Tania and I made it out on Saturday morning and arrived at the dock around 6:45 AM. With a steady 10 knot east wind and 4–5-foot seas, we decided to stay inshore for the day. The east wind had pushed in a lot of weeds and turned the water a root beer color, making visibility poor. Even so, the low humidity and cool breeze made it a pleasant morning to be on the water.

We started off fishing around the Turn Basin, both of us throwing 30g jigs. After a short while, Tania began tipping her jig with a piece of shrimp, and that turned out to be the ticket. The bites came quickly, but they were all catfish, some hardheads and a few gafftopsail. After her fourth one, we decided to make a move.

Our next stop was south of the South Causeway Bridge at the concrete pilings by the water treatment plant. It was the top of the incoming tide, so we switched over to live shrimp on the bottom. I caught a few different snapper species, but unfortunately, all were undersized. Once the tide went slack, the bite completely shut down.

We moved over to the Smithsonian Dock next. I started hooking up again pretty quickly and managed to land a solid 20-inch snook. Tania was getting plenty of bites too, but they turned out to be small bait thieves that cleaned her hooks before she could set the hook.

When the tide switched to outgoing, the conditions were perfect for a drift at Thumb Point. The east wind and falling tide lined up nicely, so we set up to drift for trout. There were tons of finger mullet everywhere, but surprisingly, nothing was biting. We tried another nearby spot and caught a few small snapper, but again, nothing worth keeping.

We made another move, this time to a spot south of the Harbor Isle condos. The pattern continued—plenty of short snapper but nothing to brag about. That changed when I hooked into something that put up a great fight—a 33-inch bonnethead shark. Not what we were after, but it was a fun surprise and a great fight on light tackle.

Around 10 AM, we pulled up anchor and started drifting back toward the South Causeway Bridge. Unfortunately, this drift only produced more catfish for Tania, though she did finally manage to land a small lane snapper before we wrapped up our morning.

Tania and I send our best wishes to all our fellow anglers. May your time on the water be safe, blessed, and filled with tight lines and good memories. Until next time, keep casting, keep believing, and keep 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 link below for a FREE 30-day test drive.