Tania and I were up early and out the door by 5:00 a.m., making the nearly two-hour drive to Titusville to fish with our good friend Captain Isaiah Michael of Reel Finesser Fishing. We’ve known Isaiah for nearly four years now, ever since we first met him at ICAST, and we’ve made it a point to fish with him at least once a year since then. We enjoy fishing with different charter captains a few times each year to see how they approach their local waters, and Isaiah has never disappointed us. A quick stop at Wawa for coffee fueled the ride, and once we were on the road, Tania and I said our daily prayers, asking for protection and a safe trip to and from the water.

We arrived in Titusville right at 7:00 a.m., where Isaiah was waiting at the dock, ready to go. After greeting each other and loading up, we idled out of the marina and eased down the canal. It was a beautiful morning—clear skies, light winds, and calm water with that classic dirty root beer color. The air temperature was around 70 degrees at the start, climbing into the 80s by the time we finished around noon, and the water was a comfortable 76 degrees. As we began working down the canal, Isaiah’s electronics were already marking fish, which only increased our high hopes for a big‑drum kind of day.

The game plan was to target big black drum, and we started by fishing blue crab on ½-oz jig heads with 4/0 hooks. It didn’t take long for both Tania and me to start getting good bites, but the fish were finicky and just not committing. For the next thirty minutes or so, we moved around, getting consistent taps and pulls, but nothing truly hooked up. After feeding them crab with no solid connections, we decided to make a change and switched over to shrimp on the same jig heads. That adjustment turned out to be the key.

On my very first cast with shrimp, I hooked a massive bull red. It was an amazing way to start the day. The fish fought fiercely and tested my skills before finally coming boat-side and measuring over 40 inches. It wasn’t a black drum, but it was a 40-plus-inch fish that officially made me a member of the 40-plus club, and I was more than happy about that. Not to be outdone, Tania followed with the next two redfish, landing beautiful 35‑inch and 37‑inch bulls of her own, both caught on shrimp. After that third fish, the bite slowed down again, and we found ourselves more feeding the fish than hooking them, going through shrimp as they continued to swipe bait.

At one point, Tania joked about catfish and said I should be the one to catch one—and sure enough, she jinxed me. I ended up catching the only catfish of the day, which gave everyone a good laugh. Tania then continued to stay hot, landing two jacks and pulling even farther ahead of me on the scoreboard, 4 to 2. My final fish of the day was a stingray, which bent the rod significantly and finished off my personal tally. The fish definitely made us work for every bite, and among all the boats we saw in the canal—plenty of them—we only saw one other boat catch a single decent-sized trout.

I gave Captain Isaiah a hard time, joking that we’d come to fish for big black drum and he “only” put us on bull reds. It was all in good fun because we truly had a great time. Throughout the morning, besides catching fish, we probably saw around 30 manatees, a few dolphins, and plenty of turtles cruising the canal. The mix of quality fish, wildlife, and good company made it an unforgettable trip. Tania and I love fishing with Isaiah and treat him like our own son, so days on the water with him are always special.

Tania and I send our warmest wishes to all our fellow anglers. May your time on the water be safe, blessed, and full of tight lines and good memories. Until next time, keep casting, stay hopeful, 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 Thursday 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.