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Print versionFloridian Tarpon!
I wish I hadn’t scoffed last week at the weather back home – you reap what you sow – last weekend here in Florida the weather was abysmal. From Friday through until Sunday tropical rain storms battered the Florida Keys with nearly 6 inches of rain, and the lighting that accompanied these storms was truly spectacular. On Friday evening we had to make a quick dash from 15 miles out in the Gulf and I got the closest I’d ever like to be to knowing what it’s like to be in a Fly Zapper!
Last week we left the Tarpon chase with quite a few lost fish, no hundred pounders and with just two counters - a 65lb and an 80lb - both landed by my good friend Andy Hart from HOA. This week has seen a change in the tide and although the Tarpon are still winning, we have had some good fish.
As last weeks tropical weather system pushed through, the migratory Tarpon that make their way from the Atlantic into the Gulf of Mexico suddenly switched off, so on Saturday we switched our efforts to shark. On Sunday and Monday we took a quick trip to Miami to visit friends, but by Monday evening we were back to it. The poor weather had passed, conditions were now settled, calm and warm, and things were looking good for Tarpon from the bridge. As I mentioned last week our nearest bridge for Tarpon (and other species for that matter) is only half a mile from our dock, but within just a few miles of where I’ve based myself in the Keys I have four top Tarpon producing bridges all worth a go.
On Monday evening we fished Islamorada’s Channel 5 with only one Tarpon of 60lbs. On Tuesday the tides dictated we would be afternoon fishing, and if we wanted we could fish a second tide late in the evening so, we decided to have two shots in the same day.
Now I’m a great believer of lucky caps. I’ve always worn a cap fishing and whilst some do nothing, some are the kiss of death, but some can be lucky. Some anglers have lucky lures, others lucky rods – I have lucky caps!
As we motored up on one of our marks on Tuesday afternoon we couldn’t believe our luck. A small sand bank and channel near our bridge, which funnels the tarpon, was stacked up with big fish. After the storm of the weekend, the waters had now cleared, and in the 8ft deep channel, tens of big tarpon were laid up waiting to push through into the Gulf.
Carefully, without disturbing these fish, I motored up tide, lowered the anchor and quietly let us back until we were just fifty yards in front of these monsters – some which were clearly over 150lbs with the average fish being well over 100lbs. To compact an afternoons pain, I’ll tell you now – it didn’t happen. We spent three and a half hours float fishing and free-lining live pinfish and live crab back to these tarpon but none were interested, so we decided to finish fishing and go and stock up on tackle.
Bass Pro’s “World Wide Sportsman” is just twenty minutes up the road and serves pretty much all our tackle and bait needs whilst we’re staying in the Keys, and as well as all the tackle one could require, they also stock some pretty cool fishing clothing – t-shirts and caps etc. After grabbing all the tackle we needed, I decided to browse the clothing department and ended up buying a dark blue “Worldwide Sportsman” cap, which I promptly put on. We then collected 25 live crabs from Worldwide’s huge bait department and headed home to get ready for the evenings tide.
Two hours later, whilst wearing the new cap, as the light was fading, it was time to get back to it and there was no better place to start than where we had previously located the big fish. As we approached the mark, I cut the engine to idle and quietly took a look around. The fish we still there, but, with many rolling around on the surface, they were far more active than they had been in the heat of the afternoon. Things were looking good! Because of the sheer size of these fish, I decided not to anchor but to drift – this would give us advantage in quickly chasing a big tarpon should we hook one.
As we started our fist drift of the evening, I cast my float from the stern whilst Andy took up the bow casting deck, and within seconds it all came together. Andy was still paying out line as his float-fished crab hadn’t reached the required distance, when his braid started flying off the reel spool. He closed the bail, struck, and at that moment a huge tarpon left the water, crashed back down and we were off.
I fired up the engine and began the chase with Andy stood high on the bow, my spotlight trained on his line. She headed for the bridge (chasing tarpon around bridge pylons is not fun) but lucky for us, at the last minute, she turned and headed back up the channel. Five more leaps – some which were 6ft or so clear of the water, and thirty minutes later we had our first ton-up tarpon next to the boat – all 165lbs of her. We estimated this fish to be somewhere between 160-180lbs, so to save any doubt, we settled for 165lbs. With the leader touched I decided to drag her alongside to try grabbing a photo, but as I did so, she done one final kick and broke the 80lb Momoi fluorocarbon leader right above the hook. Tarpon fishing is always a compromise – lighter lines hook more fish, but the abrasion from this species bony jaw nearly always means that they break off just feet from the boat after touching the leader. Never the less, a massive first ton-up specimen tarpon for Andy!
No sooner had we started the next drift and Andy (all ready worn out from his first tarpon) was straight into fish number two. This tarpon was smaller than the last, but still well over the magic 100lb mark. Again it ran for the bridge after making its first leap, but instead of turning and heading back up the channel it decided to keep going. Leaving the Gulf of Mexico, we followed this one through two bridges (which with the tide screaming and in the dark of night is some feat) and out into the Atlantic for half a mile. There we boated another tarpon of 120lbs which again didn’t stop for a photo. I did however manage to get one, very bad shot of her as she neared the boat!
That night I nailed two more tarpon – one of 90lbs and another we estimated around 120lbs and Andy ended the night with a smaller fish of 80lbs at around 2am. Not a bad nights Tarpon fishing. I think I’ve found a new lucky hat! All joking aside it was good to break the new boat in with her first 100lb tarpon to the gunwales. Make that three!!!
Just for you interest I’ve included some pictures with this blog of road signs especially for shore anglers – now that’s something you don’t find at home – anglers parking and coastal fishing information on the roadside! It is another world out here. I’m off now to make up some more rigs for this evening’s session. I’ll try to let you know how I get on next week
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