# Tarpon, anyone target them?



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

With the dog days of summer approaching its about time for the big migrating tarpon to show up off our beaches. Ive already seen a few actually.

I've seen many of them from the piers but they rarely seemed to want to eat.

Anyone have any better luck targeting them from a kayak along the beaches? I suppose after snapper season there wont be anything to fish for in the Gulf worth a dern other then tarpon, if theyll eat. I imagine that a hundred pound tarpon from a kayak would be a BLAST.

Usually from the piers, people would just throw king rigs with dead cigs at them when they come down the bar. I suppose they could be leader shy. Im thinking some heavier fluro and a live herring or the like may do the trick.

What say ye?


----------



## TheRoguePirate (Nov 3, 2011)

They love fly casting as well as deep water jigs sent off in front of them.


----------



## froglegs (Mar 24, 2008)

In the keys they would eat dead pen fish out of a chum line. Of course they were stacked up and feeding but they will eat a dead bait. Before chumming for them became conventional, live pen fish was the way to go.


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Find the biggest pinfish/mullet you can and a 40-60# flouro leader and run the beaches in the morning when the bait it stacked on the drop off or outside the pass on an outgoing tide.


----------



## bbarton13 (May 4, 2009)

im gonna land one this year!! never had any luck hooking one off the beach but i will try live bait this year. last year i hooked 2 at 3mile at night, both where on trout rods and it didnt last long! one of the poons look to be 140 pounds.


----------



## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

last year at 3 mile i paddled right up to where two of them were swimming back and forth feeding under the lights there, huge and didnt care that i was there. i didnt want to bother trying to hook one since it would drag me around forever then i would have to let it go...


----------



## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

TheRoguePirate said:


> They love fly casting as well as deep water jigs sent off in front of them.


Wow,trouble catching specs,but, expert advice on tarpon!Or maybe to much TV.How many tarpon you caught around here,AMIGO?


----------



## Breeze (Mar 23, 2012)

JD7.62 said:


> With the dog days of summer approaching its about time for the big migrating tarpon to show up off our beaches. Ive already seen a few actually.
> 
> I've seen many of them from the piers but they rarely seemed to want to eat.
> 
> ...


100 pound tarpon in a kayak??? You kayak guys are just plain nuts!!! I thought you guys were crazy already for taking a kayak couple miles offshore, but catching something that big?? Yeap, that confirms it... you all are definately crazy....... almost sounds like something I would try... LMAO!!!! Yeap, hook that big tarpon, he pulls you out of the kayak so now your swimming with those big sharks I read about on here.... but that shark is scared away by the big 12 foot alligator that comes along looking for a tasty treat.....

Notice I said "almost" something I would do... LOL

Just joking with ya, but reading the posts from you kayak people confirms to me that you all are crazy.. :blink::thumbup:


----------



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

When were they showing up under three mile? I remember seeing several reports about them last year but couldnt remember exactly when.

After snapper if anyone wants to get together and spend a day chasing the silver king let me know. I fish mostly from Navarre but I hear Okaloosa Pier tends to land more tarpon then Navarre pier so I might try it out that way as well.


----------



## TheRoguePirate (Nov 3, 2011)

here, none, Ft myers and the keys where i was raised a few. never said i was an expert, just sending some advice. fishing from a kayak is new to me so are targeting specks. always went for big fish until now. guess your a little b-hurt over my red snapper post amigo. get over it.


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

They come into the bays pretty far, for the next few months they will be in choctahatchee bay chasing bait. I see a majority near the mid bay bridge in the AM but also have seen them come as far as elliot point and into the sound. There's been quite a few times I've hooked one but always have my inshore gear so I've only landed small one. One of the craziest things I've seen fishing was a bullshark rip one in half a hundred yards from my jon boat near legendary marine.


----------



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

I think there are more tarpon in the area then most people realize, just by seeing the reports of people "accidently" hooking into them while targeting something else. Maybe its just me because not many people really seem to target them specifically. Well, maybe they do, they just dont talk about it. :whistling: 

Some days Ive seen more then a hundred at the pier in just a few hours. Those fish have to go somewhere and eat something.


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

tarpon fishing is one of those things that you can do all day and not hook one. It's not for everyone. Not only that after to do find one to eat you have to keep him on the hook which can be pretty hard. You hafta have a boat ideally and most people with a boat that want to catch a tarpon will drag it down south were they are thicker.


----------



## PaulandBethB (Apr 19, 2012)

Breeze said:


> 100 pound tarpon in a kayak??? You kayak guys are just plain nuts!!! I thought you guys were crazy already for taking a kayak couple miles offshore, but catching something that big?? Yeap, that confirms it... you all are definately crazy....... almost sounds like something I would try... LMAO!!!! Yeap, hook that big tarpon, he pulls you out of the kayak so now your swimming with those big sharks I read about on here.... but that shark is scared away by the big 12 foot alligator that comes along looking for a tasty treat.....
> 
> Notice I said "almost" something I would do... LOL
> 
> Just joking with ya, but reading the posts from you kayak people confirms to me that you all are crazy.. :blink::thumbup:


For me its much more of a challenge and pride issue. My wife and I decided to sell our 28' sportcraft when we went to the 3 barges last year, hooking up on a 7' blacktip she fought it for about an hour and a half. Came back in landing the shark in the yak. It was so.much fun and cost about $10 dollars and we just ate the last of the shark a few weeks ago. The experiance alone is more memorable then just running out 20 miles out dropping a line catching limit and coming back with spending $100 or so just in fuel. 

But crazy yep pretty much. But what is even more putting truth to the statement is my oldest son and I free dive spearfish off of the ole yak. Lol. Now that is crazy


----------



## fishn4fun (May 11, 2008)

I have not caught one out of the yak yet but I plan on putting in some time this summer


----------



## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

TheRoguePirate said:


> here, none, Ft myers and the keys where i was raised a few. never said i was an expert, just sending some advice. fishing from a kayak is new to me so are targeting specks. always went for big fish until now. guess your a little b-hurt over my red snapper post amigo. get over it.


B-hurt,me,HA.I just think theres to much bull $^#& information on the fishing by folks that contribute about things they dont no nothing about,thats all.What worked in the pass in Tampa @ Ft. Myers or Keys has nothing to do with tarpon off the beach migraition here.Oh ya,make sure to use circle hooks,better for the release.Don"t forget a tarpon stamp if you decide to keep.Keep up the good work,AMIGO.


----------



## TheRoguePirate (Nov 3, 2011)

thank you for informing me about my geographical location, in the year i lived here i sometimes forget where i am at. Lucky for me that there are people like you to remind me. question, how large is the cobia tower on your boat?


----------



## LRAD (Aug 13, 2009)

They get pretty thick off the beach down around St. George Island. I have been on trips targeting them there several times - not exactly the same area but relatively close. They will hit big, shallow running lipped plugs, but they are very hard to hook and won't always eat. I have definitely been in situations where they were rolling all around us but wouldn't hit any lure or bait in our arsenal. I have never landed one, but have jumped several and been in the boat when several were caught by others. You need to use pretty heavy flouro b/c they have sharp gill plates and that will eventually cut through even pretty heavy mono. 

My father in law still targets them several times a year down around Apalach, and in recent years has had pretty good success using large, live baits slow trolled well behind the boat. I have never been with him when he caught one that way, so I can't tell you all the particulars. Basically, though, he matches the hatch by catching live bait in a cast net.


----------



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

LRAD, thanks for the info, what time of year does he target them?

I caught some small tarpon down in Melbourne on the Sebastian river slow trolling small live baits, same concept I suppose.


----------



## tat (Oct 8, 2007)

Off Orange Beach they target poons using live bait like herring or pogies. Bait caught with Sabiki rigs, then free-lined or under a balloon. Early morning - sunrise or right after. I've got a buddy that's done it for years; my turn this summer!

I've heard of yakkers catching them too. Same basic system

And (for what it's worth) tarpon seem to like small, easy to eat baits i.e. flies. Caught two down near Apalach in May on fly.


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Jd, go back and read some of my reports from last year. I have targeted tarpon for years off of orange beach and gulf shores. 4 yrs ago I started targeting them from the kayak and have had great success. Last year was one of the best years and I landed several fish up to 140-150lbs. I take them with live and artificial baits.


----------



## The Pitt (Apr 7, 2012)

What kind of gear are you guys using? As far as rod/reel/line.


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

A 6 1/2-7ft heavy action spinning or conventional rod with 50lb braid-65lb braid. I use 80lb fluoro leaders with 7/0-8/0 circles. Last season my hook-to-land ratio was about 50%. This year Im gonna try a couple different techniques to hopefully get that ratio a little higher.


----------



## LRAD (Aug 13, 2009)

As to the question of when to fish for tarpon, peak numbers in Apalach seem to be in July and August. I think there are fish around before and after that, but either they are harder to find or in fewer numbers. We have always been able to find them in the heat of the summer, though. Often they stack up right off the beach on St. George Island, where the old lighthouse used to be. 

My father in law was actually down there last weekend, I think, though he may have just been trout fishing in the bay. Haven't talked to him yet, but if he has anything to report I will pass it along.


----------



## BlackJeep (Jun 13, 2010)

Chris V said:


> A 6 1/2-7ft heavy action spinning or conventional rod with 50lb braid-65lb braid. I use 80lb fluoro leaders with 7/0-8/0 circles. Last season my hook-to-land ratio was about 50%. This year Im gonna try a couple different techniques to hopefully get that ratio a little higher.


I haven't caught one yet, but that's exactly what I had in mind... I plan to use a 7' heavy Teramar rod, Stradic 8000 and 50# braid. I'll throw a live herring, mullet, pinfish, or sardine using 7/0 circle on 60# or 80# fluorocarbon. 60# might be too small I'll concede though

All the tarpon I've seen off the beach have been skittish and hard to approach, even in the yak. The night time 'poons under bridge lights seem to be a higher percentage hunt, though fighting >100# fish at night in Pcola Bay around a bridge certainly adds to the challenge.


----------



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Chris V, Beer is on ice, once the kid goes to bed Im going to settle in for a night of reading.

I'm pumped to really get after them this year. I wonder how mad my wife will be if I have to tell her that I need another set up specifically for tarpon?


----------



## PAWGhunter (Feb 3, 2010)

TheRoguePirate said:


> question, how large is the cobia tower on your boat?


:whistling:

So how long do you think before someone on this forum rigs up some outriggers and a cobia tower to their kayak?:blink:


----------



## xxxxxxxxxbowwave (Jan 18, 2012)

I think it was Sunday before last that I was on navarre pier and a school of approx. ten swam by. A lot of excitement for a very short while. live mullet and crabs are primo baits. Would never fish a pass like Bocca again. People are insaine.


----------



## Razzorduck (Oct 22, 2007)

I've hooked two off Gulf Shores in my kayak with just a couple of jumps and they were gone. Jumped three off Cape San Blas and got one to the leader. Incredible how strong and wild they are. I've gotten jumps on a live bumper twice, 7" croker, herring and a dead cig. Will be down in a week paddling out every morning looking for more!


----------



## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

JD, I'm gonna send you a pm shortly when wife is off the computer. Should get you hooked up and hopefully stay that way.


----------



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Chris V said:


> JD, I'm gonna send you a pm shortly when wife is off the computer. Should get you hooked up and hopefully stay that way.


Sweet man, thanks.


----------

