Thanksgiving morning started just the way I love it. Tania and I headed to the beach before all the cooking and preparations for dinner at our friends Art and Rosies house. As always we opened the day with a simple prayer in the car, thanking God for His creation and asking for safety, patience, and maybe a few fish to take home. The sky was just beginning to brighten when we pulled into Blue Heron Beach. The sun was rising over the ocean and painting the water with those beautiful golden colors that remind me that every day is a gift.

The air was a cool and refreshing seventy degrees and it warmed up to a comfortable seventy four as the morning went on. When we walked down to the beach there were already a handful of anglers set up along the shoreline. We usually head south, but the south side was crowded, so we walked a little north to find a quiet stretch of sand for ourselves.

We set up four rods and the action started before we even settled in. I had just cast out the second rod when the first one bent and we landed our first whiting of the day. While I was getting the third rod ready the second rod went off and we brought in another whiting. Both of those early fish came on the fishbones rig with electric chicken shrimp scent, a combination that has been good to us before.

After those quick hookups things slowed down for a while. The surf looked great and the water had a clean green color to it, but the bites became scattered. We stayed patient and kept rotating baits and depths. By the time noon rolled around we had five nice whiting on the sand. Every single one came on fishbones. A few hit the electric chicken scent, but most of them preferred the all orange crab scent.

Once we packed up and headed back to the car we were feeling good about the morning. That feeling did not last long though because the car would not start. The battery was completely dead. We called my buddy Ed who lives on the island and he quickly came over to give us a jump start. We had hoped to be home around twelve thirty but did not make it back until one thirty.

While we waited for Ed we had some unexpected quiet time together. We prayed and thanked the Lord for the fish we caught and asked for patience in the delay. God has a way of slowing us down when we move too fast and honestly that moment reminded us to breathe and be grateful.

Even with the dead battery and the late return home it was a beautiful Thanksgiving morning on the water. Time with Tania, a few good whiting for the cooler, and a reminder that God is always working even in small interruptions. That is a blessing in itself.

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.