Boca Grande Pass Tarpon

[silverking]

By Frank Sargeant, editor of The Fishing Wire

A lot of anglers may have a Florida tarpon on their bucket list, but as many have learned, the giant fish some call the silver king is not that easy to come by out of most ports. The fish come and go unpredictably, and being in the right place at the right time with the right gear, even when guided by an expert, can be a challenge. More anglers fail than succeed if they have limited time and money to spend in the chase--and who among us has plenty of both these days?

But that's unlikely to be the case for those who travel down the west coast of Florida to the big pass known as Boca Grande, about 80 miles south of Tampa. Here, a mile-wide inlet some 80 feet deep carries water in and out of Charlotte Harbor. Every spring this pass fills up with literally more tarpon than can be counted. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FFWC) researcher a few years ago placed a sonic counting device in the pass and concluded that there are at least 10,000 fish in the waters at peak periods. It's common to see literally hundreds of them, all 100 pounds or better, rolling on top on any trip to the pass from early May to about July 15--it appears as if you could walk across their backs, at times.

As you'd guess, the pass is not exactly a secret; in fact, anglers have been coming here to catch tarpon since just after the Civil War. And the historic Gasparilla Inn, on the north side of the pass, has been there to serve them for the last 116 years. A recent trip I made out of the Gasparilla Inn Marina was typical of the sort of action visitors here expect during the peak weeks.

Fishing goes on day and night when the fish are in; we met Captain Brian Knight, a 4th generation guide on the island, at the docks at 7 p.m. for a four-hour trip that would allow us to enjoy the sundown as well as a prime evening outgoing tide. The tarpon gather in the pass primarily to feed prior to spawning according to FFWC biologists, and the pass fills up with a small brown crab known by the anglers as a "pass crab" on evening outflows--we saw literally thousands of the little crustaceans scooting along on the surface as we made the short run to the fishing area.

The fishing tactics have been refined for decades by local guides; they know the bottom of the pass like their own living rooms, and manipulate boat and baits precisely to keep the offerings just where the tarpon want them. Knight set the boat into a drift with the stern facing up-tide, the diesel engine at idle, and he instructed us to lower our live crab baits to a green mark on the 100-pound-test braided line. A bit farther on, he called for us to lower the baits to a red mark in the line--and within a couple of minutes after that the first fish ate my fishing buddy's bait.

Knight slammed the engine into gear and shot the boat forward, taking out the slack and forcing the 6/0 hook home. Moments later, the 6-foot-long fish shot into the air, rattling its gills and spraying water everywhere. A second later, it jumped again and threw the hook. End of story? Not at all when you're fishing Boca Grande at the peak of the run.

On the next drift, we had another hookup, and this one stayed stuck--30 minutes later, the fish, about 100 pounds, was at the transom. We took photos, high-fived, and Knight skillfully popped the leader so the fish could swim off.

The sun treated us to a light show as it sank into the sea, framed by a rain shower coming in from the south, and on the next drift we had another hookup, and this fish, about 90 pounds, was at the transom in 20 minutes.

The third fish of the night was the largest, close to 140 Knight estimated. The tarpon here range from 90 to as much as 200 pounds, with the average creeping steadily upward thanks to the virtual end of any harvest in 1989 when a $50 kill tag program was put in place by the FFWC. Tarpon can live 50 years and more, so keeping the fish alive through repeated catches is a sure way to increase the size as well as overall numbers.

There were four of us fishing, and by the time 11 p.m. rolled around, we had caught and released five of the giants, mine the final fish of the night at around 120 pounds. It was a memorable trip, to be sure, but one that's not unusual during the prime weeks at Boca Grande.

More About Gasparilla Inn:

The Boca Grande Lighthouse is a landmark visible from far at sea, but it's best known as the symbol of the world's greatest tarpon spot--note the fleet of boats in the background. (Frank Sargeant photo)
The inn, built in the early 1900's, has expanded to include a stunning Pete Dye-designed waterside golf-course, a marina, a beach and tennis club and a collection of cottages. The beach-front restaurant is particularly impressive for anglers--it's possible to sit under an umbrella table within a hundred feet of the shore and watch tarpon passing just outside the bar during the summer season. The service and accommodation at the resort regularly earns it national awards; it's pricey, but well worth it for a vacation splurge. The island itself would be worth a visit even without the fishing--a shoppy little downtown where everything is within walking distance, great restaurants, wonderful snow-white beaches and emerald green water, and an historic lighthouse at the southern tip all make it one of those special places most of us hope to find but never do. (There's great snook fishing at dawn and dusk in the surf, for beach walkers, incidentally--top waters and jerkbaits do the job.)

For details on Florida tarpon fishing, visit http://www.myfwc.com. For details on the Gasparilla Inn, go to http://www.the-gasparilla-inn.com. To book a tarpon trip with Captain Brian Knight, call 941 964 4500 and ask for the marina.

[Heath]

I was able to make a trip to Boca Grande this year on mothers day weekend with a couple friends. It was my first tarpon fishing experience and now I'm hooked. We pulled in 5 that were 70lb-100lb it was a great experience. Ill be making the trip annually.

[Apalachee Inshore]

Good read thanks for posting

[Mister Mullet]

I fished Boca Grand many years ago in the same boat with Frank. We were at a writers conference. Wrote a story about it for The Democrat...Combat Fishing. Some of you might have seen it. We had fish hooked by other anglers literally splashing water on us. This is a must-do for anyone looking for heart-stopping action.

[Juan]

Great post! I've never fished Boca Grande and not sure I'd want to deal with the boat traffic there. From what I've read and the pictures I've seen, it gets really crowded at times. My "go to" place for tarpon is the 7 mile bridge in the Keys.