In this solo patch reef run, I’m out on a gorgeous January day in the Florida Keys doing what we do—hopping patches, reading the conditions, and trying to dial in the right fish. Early on I’m getting action (hogfish, little porgies, yellowtail, mangroves), but it’s not the size or the target I’m looking for. The water was super clear, the chubs moved in, and of course Mr. Barry (barracuda) showed up and literally cut my nicest porgy in half… absolute shame. I also show you some underwater footage around the chum slick so you can see exactly what’s hanging back there and why I decided to keep moving. Big takeaway today is simple: don’t burn a whole block of chum if the fish aren’t right. I start with no chum, then I’ll do about half a block—if it’s not productive by the time that half is gone, you’ve got to move. Same thing with bait: I’m working shrimp on a chartreuse jig head for the pickers, and I’m keeping a live ballyhoo down on a circle hook hoping a mutton shows up (spoiler: not even a short mutton today). But once I finally land on the right patch, it turns into near nonstop action—and yes, the porgies finally went in the cooler. We kept two good ones, because we only take what we’ll eat fresh, and we’re going to see if porgy deserves a regular spot on our dinner table.