Tarpon......

[Barlow]

Any Tarpon Fisherman here??

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: Tarpon......

LF & I were fishing one evening when a large school of them came rushing down the bay chasing bait fish. LF tried to switch baits and cast into them but they were moving so fast she never had a chance. It was an awsome sight and I thought LF was gonna fall out of the boat she was so excited.<br />We only get them in the bay in the late summer and they are usually very scarce.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Tarpon......

Yep... I fish for em'... <br /><br />So far, the silver king has sucessfully avoided my lures and baits...

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

thanks for the responses guys! <br /><br />I've been interested in taking on the challenge of these things for a few years but haven't had the time, knowledge to get away and justify a mini 'expedition'.<br /><br />MR LF - sounds like you and LF had a bit of a hoot! <br /><br />snapper - you been after 'em very long .. that elusive?<br /><br />you guys mind if I pick your brains a little??

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: Tarpon......

I don't really know much about how to fish for them and really didn't expect to ever see any because they are only here (off our coastline) for a few weeks every year and they rarely get into the bay.<br /><br />There are a couple of guides that run tarpon trips but I don't know how successful they are. The oldtimers around here talk about how plentiful they used to be and you can see pictures in different places around town. I don't know what happened to them. Over-fishing? Pollution? <br /><br />The year before last there was an article about 3 fisherman and their guide who hooked up with a big tarpon while fishing for redfish & speckled trout. They fought him from North Deer Island to the San Luis Pass (a distance of about 14 miles)over 3 or 4 hours. They were taking turns trying to tire him out and from what I heard the fish wore them out before breaking off.

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

Barlow, I have been fishing for them almost exclusively for 2 years now down here at south padre. I hooked 25 this summer, from 20 to over 200 pounds but only landed two as I fish from the jetties and they usually cut me off on the rocks or the jet fleas do. If you dont have much time you better go to Florida, fishing here in Texas can be sporadic and time consuming, but when they are here it can be phenomenal. Have seen schools of over 100 fish(large fish) I have become addicted to fishing for them and have developed my own lure that has greatly improved my hookups. These fish are awesome, we have a lot of big ones here. I fought one for over 2 hours on 50 pound line. He was so big he couldnt get completely out of the water when he jumped, only about half way. I ended up putting too much pressure on him and he straightened the hook.Let me know if you want more info.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Tarpon......

Barlow. I don't usually go specifically for tarpon, but when they are around this lousey fisherman will throw whatever i got at em'...<br /><br />Most of the time I get the "ya missed it.. Tarpon were in here thick, YESTERDAY!"<br /><br />If you want to take a "expedition" to attemp to latch onto a biggun, get yourself to Boca Grande and hire a guide.....

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

Hey guys, I appreciate the responses!<br /><br />Mr LF - Thanks for the info. Just curious.. whats the water like out by you as far as rate of depth off the shoreline?? Gradual slopes or defined breaks and reefs?<br /><br />Sound like vagabonds - in and out like the wind chasing baitfish.<br /><br />dd - Sounds great!! I'm all for hearing more about it and any info I can consume and attempt to retain.<br /><br />Snapper - I get that too when going out on species specific trips.. sux! bein' a day late, dollar short.<br /><br />Boca Grande ?? SW Florida Gulf?? do you know of any guides in the area from personal dealings or word of mouth?<br /><br />thanks again guys.

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

Florida has a lot more tarpon than we do and their fishing conditions and methods are different from ours here in S. Texas. So anything I tell you will be specific to here. I dont fish bait generally, but if I wanted to hook up with a good Tarpon here I would drift in my boat around the end of the jetties with live mullet or crab on a large circle hook. I would recommend tackle in the 50 pound class or greater because of the rocks. There are a few people here who do it with good success. I like to do it the hard way so I chunk lures from the rocks. 3/4 to 1 1/2 ounce rattletraps in silver blue work very well for hooking up but you will seldom land one on a rattletrap or any lure with any weight to it. These fish have mouths like rocks and jump and shake wildly.Ive had to dodge many a rattletrap coming back at me at speed. My favorite lure is a 4" storm mullet. I cut the hook point off and run about 4 feet of 80 pound flourocarbon through the remaining eye and snell a 6/0 circle or bait hook to it. I then lightly skin hook it into the plastic. When a tarpon hits on his first jump he will tear the hook out of the lure and it will slide up the line. Now he has nothing but a hook to sling around and seldom throws it. I use an ambassedeur 7000 with 300 yards of 50 pound spiderwire stealth and an 11' cabelas predator rod. I use the long rod mainly because of the rocks and generally having to cast into a 20 mph. wind. May and June were very good this year but we have tarpon from about march through november depending on water temp. I hooked two about two weeks ago, landed the baby(20 pounder)lost the biggie(100plus) Like I said , Im addicted so I can get carried away talking about them. There was a tarpon guide from Florida who answered a post of mine this summer, maybe he will chime in. Our seasons about over, but if you make it down here next year let me know. I have lots of equipment and love to fish. Also, there is a growing contingent of fly fishermen here who tie into them too. I just bought my first fly rod and am going to give it a shot.

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: Tarpon......

Our seabed on the Gulf side is a gradual slope with no reefs or breaks. The bay is shallow and flat but there are lots of oyster reefs. <br /><br />Tarpon fishing around here is pretty much a waste of time for about 10 months of the year, The other 2 months you really need to have a guide or know what you are doing.<br /><br />If you ever get down this way I'd be glad to take you fishing for specs or reds or offshore for some snapper but tarpon would be a hopeless cause I'm afraid. Mainly because there aren't many and I have no clue as to how to catch them .

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

dd- addiction is what this stuff is about. <br />Appreciate you sharing info.. thanks.<br /><br />Mr LF - thanks a bunch. sort of ignorant here .. what's an oyster reef consist of? <br /><br />Specks and Reds sound like a good time indeed.. I have very little salt water fishing experience (if you haven't caught that already ) and the spec's and reds sound like a good time.. <br />medium weight tackle right? .. most TV I watch is on ESPN ESPN2 and OLN and have seen shows with the guys using what appear to be Bass rigs..? sadly this is the majority of the exposure I get or have gotten. <br /><br />Again - I appreciate the info guys .. Thank you much!

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

Hey GUys, went to the jetties yesterday evening, just knew it would be good. That cold front was blowing in so we had 20 -30 north winds blowing waves completely over the jetties. I knew there would be no boats or jet fleas or many people to scare the tarpon. Only made it about halfway out before I was soaked and getting dangerous, but the tarpon were rolling and chasing bait right next to the rocks only a few feet away from me. Only took about ten casts and I jumped big boy. About 6' 150 pounds. Had him for one good run and jump then he was gone. Im not dissapointed as a 3 hour fight in those conditions probably would have put me in the morgue or the hospital. This cold front should run all the tarpon from up north down to us and we should have a couple weeks of awesome fishing, unless they keep going into Mexico. Will post a picture if someone can tell me how.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

dd - very cool!<br /><br />hit full reply tab if in quick reply mode.<br /><br />you can host the pic here www.tinypic.com <br /><br />hit the browse tab .. <br />select picture .. <br />when the host site is done processing it will give you a url..<br />high light and copy it<br />come back to this site and hit image tab<br />paste url into pop-up box on screen<br />then hit ok <br />should appear in the message window<br />hit preview post and see if it comes up<br />if it doesn't .. then hit the computer with the nearest heavy blunt object.. <br />..repeat as desired.<br /><br />

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

This is the best I can do. Im definitely not a computer genius.web page

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

Nice Catch dd! Congrats!! what's the approx size in him?<br /><br />Here's your pic..<br /><br /><br />

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

Probably about 50-60 pounds, smallest one I ever hooked till I landed the 20 pounder. Most of the Tarpon here are very large. As you can see between the rocks and boat traffic its almost impossible to land a big one, because they will burn almost all my 300 yards of line all the way across that channel and sometimes out into the gulf, or dive down and cut me on barnacles. But man are they fun!

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Tarpon......

We also catch King Mackerel here. Can't help myself, just gotta show this. One of five I caught this year

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: Tarpon......

Mr LF - thanks a bunch. sort of ignorant here .. what's an oyster reef consist of?/QUOTE]<br /><br />oyster shells! <br /><br />For specs, reds & flounder we use 7' lightweight rods with Shimano Curado reels and 10 lb. test, Miller Light and some killer deli style sandwiches that LF makes.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Tarpon......

Mr LF - I shoulda known better than to ask ,,, <br /><br />thats it tho .. I'm outta here ...leavin' for Texas in the mornin' <br /><br />30hr drive from Madison to coastline? I wish.<br /><br />dd- nice Mackerel too!! .. geesh never feel bad about posting pics of fish.. Always good to see signs of enjoyment and success.<br /><br />not the first thing I think of with Tarpon but, how are they for table fare??.. or are the less then desireable.. just a thought.<br /><br />When I decide when and where to go I'm going for the fun and fight.. not necessarily to bring home dinner. .. hopefully I'll be able to get into others as well if time permits of course.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Tarpon......

Nice Fishes, Ddaigle... <br /><br />Barlow.. Tapon are'nt table fare... In Florida you must has a tarpon stamp if you wish to keep one. The stamp runs about$50 bucks, if memory serves..