This weekend brought a surprise visit from our dear friends Amy and Darryl, who made the trip down hoping to finally meet our daughter Mia. Sadly, Mia had just flown back home to Australia on Wednesday. While the weather forecast threatened storms all weekend, we decided not to take out the boat and instead focused on land-based fishing.

Saturday evening brought a break in the weather, so we made a quick run to Billy Bones Tackle, grabbed four dozen shiners, and headed to C-24 Canal. Despite our hopes, we didn’t get so much as a nibble. Not ready to give up, we packed up and headed to one of my favorite nearby spillways.

That decision paid off! In just 45 minutes before the rain returned, Tania landed both a largemouth bass and a largemouth sleeper. Darryl pulled in a healthy fat snook and hooked a sizeable gar, but unfortunately, it flopped off the hook before we could grab a picture. As for me… well, I reeled in my bait—a very lively shiner!

With bait still on hand, we returned to the same spillway Sunday morning around 8 a.m. Tania kicked things off with a swordspine snook just minutes into casting. We fished for about an hour before we ran out of bait, but in that time, Tania caught two swordspine snook, Darryl added another swordspine and battled a few elusive Florida gar, and I finally broke the skunk with a nice Mayan cichlid.

Every time Darryl visits, I make it my mission to put him on fish—and I’m happy to say the streak continues!

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 at Islamorada Brewery and Distillery on the 4th Tuesday of each month. These meetings offer members a range of benefits, including guest speakers and fellowship with local anglers who share their knowledge and help one another catch fish. Membership to Salt Strong includes a 20% discount on tackle, access to Smart Fishing spots, and insider information on local trends. To learn more about Salt Strong, click the links below for a FREE pack of Slam Shady or a 30-day test drive.