boat-side, but after another five-minute standoff, it finally broke free—still, a heck of a fight on that setup.

After that, we gave it a few more shots, but only managed to put one 15-inch lane snapper in the box. The bite was just slow overall. We lost more than we landed, and the fish just weren’t feeding aggressively.

We ran into the Spanish mackerel again on our way back to the inlet. This time, I switched tactics and decided to troll a Yo-Zuri shallow diver behind the boat. That was the magic move. It didn’t take long before I hooked up. The first fish got off right at the boat — classic heartbreak moment — but soon after, we landed a beautiful 27-inch Spanish mackerel.

After a long shift, Don was running on fumes, so we wrapped things up and headed in around noon. Even though the bite was slow and the ocean made us work for every fish, we came home with enough to make the trip worth it. That Spanish went straight into a batch of my homemade fish dip, which made the whole adventure taste even better.

Not every trip is full of limits and tight lines, but even a tough day on the water is better than a good day on land, especially when it ends with good company and a fresh catch.

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.