Ocean tides are among nature’s unstoppable forces. Their ebb and flow is as reliable as the sunrise and sunset, adding energy to influence the life that relies on the water, which in turn exerts its own pull on those who love to fish.

The water last week pulled friend Bob Marcoux and me as we boarded the fishing boat of Captain Will Geraghty at Naples (Fla.) City Dock. The sun had breached the palm-studded east bank of Gordon River and lit up the morning with the kind of radiance that anglers take whenever they tote their gear to the water.

Dolphins rolled near the boat as Geraghty powered his “Grand Slam” up on a plane to head south to cast for speckled trout on the incoming tide. The 20-minute boat ride passed with minimal conversation as Marcoux, the skipper and I soaked up the morning grandeur. At our destination, a pair of screeching ospreys nested atop a channel marker.

Geraghty has been guiding in the Naples-Marco Island area for more than 25 years. He also guides in Islamorada and elsewhere in the Keys for sailfish, grouper and other sportfish in the nearby Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

He wears the look of a saltwater fisher: buzzcut hair, stubble on his face, sun-kissed cheeks and a crows-feet squint. A long-sleeve T-shirt with more than a few fish stains, tattooed arms and aqua-colored Crocs round out the look that says this guy knows a thing or two about fishing under a broiling sun on salty water.

He certainly does.

The water pulled and we responded. It wasn’t more than two minutes before the first fish bit, lifting the lid on a morning of action. Geraghty positioned his boat so the tide could move us along a mangrove bank to cast our jigs and hop them back.

The water pulled and the Florida sun climbed higher, adding heat just as the action warmed up. Marcoux scored the day’s first speckled sea trout, a dagger-toothed dandy that fought hard before Geraghty scooped it in the net.

Marcoux is a retired NYFD firefighter and now a transplanted Hudson River Valley resident dividing time between Minnesota and Naples. He has a wide world of fishing experience, from Alaska and the Yellowstone region to the waters of Pine Lake as a competitor in the annual Muransky Companies Bass Classic benefiting the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

He’s also an excellent fish cook. Our outing with Geraghty resulted in a limit of speckled trout, providing the foundation for Marcoux’s blackened speckled trout sea-to-table experience deserving of three Michelin stars.

Our day with Geraghty was more than just fish fillets. He’s a certified eco guide, as well, with a lifetime of knowledge about the plants and animals that form the ecosystems out in the Gulf and in the mangrove-lined back bays.

He pointed out that the tide was clearing the silt stirred by recent north wind cold fronts. Enroute to our fishing destination, we saw work boats equipped with cranes to pluck plastic, aluminum, wood and other debris fouling the mangrove banks in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

The Naples waterfront was hit hard by Ian. The fishing has returned to near normal. Guide trip bookings are starting to pick up again, Geraghty said, as he showed me an email from a Youngstown angler seeking to schedule a trip during his upcoming vacation.

As the clock ticked toward noon, Geraghty decided to stop for a few casts for pompano near the mouth of Gordon River. But several dolphins circled our vessel. They have become conditioned to stalk fishing boats for the opportunity to eat anglers’ catches right off their lines. Their intent was obvious, so Geraghty called it a day.

And a finer day is hardly possible. We soaked in the sunshine, felt the fresh salt breeze on our faces, enjoyed the magnificent sights and birdlife, battled a limit of speckled trout and released at least that many more.

It’s what Geraghty does. When the water pulls, he is there to make the angler’s day a success.

Jack Wollitz’s book, “The Common Angler,” includes a chapter detailing more of the life of professional guide Will Geraghty and explains the “why” behind our passion for fishing. Send a note to jackbbaass@gmail.com.