Catch Tarpon in Florida All Year Long

Florida tarpon fishing is as numerous because the state’s waters. Totally different fisheries shine at completely different phases of the species’ annual turns alongside the coasts. Collectively, 4 fisheries for 4 seasons inform one thing of the thriller—and magic—of the tarpon’s life story.

Spring’s Tarpon Migration within the Keys

To trace spring tarpon, Capt. Juan Garcia of Islamorada heads to the western edges of Everglades Nationwide Park in Florida Bay, to Cape Sable, and a bit up the coast towards Shark River. He’ll additionally scout faculties deeper within the Gulf.

“It may be fairly epic on a slicked-out day whenever you discover a whole lot of tarpon laying up on the floor,” Garcia says. “When the water temperature begins to carry regular within the mid-70s, these fish transfer deeper into the park. Tides, water temperature, wind path and climate decide the perfect areas to fish on a given day.”

Garcia believes the fish come from the northern and western Gulf of Mexico, and a few analysis has revealed that massive faculties of tarpon overwinter round oil rigs within the northern Gulf.

“These fish are able to feed and get into their spawning rituals within the coming months. The longer they’re round, the extra strain they see from anglers, so we’re looking out. We wish to get the primary leap,” Garcia says.

He selects his deal with relying on the scale of tarpon he’s after, at all times retaining in thoughts {that a} quick combat and a fast launch are good for the fish and the fishery. When he’s fishing useless baits resembling mullet on the underside, he’ll use a weight, swivel and a circle hook connected to a 5-foot fluorocarbon chief. The load and chief sizes rely on the present and water readability.

“Up within the Flamingo and Cape Sable space, you’ll be able to’t beat mullet or ladyfish,” he says. “Pilchards, pinfish and shrimp work nicely for the smaller fish. On the bridges, I exploit mullet, useless or alive, relying on tide and placement. When the solar goes down, reside medium crabs are my bait.”

Rod: Penn 30- to 80-pound-class jig spinning rod, or equal

Reel: 6500 Spinfisher, or equal

Line: 40-pound braid, 80-pound mono chief

Terminal: 5/0 to eight/0 circle hook

Bait: Reside crabs, pilchards, pinfish, mullet and shrimp; plugs or jigs that look comparable

Summer season’s Tarpon Spawning Grounds

As spring days move, faculties of tarpon transfer northward to their spawning grounds. Boca Grande is one well-known spring fishery, however tarpon are well-distributed alongside Florida’s southwest coast all summer time.

“There’s nothing higher than a faculty of tarpon that has rested up all night time and is able to chew on the first light,” says Capt. David Holzhauer of Cape Coral. Holzhauer’s fishing begins within the spring with the primary wave of fish, and continues deep into summer time.

“Their northerly sample brings them into the Fort Myers Seaside and Sanibel space from deep water, the place they stage earlier than persevering with alongside the seashores towards Captiva Island, Boca Grande, and farther north towards Tampa,” Holzhauer says. “Together with staying within the Gulf, the fish additionally take the inside observe by the Intracoastal up Pine Island Sound, the place the fishing will be as spectacular as on the skin Gulf waters.”

Monitoring backside contours is essential, he provides. Figuring out the place the slightest drop-offs are, the place the underside modifications, or the place construction lies determines whether or not or not the fish will move inside attain of your bait and keep round lengthy sufficient to present you a number of hookup possibilities.

Rod: 7-foot, 6-inch Tsunami jigging rod, or equal rod with giant guides and lengthy ahead grip

Reel: Tsunami STX6000 or equal

Line: 50-pound braid, 60- to 80-pound fluoro chief

Terminal: 4/0 to 9/0 Trokar TK3

Bait: Reside threadfins, crabs or mullet, useless catfish

Autumn Forage Baitfish for Tarpon

Fall motion kicks into gear with the outpouring of mullet, pogies and minnows by the inlets to the close by seashore waters, in a southward migration.

“Within the fall, we goal the inlets, bridges and seashores for the larger migrating tarpon,” says Capt. Tommy Derringer, a practiced hand at tarpon from South Jacksonville to Palm Coast. “My favourite place to focus on huge fish must be the inlets. The tarpon placed on fairly a present alongside the rocks, and should you time it proper, it may be an all-out feeding frenzy.”

Float a reside bait, free-line, fish the underside, and even toss a plug or fly at these fish, Derringer says, and the motion will get outrageous. “There may be three to 5 huge tarpon going airborne, attacking the mullet faculties as you fish. If that scene doesn’t get your coronary heart pumping, I don’t know what is going to.”

Derringer cautions that the realm’s excessive tides, 4 to six ft on common, trigger huge currents, which might make it robust “to get a reside bait to look pure within the water. In case your bait appears to be like even slightly unnatural, tarpon are most definitely going to move on it.” Because the pods wend their method south, tarpon can be reached with , exhausting solid from some seashores.

Rod: Shimano 7-foot, 7-inch rod, or equal light-weight spinner with quick motion and spine

Reel: Shimano Saragosa 8000, or equal spinning reel

Line: 40-pound braid with 40- to 60-pound fluorocarbon chief

Terminal: 6/0 to 10/0 Trokar circle hook or equal, sized to bait

Bait: Reside mullet is usually finest in fall, additionally plugs, mushy plastics and jigs

Winter within the Large Metropolis

From December by February, Capt. Dave Kostyo of Miami catches tarpon in Haulover Inlet and alongside the seashores north and south of there. Underneath the lights of Miami, Kostyo heads out at night time and targets the fish wintering in deeper water and feeding on the shrimp runs spurred on by winter chilly fronts. Later within the 12 months, from March into July, he’ll give attention to fishing Authorities Reduce. And he says many bridges in Biscayne Bay are good for tarpon all through all the season.

“In a four-hour journey,” Kostyo says, “I moderately anticipate to have pictures at wherever from two to eight tarpon. Once you hit a night when the shrimp run, the motion will get even higher.”

Early within the season, the fish are typically smaller specimens “from contained in the bay, from the mangroves and brackish bays north of the inlet,” he explains.

After February, larger fish transfer in, with April and Could the perfect months for fish over 100 kilos. Nonetheless, there’s one thing magical about catching tarpon within the useless of winter, by a giant metropolis, with few different boats on the water.

Haulover Inlet is a drift fishery, and there’s ability to realizing the way to drift your boat over the areas the place the fish collect, to not point out the way to maneuver when you’re attached. “Regardless of how nicely the realm by day, it’s an entire completely different image by night time,” Kostyo says. “If a tarpon takes you into the primary ship channel, keep in mind, the massive ships have the suitable of method. Additionally, preserve your navigation lights on, and pay attention to the place the jetties are when shifting towards a hooked tarpon.”

Kostyo has just a few phrases for anglers who need a shot however are as but unfamiliar with the tarpon’s energy: “Rise up and breathe whereas combating the fish. I’ve seen many anglers bent over on the waist, slicing off their respiration. They get exhausted and need to move the rod off. On the larger tarpon, your again goes to harm, your arms will flip to rubber, and your grip will give out.”

Rod: 7-foot, medium -ction, rated for 20- to 30-pound braid

Reel: Penn Spinfisher 6500 or equal

Line: 30- to 50-pound mono high shot, 50-pound chief

Terminal: 7/0 or 8/0 non-offset circle hook

Bait: Shrimp within the winter