Tarpon

[Ken L]

Hi, has anyone got any experience of chasing tarpon on the west African coast - preferably in a location other than The Gambia.
Any information about locations, techniques boat hire ect will be greatfully recieved because Africa may well be the last stop on a major global style fishing trip next year.

[PanamaJack]

Hi Ken
Tarpon seem to be encountered all along the West African coast from Sierra Leone down to Southern Angola. And members of our Club had caught big fish - 200lb plus - albeit a number of years ago, from Gabon and Sierra Leone. In fact in both places they've hooked fish that they were convinced were well over 300lbs.

Although one of those big fish was hooked on a fly - blind casting with a fast sinking line - the bulk came trolling plugs. The trebles are removed and a circle hook was attached with soft rigging wire to the lure's 'nose'. OK, in most instances, you lost a lure a fish, but the rewards were undoubtedly there! Mullet livebaits also worked.

Given their remoteness and, at times, on-going ethnic violence many of lodges 'come and go'. Also, in that most are in former French colonies, language can be an issue as well as just basic telephone communication.

A couple of months ago Henry Gilbey and I did enter into a dialogue about Tarpon on this thread - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forum...ad.php?t=17459. That covered lodges in Gabon and Angola. That might well help. With Angola though I understand there can be issues in obtaining visas - air links in the south are problematic and land access is through Namibia.

The other place that is still regularly mentionned is Guinea-Bissau, where the current All Tackle record - just over 286lbs - comes from. The shark fishing in the Bijagos region where they're encountered is also reputedly superb. These are weighed fish - a 924lb Hammerhead and a 1397lb Tiger Shark. They also catch big Bulls and Sandbar Sharks. So just to stress I've no personal experience of this lodge and trips seem to be organised by the IGFA rep for Guinea-Bisseau - Patrick Sebille. If it's of any use here's his e-mail address - africabijagostarponclub@hotmail.com. He's been advertising for the last couple of years in the IGFA Year Book - World Record Game Fishes.

In your note though you made mention of a 'global' trip. A place I have fished for big Tarpon that's not one of the recognised areas, but has produced fish to just shy of 270lbs is Panama. This is on the Pacific side though and these are still Megalops atlanticus. In April each year they get a seasonal upwelling of cold water in the Gulf of Panama that causes the Tarpon to concentrate and migrate after Mullet shoals in the Bayano River. They also get very big Snook in the river. The guide I've fished with and could recommend is a chap called Tony Herdon. His web site's http://www.panamafishingandcatching.com.

But back to your global trip, I guess of all of the places I've fished Panama has to be the best for sheer variety. Leaving aside the Tarpon there're the Marlin (particularly Blacks), Sailfish and huge Yellowfin Tuna offshore. Then inshore you have a whole range of species of which my favourites are Roosterfish and Cubera Snapper and, of course, the 'PanamaJack', well that's where it comes from - Bluefin Trevally.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Ken
Here are a couple of other operations I've found web sites for in Guinea-Bissau. Whilst the first offers English translations unless you're fluent in French you'll need to resort to Babel Fish on http://www.altavista.com's home page for the second.

www.planetflyfishing.com

http://www.lesdauphins.com/

Dave

[Ken L]

Some very, very usefull information there. Thanks.
At the moment, the trip is concetrating on Asia and is likely to include Mekong cats and Mahseer (I just love to kiss 'em) in addition to saltwater targets in India and the Andamans. Africa entered the frame in terms of Nile Perch, Vundu and possibly shark/game fishing on the coast but I have heard tails of monster Tarpon and got to wondering.....
Panama sounds interesting too but will have to wait for another trip.