When a fish is hooked you want to reel in every other bait as quickly as you can if he is a large fish. This is a brief synopsis of how you should hook and fight a tarpon. We do put a long topshot of mono on the end, however even so when the fish jumps and shakes like this it can cause a problem. It may be counter-intuitive as many fish you always want to keep the line tight, though with tarpon when they jump this is not the case. These fish are typically between 75-120 pounds and are on their yearly migration north to spawn and find more comfortable water… The anglers in the group fishing bait enjoyed truly amazing fishing. I like to start with the drags fairly loose and then slowly tighten as needed once the fish settles down. I will check baits at appropriate times, freshen them up, put new ones out, etc… when we need to. We give chase to tarpon for this reason. Nobody is eating tarpon because they have a strong taste and smell, and they’re difficult to clean because they have so many bones. When the fish is swimming to the right, you pull back down and to the left. They do often roam and bite in packs. Tarpon are also called Silver King, Silver Sides or Sabalo (Spanish). Tarpons are a popular fish to catch during a backwater and near water fishing trip because they are often found in shallow, warm coastal waters and estuaries. Next, we’ll look at which bait to use, as well as how to hook and land them properly. I have a much better catch ratio doing this than trying to ‘over drag’ the fish. May through late July are the best months here, with the exception of Key West Harbor which is full of feeding Tarpon January through March. When fishing for tarpon, use crabs, shrimp, and pinfish or dead bait like catfish tails or cut mullet. The mighty tarpon and the “trash fish” are two (technically, three) infamous species that are regarded for the distasteful, smelly, and potentially hazardous experience they present when considering whether to bring your catch to the dinner table or not. When tarpon or any other fish are near the boat, anglers will put the tip of their rods way up high in the air, as if they are going to try and lift the fishes head out of the water or some such thing. These fish are fully equipped with great night vision, with big eyes that can see really well in the dark. You don’t really need to give them a hard hookset in my experience, though if you want to the same rules apply – reel first and lift up your tip and once you are tight and the fish is screaming drag and you feel the heavy pressure give it a nice thump. In particular, Government Cut (between Miami Beach and Fisher Island) and Port Everglades, from January to June. Craig Korczynski December 26, 2011 Palm Beach - Saltwater Fishing Report. Is tarpon a good fish to eat? A video about how I clean and scale my fish. With live crabs they are much easier to eat then mullet so it is a lot easier to get a proper hookset as the crab isn’t actively trying to swim/jump away from the tarpon. I’ve found with especially smaller tarpon, your best chance at landing these guys is to not lift up high on the rod at all. Tarpon fish (Megalops atlanticus) are plentiful, and yet they are heavily regulated in Florida because they don’t really have any culinary value. Let the fish run off a bit of line for a while, usually 30 seconds or so, and keep the rod pointed straight at him, if he his pulling drag just let him go – if he is not pulling drag then reel. I walk all my anglers through a lot of this stuff, however if you read about it ahead of time it will give you an upper hand. Although found throughout Florida’s Atlantic coast, ports and inlets south of Biscayne Bay offer the best Tarpon fishing. tarpon. The Turner River at Chokoloskee is also a good location famous for big Tarpon. The waters surrounding it are full of Tarpon. Tarpon are rarely eaten because their flesh is filled with small, hard to clean bones. The Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is among the most popular game fish in Florida. I generally always recommend anglers hold their rods however, and only leave them in the rod holders if you are busy doing something else and it is necessary. While present near the Keys year-round, peak season runs from mid-March and until mid-July. Each day they fished they caught numerous tarpon in the 50-to 100-plus pound range, with at least one 150-pounder hooked, jumped and lost. You often won’t see any indication you are about to get a bite, you’ll just feel a strong bump or two and then the line will start screaming. As a bony, strong-smelling saltwater fish, it may be more trouble than pleasure to eat. If the fish jumps you want to bow to him. This will obviously cause it to snap if something grabs the bait and runs off line quickly like a tarpon. The Marquesas Keys, since they’re uninhabited and not connected to Key West by road, have Tarpon in great numbers if you can get to them. down in the water, and try to avoid having the line rub on the boat as much as possible. Usually you would be working a larger jig with a sharp hook and a jerk bait attached. I was staying in a place off a saltwater lake that was teaming with tarpon in the twenty to fifty pound range. Slit up the center of the trout's belly in a straight line. Tarpon are fish with a very keen awareness of their surroundings. Both myself and the angler may have to jump around the boat very quickly, so try not to be blocking where we need to go. In this case just reel until you get tight on the fish and proceed to set the hook as described. 20.1k Views. If the tarpon busts him and misses him (which they usually do), often you can just slowly and steadily lift your rod tip very high to straighten your line out, then drop your tip low again. We use multiple different tactics and I’ll try to cover at least the ones we use most of the time. Tarpon are a very slow growing fish, with adult females living over 50 years. I say just pretend like you are a rod holder! Usually (not always) you have to go UP AROUND THE BOW to get to the other side and continue fighting the fish, as going around the transom is often difficult with the motor sticking out. It is VERY important to REEL first as that is going to start the hook to set in his bony jaw. If you keep lots of pressure on the fish and he runs you will break him off OR break the rod. Get the best fishy photos, videos, and stories straight into your inbox! Though in all cases it is usually best NOT to do any crazy hook set – even with J hooks. You will not stop a tarpon with drag you have to apply pressure at the right time, at the right angle, and let the fish wear himself out as you do so. People are allowed to temporarily possess a tarpon for photography, measurement of length and girth and scientific sampling, with the stipulation that tarpon more than 40 inches must remain in the water. And for the first few minutes, I would really recommend just keeping it pointed straight at them. They will swim along seemingly forever with strong kicks of their tail. FishingBooker, excerpt posted on SouthFloridaReporter.com, Jan. 4, 2021. Again I don’t do much fishing in this fashion as it is usually more of a sight fishing thing for skinny water skiffs, though sometimes the opportunity presents itself. Because the fish are so long-lived, damage to a population can have effects for decades. 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