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Updated 4/21/08
Capt. Matt Mitchell bringing in a tarpon
by Capt. Matt Mitchell
How quickly things can change. After a few weeks of chasing
tarpon, a late season strong cold front with extreme windy
conditions made the fish all but disappear for most of the week
The quick drop of 10 degrees in water temperature made it hard
to find any good fishing action going on at all. That really
should be it on the wintertime cold windy days until next fall. |
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Things are slowly improving and after a few
more days of 80-degree-plus temperatures things will be right back in
full spring swing. Only a few days after the cold front, tarpon have
started to slowly return to their regular bayside haunts. A few rolling
fish and free jumpers could be spotted but they were very scattered and
in much smaller numbers than a week ago.
The full moon April 20 should really signal the beginning of a large
push of the migratory silver kings into the area.
Here are a few tips to catch more tarpon:
• When anchoring
Have a float and quick-release clip rigged on your anchor rope so you
can toss it quickly and chase down the fish if you need to.
• Rig your rods
Rig the night before, tie quality knots, use sharp hooks and make sure
your tackle is in good working order. Nothing will test your equipment
like a tarpon.
• Bait
Those first few hours after sunrise are prime time — don't waste it
trying to catch bait. Pinfish and crabs hold well in a cage or floating
bait pen overnight. Take an assortment of baits including some kind of
cut bait.
• Keep the shotgun loaded
Have a rod ready to go; shots at rolling fish can happen at any time.
Keep a bait on and be ready for that pitch shot.
• Chase a hooked fish down
Trolling-motor toward the fish, try to keep the boat as close as
possible to the hooked fish. Make the tarpon tow the boat. This allows
you to put a lot more pressure on a fish. No need to exhaust the fish
and/or angler.
• Bow to the king
Drop the rod tip when the tarpon jumps, this creates enough slack line.
This helps keep the hook in and stops the weight of the fish coming down
from breaking your line.
Happy tarpon fishing!
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
03/24/2008
- 03/31/2008
- 04/08/2008
- 04/14/2008
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