Bahia Honda Channel, Boca Grande Pass, and Tampa Bay Bridges all have one thing in common this time of year... Big, bone crushing, rod bending, sky bound jumping Tarpon!!! And the last few weeks have been nothing more than amazing chasing Silver Kings across the state of Florida. Local customs and etiquette vary from place to place, but the underlying tactics of jumping "Megalops Atlanticus" remain the same.
I have found the most effective method is to free-line live baits for a natural presentation that Tarpon can't resist. As for what kind of bait, the old saying "match the hatch" holds true. Anchored up on a slow incoming tide on a Bahia Honda Channel in the Keys? Pony up and buys some Blue Crabs. Drifting a big hill tide in Boca Grande Pass? Bring along the dip net and use Pass Crabs. Sight fishing rollers along a beach in Tampa? Throw the cast net and pitch Threadfin Herring. Tarpon can be finicky at times, so it pays (literally) to have a couple different bait to choose from to play the odds...
Rods, reels, line, leader, knots, hooks, etc. are all highly debated. Being an independent fishing guide, I have no commitment to sponsor(s) to promote their product(s). With that disclaimer said, I do prefer an 8' Custom Star Rod paired with a Shimano Torium 30 Reel spooled with 30lbs Monofilament Line connected via a uni-to-uni knot to a 40lbs Yozuri Disappearing Pink Fluorocarbon Leader with a 5/0 Owner Offset Circle Hook while sporting a pair of Costa Del Mar Switchfoot 580's. You can go with bait casters, braided line, bimini knots, and the like, so if you have something different that works, stick with it and we can discuss the finer points in the winter while regaling stories of summertime Poon chasing. Now with all that commercial name dropping done, if you know the Pro Staff for Star Rods, Shimano, Yozuri, Owner, or Costa Del Mar have them make the check(s) payable to Captain Jay - CJ Flats Saltwater Charters.
Jokes aside, there are some universal Tarpon rules and etiquette that will help you (and everyone else around you) catch more Tarpon now and in the future... The Don'ts: Motoring over rolling Tarpon, running down-current of Anglers drifting live baits for Tarpon, cutting in line/current/direction of boats casting to Tarpon, anchoring in the pass, and pulling Tarpon out of the water for a photo without a kill tag. The Do's: Pulling your Tarpon out of the school or away from the bridge or pass, moving out of the way of another angler/boat battling a Tarpon, fighting your Tarpon quickly to avoid overstressing the fish and/or feeding it to the Sharks, properly reviving your Tarpon prior to release to include motoring forward with the Tarpon at the side of the boat to push water across his gills, and most importantly, calling me at 1-877-463-5420 or emailing me at reservations@cjflats.com if you have any questions regarding Tarpon fishing, wish to book a Tarpon trip, or want me to come aboard with you and share with you some of my experiences on catching Tarpon more effectively. As always, tight lines...
Captain Jay Schroeder
CJ Flats Saltwater Charters
www.cjflats.com
1-877-463-5420
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jay-Schroeder/541903130
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