On Saturday, Tania and I hosted my friend Joe for a nearshore fishing trip. With a forecast of 5kt SE winds and 2-3 ft seas, it was shaping up to be a good day. The intel I received was that the bottom was cold and bottom fish were scarce, so I decided to head to one of my go-to spots, the Boils. I told Joe to show up at the dock between 6:30 and 7 am.

Tania and I left home around 5:50 am to make sure we beat Joe to the dock. On the drive, we began the day with our daily prayer, asking for His blessing of protection, open eyes, and a bountiful catch. We arrived at the Fishing Center shortly after our prayer and were fortunate they had shrimp, since we’re in the time of year when shrimp are hard to come by.

We made it to the dock about 6:25 am. Tania and I loaded the boat and got everything ready for Joe. He arrived shortly after we were set to go, and we left the dock near 7 am, making our way toward the Boils. Once we cleared the inlet, we noticed a massive weed line just off the beach. We pulled up to investigate and see if any fish were holding under it, but unfortunately, we didn’t spot any.

At that point, we continued on to the Boils, with weeds all the way. I was a little concerned they’d make fishing tough, but once we arrived, the weeds let up enough to make it workable.

We started drifting near the East buoy, hoping the permit would be biting. Unfortunately, nothing was. We ended up drifting from the East buoy all the way to the west end of the Boils, with very few bites and even fewer fish. Joe did catch the first fish of the day, a blue runner, but that was all we had to show for the first hour.

By then, I was looking around and not seeing much life — barely any wind, and it felt like slack tide since we were hardly drifting at all. Between the lack of signs of life and the lack of fish, I brought up heading to one of the reefs five miles offshore, but Tania suggested we work our way back toward the buoy one more time before making that call. That turned out to be the right move. The tide had started moving by then, and the fish started biting right along with it.

On the first drift back, Joe caught a juvenile African pompano. Tania was a little disappointed since that’s one of her bucket list fish, but since it was small, she figured the one she eventually catches will be bigger. We ended up staying in that area for another few hours, drifting and catching fish steadily. Highlights included a 24-inch black drum and two of the largest grunts I’ve ever seen, 14 and 15 inches respectively. Along with the fish, we had a few large sea turtles surface within 10 feet of the boat, and some dolphins swam past as well. We always love seeing these wonderful, beautiful sea creatures.

Once the bite slowed down, we started heading back to the dock, with a plan to stop at our Margate spot along the way. That decision paid off too — we caught a bunch more fish there, ending the day on a high note.

About noon, we decided to head in for good, as the weather looked like it was moving in — the sky was darkening on both sides of us. Once again, our timing was perfect. As we pulled into the marina, it started to sprinkle. The good Lord blessed us one last time by holding the rain off until we’d finished up and were driving home.

All in all, it was a great day on the water with great company. We caught fish, saw dolphins and turtles, and beat the rain. 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 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.