# TARPON in the bay?



## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

Friend called me yesterday saying he saw a fish jump by PCola bridge. He described it as silver about 4-5 feet long and made 2 jumps. Not getting entirely airborne. I tell him the only thing he described was a Tarpon , but no way in hell he saw one here at this time of the year. 
Today I am driving on Garcon point bridge and spot a huge school of fish about 50 yds from the top span of the bridge. I am explaining to my wife what we are looking at while stopped on the bridge (no cars) and BOOM a fish jumps. Damn if it wasnt as close to a poon that I have seen. I wasnt even thinking of my friends conversation from yesterday at the time until I saw it jump. 
Prove me wrong or convince me it was something else. I dont believe it but cant think of anything else that size. It wasnt a dolphin, king mac, or a shark. 
Could it have been a Poon?


----------



## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Gulf Sturgeon. It's pretty common for them to jump like that and in that area this time of yr. Probably not tarpon.


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I would guess sturgeon as well this time of year. An adult Tarpon cannot survive water as cold as it has been.

I know he said silver but at a distance it might have looked like that from water reflecting off of it.


----------



## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

Get this man some aspirin. Next he's going to say there are manatees around here....


----------



## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

When the air temperature hit 50 F. in Miami, back in 2009, there was a carpet of dead Tarpon and Snook.


----------



## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Could've been. Some guy posted catching three in one night over by mulat bayou. He had a picture a of 20 lber as proof (smallest of the three) so it very well could've been a tarpon.


----------



## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

tips n tails said:


> Could've been. Some guy posted catching three in one night over by mulat bayou. He had a picture a of 20 lber as proof (smallest of the three) so it very well could've been a tarpon.


That post was a joke. That picture was from 2012.


----------



## nojerseydevil (Jan 23, 2009)

tips n tails said:


> Could've been. Some guy posted catching three in one night over by mulat bayou. He had a picture a of 20 lber as proof (smallest of the three) so it very well could've been a tarpon.


No way. I can't believe folks thought that guy was serious about catching Tarpon in this area, this time of the year. Here's some info for you:

Water temperature is the most significant limitation to the tarpon's range. They prefer a water temperature of 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C). Below 60°F (15.6°C) they become inactive, and temperatures below 40°F (4.5°C) can be lethal for adults, while juvenile tarpon have been shown to be killed by 50°F water.

Retrieved from http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/public/fish/atlantic.tarpon.php


----------



## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

That's why I didn't believe it when he told me. The water is to cold.


----------



## LIM-IT-OUT (Aug 26, 2014)

Stripers!!!! Hahaha now I might be getting my hopes up, but a possibility, more so then a Tarpon 

That would be a hoss of a striper


----------



## Jeffbro999#2 (Feb 17, 2014)

One thing to remember is that Tarpon do winter over in the Big Bend of Florida in spring fed creeks every year. With that said, if you can find the springs, you can find fish you never thought would be there(and there are springs in Escambia Bay area). They definitely wouldn't be swimming around the bay though.


----------



## DawnsKayBug (Jul 24, 2013)

I've caught thousands of stripers. Def not that. To big for a striper. It would have been at least 40-50#s based on the length.


----------



## surffisher (Apr 19, 2010)

Saw a couple gulf sturgeon last week popping out of the water by Bob sikes. First time I've ever seen them.


----------

