I Don’t Wanna Catch a Tarpon (but I sure like to see ‘em fly)
by
Capt. Ken Roy
Landing a big Tarpon usually entails a lot of work. Billy Pate makes whipping a big Tarpon on fly tackle look entirely too easy. I have seen him in action off Homosassa and he is mighty impressive. It is easy for him because he is a master of the art and he uses only the best tackle in the world. When you’ve caught hundreds, maybe thousands, like he has, you develop techniques that work. Pate has these techniques down pat. For the rest of us, it is mostly grunt and groan after the first three or four minutes.

The long Manatee low speed zone in the Withlacoochee gives me the opportunity for a shot at Tarpon almost every day in the summer. I put out two rods and troll the entire length of the speed zone. A hot pink Stretch 8 and a 6” gold Tomic Lure is all I need to get a little action. Strikes are much more frequent on an out going tide than on the in coming by at least a factor of 5:1 but I almost always troll out, regardless of the tide. I hook 10 Jack Crevalle for every Tarpon hooked, though. I’ve hooked Tarpon while trolling in almost all of the rivers on this coast from the Apalachicola to the Calusahatchee.

I don’t want to land a Tarpon nor do I want to have one on for a long time.  I opt for a quick “long line release” by not sharpening or even dulling the hooks slightly. Tarpon have tough mouths with few places for a dull hook to lodge so they jump, shake their head and the lure goes flying. Even the most hardened Grouper fisherman is impressed by these “flying fish.”

I seldom have the opportunity to target Tarpon because most of my clients want Grouper and little else so a Tarpon trip is a real treat for me. I seldom book more than three or 4 Tarpon trips per year so I look forward to each one. The biggest problem with targeting Tarpon in this area is that they are so unpredictable. Just when I see a pattern developing, the Tarpon decide to go elsewhere or do things a little differently.

If you absolutely GOTTA CATCH A TARPON, here is how. You don’t have to be a “Rocket Scientist.” This “No Brainer” Tarpon fishing is almost goof proof.

The one thing that I have found that I can rely on is that low, out going tide produces the most action for me. When low, out going tide coincides with early morning or late evening, I get lots of bites. BITES? Yeah, cut-bait on the bottom works best for me in the Withlacoochee. Lots of fresh chum and very fresh bait is essential.

Large, fresh cut-bait is the closest thing to “gar-on-teed” Tarpon fishing that I have found. A bait that weighs at least half pound is best. This all but eliminates Catfish hook ups but it sure doesn’t stop them from tearing at the bait. Catfish aren’t necessarily bad. All of the commotion they stir up while tearing at your bait may attract Tarpon. I can’t prove this but I have often had Catfish tearing at the bait and then abruptly stop. Then all Hell breaks loose as a Tarpon goes airborne.

Rigging is simple. I use 6-8’ of 80# mono for leader. This leader is Blood Knotted to your running line. I always use a 12/0 Mustad circle hook. I rig a quick release sinker by doubling my leader about 2’ above my hook. I pass this doubled leader through an egg sinker heavy enough to anchor the bait in place. Then I crimp a split shot on the loop that is outside the sinker. When a Tarpon jumps, the sinker flies free. Sinker size varies with the current speed.

The best bait I have found is fresh fillets of Ladyfish or Jack Crevalle. I chum with the filleted carcasses and with extra chunks of fish cut up into 1/2-1” cubes. A chum bag helps too.

Here is how I work it. I fish one bait suspended about 5 feet beneath a float and another weighted on the bottom. I use 30-50# line with the drag set fairly tight. I try to pull the boat up under an overhanging tree and tie off with a quick release knot rather than anchor. I fish with the rods in the holders and let the Tarpon hook themselves.

Look for rolling fish and anchor up current of them. If you see a school of rolling fish moving down stream, get far ahead of them and put out lots of chum. Sometimes they will stop in for a snack. If you can’t find rolling fish, anchor or tie up at a deep hole. Lots of chum will get them going.

Be ready to follow the fish because it is darn near impossible to land one from a dead boat in a narrow stream. If the fish is bright silver with big scales, you have hooked a Tarpon. Lots of times I hook big brown or gray fish with lots of teeth, Sharks.   I use the relatively light 80# leader so that Sharks can bite off. Another frequent catch is Cobia.

Cobia are mighty fine eating and fun to catch too.

Keep the pressure on a Tarpon and you will whip it in 20-30 minutes. Take it easy and the Tarpon may die. It is much better to really lean on the fish and wear it out quickly and release it in good shape. A Tarpon that fights for an hour is likely going to be Shark or Crab food.

Oh yeah, Tarpon take live bait, plugs and flies but day in and day out, you get more action on cut bait. It ain’t pretty but it darn sure is effective.

 

Life is too short to catch little fish.

As soon as I catch a Ladyfish, I'll put it on my Tarpon rod.  Likely I'll catch a big Jack or Cobia but I catch Tarpon there too.  I'll be in protected water.  I should catch a Redfish for dinner in the process.

These E-Books are kicking my butt.  I need some fishing.

Life is too short to catch little fish.