# Tarpon question



## albacized (Nov 25, 2011)

Since I'll be in the area at a good time to see some tarpon (2nd week of July), I have a question regarding these guys. Usually my annual FL trip takes me further down the FL peninsula (and in fact, I used to live in the Tampa area...I now live in Massachusetts)...on the trips further south (both to the Venice area on the Gulf as well as Juno on the east coast), you'll find tarpon both off the beach as well as up inside of bays and the ICW...and you'll have some resident fish available during the off season..

So my question is two fold (sort of...LOL)...it seems the panhandle is more migration reliant when it comes to tarpon and 1) you won't find resident fish laid up in the back bays, etc and 2) I'd probably only encounter them during the from open gulf piers up in this area and not in the back bays (i.e no resident fish)...is this an accurate depiction of the tarpon scene down in the panhandle?


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## daniel9829 (Jan 31, 2009)

Search Tarpon in the search box lots of articles


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

It's a pretty good brad you have although you will find them in both Pensacola and Mobile Bays. The beach fish are the most fun to me though and provide better "visual" fishing

I hooked what would have been my first Tarpon of the season on Tuesday while fishing from my kayak. Fought it for 10 minutes on 12lb mono before finally breaking off.


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## albacized (Nov 25, 2011)

Thanks a lot - I guess I'll confine my 'tarpon hunt' to pier fishing...I'm thinking I'll get up early with the fly rods and try to find a place to bag a few redfish or trout from shore, then bring a couple of spinning rods to one of the piers, one rigged for bonita, spanish or whatever shows up and the other rigged for tarpon,,,,


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## tailfisher1979 (Jan 24, 2012)

Got into some baby tarpon in the back of the choctawhatchee bay early last spring. Baby tarpon=resident fish.


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## tailfisher1979 (Jan 24, 2012)

Baby being the 10-15 lb class.


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## takeitez (Mar 22, 2013)

Chris V said:


> It's a pretty good brad you have although you will find them in both Pensacola and Mobile Bays. The beach fish are the most fun to me though and provide better "visual" fishing
> 
> I hooked what would have been my first Tarpon of the season on Tuesday while fishing from my kayak. Fought it for 10 minutes on 12lb mono before finally breaking off.


What did it eat?


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I had to pull out the secret bait for that one. Something I only use on the finest of fish; a frozen Spanish sardine

We were king fishing, do that's all I had


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## takeitez (Mar 22, 2013)

Chris V said:


> I had to pull out the secret bait for that one. Something I only use on the finest of fish; a frozen Spanish sardine
> 
> We were king fishing, do that's all I had


Im sure the presentation was equally awesome! Cig back there spinning in the current...  I bombed a school of 6-10 on tuesday just outside the pass with a jig. Just an ugly stinky cast. Its all I had ready.


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## FishFighter92 (Jul 10, 2012)

tailfisher1979 said:


> Got into some baby tarpon in the back of the choctawhatchee bay early last spring. Baby tarpon=resident fish.


What did you catch these on?


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