Jake Owen releases 'On the Boat Again' video shot at Little Jim and Fort Pierce Inlet

Jake Owen, a national country music star from Vero Beach, released his new music video Wednesday that was shot predominately at Little Jim Bait & Tackle and the Fort Pierce Inlet area over the July 4th weekend.

"On The Boat Again" is a single from "Loose Cannon," Owen's seventh album, which was released June 23.

The video shows Owen and his bandmates performing the song while sitting on the docks at Little Jim Bait & Tackle, a shop better known for its bar, restaurant, live music, marina and public kayak launch on the Indian River Lagoon in St. Lucie County. The video ends and the trailer opens with a panning-out aerial drone shot of the fish camp.

The video references "The Cut" and "Catfish Creek" and shows people living the "Salt Life" on a houseboat and powerboats, including the "Southern Eagle." That's an apparent reference to Southern Eagle Distributing, a national beer distributor based in Fort Pierce. The Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, cement silos and a popular hangout called "The Cove" all make cameo appearances in Owen's video.

Owen arrived at Little Jim about 6 p.m. July 1 and ate fish tacos after filming for about two hours, surrounded by a live audience that cheered from the bar deck, said manager Shane Avery.

"It was cool," Avery told TCPalm Wednesday as "On The Boat Again" coincidentally played in the background. "What a heck of a nice guy he is, for him to come down here and shoot the video and spotlight us and our (beer)." Little Jim's namesake beers include "Welcome to the S*** Show" India pale ale and "Seal Team Zero" Belgian style wit.

Owen has visited Little Jim "a few times before," Avery said, but never filmed there.

"He's legit. He talked to everybody, and I went up and thanked him for coming down. He's not a snob. He was hanging out with the people," Avery said. "I think we're all just happy it happened and it's given us the exposure we need. We're trying to keep a piece of Old Florida alive."

The iconic hangout was a Navy guard shack in 1944, when North Hutchinson Island was restricted to troops who trained here for World War II. The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum on A1A tells the story of the Navy Combat Demolition Units, which became the Underwater Demolition Teams, or Frogmen, which became today's Navy Seals.

The city owns the property at 601 N. Causeway Drive and leases it to Donna Qvarnstrom-Burke and Tony Huerta, who bought the business in 2019 and paid nearly $2,723 monthly rent in July. They have asked the city to extend their lease for three years beyond the expiration on Feb. 28, 2025.

The Fort Pierce City Commission has considered selling the historic site to a developer, with Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson pushing the issue since his 2016 election. A "Save Little Jim" petition can be found on change.org.

Little Jim Bridge, also seen in the video, was built along Shorewinds Drive (North A1A) in 1963. It replaced a wooden bridge built in 1942, which replaced the original bridge built in 1926. A piece of the 1942 bridge still juts out between the marina and new bridge.

The bridge is a popular place for kids to jump off into Shorty's Slough that runs past Little Jim — and Owen's video beautifully captures such a moment with the kids' silhouettes against an orange sunset.

After filming at Little Jim, Owen was seen having dinner at Chuck's Seafood Restaurant on Seaway Drive in Fort Pierce, but it doesn't appear he filmed there.

The historic 1961 restaurant is famous for its fried butterflied shrimp and waterfront tables with a view of the sunset over the Indian River Lagoon and its wildlife.

The video also doesn't show the Riverside Cafe on the Indian River Lagoon in Vero Beach, which is tucked under the Merrill P. Barber Bridge. That's Owen's favorite Vero Beach hangout and he was spotted there June 30.

Owen launched his musical career at the waterfront bar and restaurant, on which he based the stage design for his first national tour. He has remained friends with the owners and when he's in town, he often stops by unannounced — and sometimes plays a gig.

It's not the first time Owen has filmed a music video in his hometown. In 2016, he stopped by Riverside Cafe and his alma mater, Vero Beach High School, to shoot scenes for his song, "American Country Love Song." Six of the school's varsity ball players and three cheerleaders were chosen by the school to shoot footage with Owen.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jake Owen releases 'On the Boat Again' video filmed in Fort Pierce