# Tarpon at the pier?



## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

Have there been a lot of tarpon at the Pcola Pier lately?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

just got back from there... no bait, a few skipjack and hardtails... i threw on 6 tarpon in 3 hours... not very good.

i did see quite a few sharks though, and 1 mackerel was caught.


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

None of the tarpon ate?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

heck no!.... okaloosa has a far better hook-up ratio than p-cola pier (hate to admit that, ...they know who the cobe killers are though!)

one day at okie last year, the poons were so thick that it seriously took longer to catch a live LY than it did to hook a tarpon... i think i hooked 22 (threw on 100's probably!) and caught 7.

the very next day at p-cola, i threw on 126 (yes, i counted) before i hooked ONE... caught 'em though.... i went 3 for 5 that day, and easily saw over 500 fish.


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

what kind of bait were you throwin? I've seen em out at Pcola eat a frozen cigar minnow.


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## sailfish23 (Mar 24, 2008)

they will if there hungry enugh

but if u have a chance to get a live ly ot threadfin...then do it!!


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *troutslayer31 (6/10/2008)*what kind of bait were you throwin? I've seen em out at Pcola eat a frozen cigar minnow.


live hardtail about 5 inches long.


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## Brad King (Sep 30, 2007)

VS, I am going to have to take you up on that "Take a boater Peir fishing"

I have still yet to land a Tarpon. I have busted off plenty. When I was working in Key West I would hook one every day I was in the Marina. I broke every single one of em off. I need to come with you to the peir, be a googan for a day and get that damn fish off my list. It's like I am cursed or something!!!!!!!!


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

anytime you wanna go Brad, let me know.... i usually try to fish okaloosa pier 4-5 times a season for tarpon...

rainy days are the best... the tarpon feed better (IMHO) and there is hardly anyone else fishing!


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

Have you thrown live crabs at them before? I have never caught a tarpon (hooked 2 though), butcrabs are supposed to be tarpon candy. Just wondering if they might eat a crab.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *true-king (6/11/2008)*Have you thrown live crabs at them before? I have never caught a tarpon (hooked 2 though), butcrabs are supposed to be tarpon candy. Just wondering if they might eat a crab.


 never tried.... i'd like to though


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

Went to the pier today and saw bout 60-70 of em. One lucky guy hooked up on one.:bowdown They just swam around my bait.:doh Everything else was pretty slow. They caught one king and lost 2(while I was there). They lost one to flipper and another broke off.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *troutslayer31 (6/13/2008)*Went to the pier today and saw bout 60-70 of em. One lucky guy hooked up on one.:bowdown They just swam around my bait.:doh Everything else was pretty slow. They caught one king and lost 2(while I was there). They lost one to flipper and another broke off.


what was your presentation to them?, it's hard enough to get them to eat at pensacola pier, it's even harder when using the wrong stuff (not saying you were) 

i usually fill a large spinning real (vs250s) with 40lb braid (about 700 yards... it's a tad pricey) and then splice about 8' of 50lb flourocarbon, then snell a 6/0 OWNER ssw circle hook... if i don't have a live bait, i won't even try...


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

I wasn't ready for em so I threw a live LY on my king rod. I had a wire leader so there's my main problem. It's a penn 706z I think it would have handled him if I had hooked him.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

What time of day were you guys seeing them?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

> *troutslayer31 (6/13/2008)*I wasn't ready for em so I threw a live LY on my king rod. I had a wire leader so there's my main problem. It's a penn 706z I think it would have handled him if I had hooked him.


you can handle one fine on a 706... just don't hook one over 125 oke ... than you may have problems, especially if you don't get 'em to jump...

the king leader:, obviously they are gonna see it, i actually hooked my first tarpon ever (i was 14!) on a king leader, and the next problem you are going to run in to is that their mouth is so rough and the gill plate is so sharp, that you are bound to get cut off....

and the last thing that i can recommend, is that when you see a tarpon LEAD THE FISH!!! by this i mean, throw your bait 40 to 50 feet infront of the fish!, they are usually very spooky, they don't react like a king or cobe and swim straight up to it and inhail it...

there is nothing worse than spending al day on the pier, waiting for the one hungry tarpon to eat, and then he gets bombed...


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

i threw it about 20 feet in front of the school.


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## troutslayer31 (Jun 10, 2008)

> *true-king (6/13/2008)*What time of day were you guys seeing them?




I saw this school about 9:30. They swam underneath the T and in front of the T.


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

I might set the trap on my dock and bring some live crabs out there soon.


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