Tarpon Fishing

Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)

Description: Green or steel blue above, silver on sides and belly. Deep, thick body; forked tail. Long trailer at end of dorsal fin.

Size: From 12 inches or  less to about 75 pounds. On average, although big fish of 100 to 150 pounds are numerous in many areas. World record 283 pounds. 4 ounces; Florida 243 pounds.

Food Value: None

Game Qualities: Famous for the spectacle, and frequency of it's jumps. Giant Tarpon don't quite match the acrobatics of the smaller ones, but they leap frequently enough in shallow water, and with even more fury.

Tackle & Baits:  Anglers seeking big fish in passes, channels, deep bays and surf areas like stout tackle with lines testing at least 30 pounds. All sizes of spinning tackles and bait casting are suitable. Baits to use include; shad, mullet, thread fins, pinfish and a variety of dead baits.

Fishing Techniques: Casting, still fishing, site casting, drifting.

One method of Tarpon fishing is to chum with pieces of thread fins or green backs, more on chumming here, and wait for the tarpon to show, this type of fishing takes allot of patience and a keen eye to spot the green backed torpedoes gliding across the water. Live baits like blue crabs, thread fins, large sardines or mullet will draw the most attention. You can fish them under a cork or free-lined, or a combination of both. Another proven method is to fish dead shad on the bottom. The key is to have "fresh" dead shad, and put out several lines to increase your chances. If you decide to bottom fish for the mighty poon, than you want to set up what is called a breakaway sinker. The break away sinkers purpose is to keep the bait on the ocean floor and when a tarpon grabs the bait and leaps, the sinker will break away. The reason you want to use this techniques is because tarpons mouths are all bone and when they leap they shake there head, if the sinker is still attached it usually shakes the hook right out of the tarpons mouth.

The method that I use the most is free-lining, get a 5 to 7 foot 100 pound test fluorocarbon leader with a 7/0 live bait owner hook, connect the main line to the leader using an Albright knot and you are all set. Figuring out which bait to use is pretty easy, the saying goes "match the hatch" and all this means is use the bait that is currently surrounding your fishing area. If presented correctly, Tarpon will usually never turn down a big shad or jumbo shrimp no matter the conditions. Tarpon Fishing is very fun and I would recommend that everyone does it at least once.