# Gulf tarpon???



## andrethegiant (Sep 14, 2010)

I was fishing EOP this afternoon and hooked what I think was a tarpon. I was using a kastmaster silver spoon and wade fishing a good 100yds off the beach. Whatever I hooked was easily 42" long and I couldn't keep it in the water to save my life, it just kept jumping straight up and flaring its gills and shaking like crazy. It did finally shake the spoon out, I got it in pretty close but my glasses were getting all full of water because of the waves so I couldn't really see what it was, and than it took off like a lightning bolt and peeled 30-40 yds of line

I guess my question is, what is the likelihood of catching a tarpon in the gulf? Do they even hit lures?

I really don't think it was a bluefish because the color wasn't right. Maybe it was a record size ladyfish


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Tarpon are in the gulf all the time. Commonly caught around San Blas and Crooked Island. I'm not sure what EOP is, but I see no reason why Tarpon would not be anywhere along the northern coast.


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

Could have been a tarpon.


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## andrethegiant (Sep 14, 2010)

Just found this ladyfish picture


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## Tobiwan (Apr 27, 2012)

Wow that's a beast ladyfish


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Holy sh*t what a Ladyfish!!! I didn't know they got that big. That's freakishly big!


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

That looks like an Indo-pacific species of Ladyfish. They can grow to well over 20lbs

It is possible it was a smaller Tarpon or a big Ladyfish. Remember, they do always look bigger from a distance!


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## Wugitus (Oct 16, 2008)

*Fish*

They always look bigggger on your line..


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## reelndrag (Feb 20, 2013)

Now that's a beast of a ladyfish for sure!!


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## salt-life (Feb 20, 2012)

I saw a decent wad of tarpon today off okaloosa pier. And to awnser your lure question, yes the do hit lures. The two artificials used most frequently around here IMO are swimbaits and spoons. Could of very well been a tarpon.


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## andrethegiant (Sep 14, 2010)

Wugitus said:


> They always look bigggger on your line..


I would agree with this completely if he hadn't come within 10 ft of me


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## Salt4Lifer (Jun 1, 2013)

There's been a couple Tarpon caught recently off of P'cola pier.


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## JerseyDevil13 (Apr 21, 2012)

I fly the beach pretty regularly when I'm in town and we see small schools of tarpon pretty often during the summer and fall. We're low enough to see that they're tarpon too. I think if you look back in some of the surf reports a guy caught on off Pensacola Beach a month or so back while he was fishing for sharks.


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## Liquid Fun (Aug 3, 2009)

I have caught a few tarpon over the years so I would say it could have been one, sounds like it. More importantly where is that skipjack picture from? I know it is not here from the sand color, that thing must have made some impressive jumps.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

I didnt know bluefish got big either, I was watching a video from up north of people taking charter boats out for big blues. A charter boat for blues! But if they got that big here I would target them on top water all day long!


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

I've seen tarpon rolling at Indian Pass in mid November, so it could have very easily been a poon.


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