Got out early this morning and set my sights on the spoil islands. I started by rotating between a paddle tail and a topwater. The first island was quiet—hardly any bait or activity—so I didn’t stick around long. The second island told a different story, with plenty of life around. After a few casts, I landed a solid trout, followed shortly by a beautiful snook. I kept working the area hoping to connect with a few more snook, but they weren’t having it. Still, I managed to pick off a few more quality trout before wrapping things up. A quick trip, but a fun one with some nice fish to show for it.

The plan: cut mullet for redfish. Reality: only managed to catch fingerlings—not gonna work. Switched to lures and hit the mangroves, landing a few snook, trout, and a couple reds. Then came a ladyfish… which quickly became cut bait. With that cut ladyfish? First chunk: a nice red. Second chunk: an unbelievably lively tarpon! Sometimes, the day just writes its own story on the water.

Fishing started before sunrise with a snook caught on the first cast. Trout were active on topwater once the sun rose. Redfish were caught around feeding mullet schools and near mangroves, including two solid fish that put up strong runs. The rest of the morning produced additional snook, trout, and a couple of dreaded hardheads. Lures Used: 3” paddle tail, 5” fluke, topwater