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Updated 4/28/08
A tarpon gives up the fight
by Capt. Matt Mitchell
Scattered groups of tarpon could be found rolling and free
jumping all over the sound last week. The tarpon pods were still
on the smaller side and hook-ups were few. Big lively pinfish on
a float are still out-fishing chunks of cut bait for now. Only
one cut bait chunk all week got the attention of a cruising
tarpon.. |
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On an average trip we are jumping three
tarpon but my landed-to-jumped ratio is just not that good so far.
Tarpon really test your angling skills and one mistake is all it takes
to lose that trophy-size hooked fish.
The best tarpon action all week came one flat calm morning early in the
week with five fish jumped and lost. Zero for five does not sound that
good but any day you can do battle with five big tarpon, no matter how
briefly, is a great day. One of the five fish we had hooked up for 15
minuites until my angler failed to bow the rod on a skyhigh jump. The
hook came right out of the fish's mouth, flying back towards the boat.
As I tell my customers, "All I can do as a guide is put you on the
tarpon; what happens after that I really have no control over."
While tarpon fishing with Mike Brown and his dad from Minnesota last
week, Mike hooked and fought his first tarpon. His first poon turned out
to be a full size model. After a 50-minute fight and steering the fish
in and out of a pack of boats, the 140-pound-plus fish finally wore
through the leader. Mike has caught lots of big fresh water fish but
could not get over the pure strength and power of the silver king.
Thirty-five minutes into the battle the tarpon was still jumping and
just not giving up that last 20 feet of line for a leader touch.
At one point I had the tarpon and leader a few feet out of my reach.
This turned out to be the closest we would get to closing the deal.
Fishing Red Light Shoal later that morning Mike and his dad Alton did
battle with a six-foot blacktip. The shark towed us all the way to the
busy intercoastal before coming boat-side. We estimated the shark at
over 100 pounds.
When morning winds are light, I have been drifting through the pods of
tarpon dragging pinfish and threadfins under a float. When drifting I
keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait to throw at any rolling tarpon
within casting distance. Then as the wind kicks up later in the day, I
like to anchor in these same areas and set a cut bait spread from the
back of the boat while my anglers fish livebaits on bobbers off both
sides of the boat.
Any kind of large-cut chunk bait will work for this. Mackerel, ladyfish,
catfish and blue fish are often a by-catch while tarpon fishing. Cut
mullet also works well fished in large chunks on a circle hook.
The two main rigs I use for tarpon fishing are a bobber rig and a cut
bait rig. The bobber rig constists of a five- to six-foot piece of
60-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 4/0 live bait hook. A small
non-weighted bobber is then put on above the leader to keep the live
bait in the strike zone and out of the bottom. This rig is great for
pitching and drifting through the tarpon. Hook the pinfish through the
back between the head and dorsel fin exposing as much hook as possible.
For the cut bait rig I use a five- to six-foot piece of 80-pound
fluorocarbon leader with a 12/0 circle hook. The one I find works best
for tarpon is a straight circle hook (not offset). The circle hooks work
best when connected to the leader with a loop knot. The loop knot gives
the circle hook room to move and grab the corner hinge of a tarpon's
hard mouth.
Use large, four-inch plus, chunks of cut bait, pieces that are too big
for an average catfish to eat. Hook the cut bait no more than a
quarter-inch deep as the hook needs to pull through the bait when a fish
eats it to work right. The weight of the bait is enough to keep it on
the bottom. Leave slack in your line when the bait is cast out so the
tarpon feels no pressure on the line when it scoops it up from the
bottom. As soon as it feels pressure it will start jumping,.
Happy tarpon hunting!
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
03/31/2008
- 04/08/2008
- 04/14/2008
- 04/21/2008
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