Tarpon Bait

[SouthernPointe]

I was out on the flats yesterday and saw a handful of tarpon roll very close to the boat. I even had one swim 6 feet by the boat on a sand bar.

With that being said, I have never fished for any and these fish have definitely spiked my interest. For those that fish for them, what is your favorite artificial bait?


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[Blue spinner]

don't know what the best bait is for catching them
I have jumped them in the pass with only getting a jump or two before they gone gone
as i was fishing for trout
i Finley caught one a few weeks ago while i was red fishing with my wife was using new penny Z-man bait
so if you are trout fishing them you are Tarpon fishing as I see it

[silverking]

Those were a figment of your imagination. There are no tarpon in the Big Bend.

My best lures are always DOA BaitBusters in the deep runner version. Black back/silver side or green back/silver side. If there's a lot of floating grass, the Sebile Magic Swimmers (medium size) will work.

You'll need a medium-heavy rod and 5000 class reel with at least 30-pound braid. Add a 60- to 80-pound fluorocarbon leader and tie the lure on with a loop knot. If you see the fish rolling/pushing from a distance, cast in front and slowly reel the lure so it crosses in front of them. Once you feel pressure, set the hook a couple times and hang on. You'll likely have to give chase.

To boat a tarpon (even for photos) requires a $50 tarpon tag from the FWC and that's only for potential IGFA world records. So it's almost exclusively catch and release. You can take a photo of your catch in the water alongside the boat (if you get it that far) and have a replica mount made. A tag is not required if the fish remains in the water and is quickly released.

Tarpon are wonderful, powerful animals that jump like a ballerina and run like a cheetah. They can dump 300 yards of line before you can even say Megalops atlanticus. They are truly the big-game prize of the flats and catching one is quite an accomplishment. Good luck.

BlueSpinner, glad to see you posting again. Hope you and family are all safe and well!

[TOWM]

It’s hard to beat a lively pinfish about the size of your hand, 24” under a cork rig, for catching tarpon.
I experienced the same thing Saturday. We were drifting in 9’ near the sandbar when we noticed rolling tarpon within easy casting range. We tossed a couple small pinfish (2” long), but didn’t get a bite.
I have caught several tarpon using DOA TerrorEyz, root beer and holographic glitter have worked for me. The floating grass was too thick this weekend and made working a swimbait to bothersome.
Another good bait for tarpon is cut ladyfish freelined on a 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook. Whenever we catch ladyfish I throw one in the livewell, just in case.

[ropeman]

Just go down to Shell Island Fish Camp fish cleaning spot and throw some fish heads in the water. There's a Tarpon under the dock that looks like a Pit Bull when he swallows the fish heads! It startled me the first time I saw him

[SouthernPointe]

Those were a figment of your imagination. There are no tarpon in the Big Bend.

My best lures are always DOA BaitBusters in the deep runner version. Black back/silver side or green back/silver side. If there's a lot of floating grass, the Sebile Magic Swimmers (medium size) will work.

You'll need a medium-heavy rod and 5000 class reel with at least 30-pound braid. Add a 60- to 80-pound fluorocarbon leader and tie the lure on with a loop knot. If you see the fish rolling/pushing from a distance, cast in front and slowly reel the lure so it crosses in front of them. Once you feel pressure, set the hook a couple times and hang on. You'll likely have to give chase.

To boat a tarpon (even for photos) requires a $50 tarpon tag from the FWC and that's only for potential IGFA world records. So it's almost exclusively catch and release. You can take a photo of your catch in the water alongside the boat (if you get it that far) and have a replica mount made. A tag is not required if the fish remains in the water and is quickly released.

Tarpon are wonderful, powerful animals that jump like a ballerina and run like a cheetah. They can dump 300 yards of line before you can even say Megalops atlanticus. They are truly the big-game prize of the flats and catching one is quite an accomplishment. Good luck.

BlueSpinner, glad to see you posting again. Hope you and family are all safe and well!

This is very good information! I definitely appreciate it. I will have to invest in a good 5000 series. I don’t have anything over 4000.

Is there a certain time of the day that’s best? I spoke to some tarpon fisherman at the landing and they didn’t get out there till noon to fish them.


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[SouthernPointe]

Just go down to Shell Island Fish Camp fish cleaning spot and throw some fish heads in the water. There's a Tarpon under the dock that looks like a Pit Bull when he swallows the fish heads! It startled me the first time I saw him

I have seen the videos.


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[Srbenda]

Just go down to Shell Island Fish Camp fish cleaning spot and throw some fish heads in the water. There's a Tarpon under the dock that looks like a Pit Bull when he swallows the fish heads! It startled me the first time I saw him

The ones at the dock are BEASTS.

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[SouthernPointe]

It’s hard to beat a lively pinfish about the size of your hand, 24” under a cork rig, for catching tarpon.
I experienced the same thing Saturday. We were drifting in 9’ near the sandbar when we noticed rolling tarpon within easy casting range. We tossed a couple small pinfish (2” long), but didn’t get a bite.
I have caught several tarpon using DOA TerrorEyz, root beer and holographic glitter have worked for me. The floating grass was too thick this weekend and made working a swimbait to bothersome.
Another good bait for tarpon is cut ladyfish freelined on a 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook. Whenever we catch ladyfish I throw one in the livewell, just in case.

Funny thing was I using a Zman paddle tail in pinsfish color and hadn’t caught much and then all of a sudden I was catching short trout and lady fish back to back to back and then hooked into something big but it came off. Two seconds later a tarpon swam next to the boat. Not sure if I hooked him or not but he was big enough he probably didn’t know he was hooked if we was.


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[ropeman]

The ones at the dock are BEASTS.

Is there more than one?

[silverking]

This is very good information! I definitely appreciate it. I will have to invest in a good 5000 series. I don’t have anything over 4000.

Is there a certain time of the day that’s best? I spoke to some tarpon fisherman at the landing and they didn’t get out there till noon to fish them.


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For sight-fishing, the middle of the day or later when the sun is more overhead or behind you is an advantage. But early in the morning, before boat traffic and sea breeze chop picks up, is prime time to spot rollers and wakes.

Check out the Shimano NASCI or Daiwa BG Big Game series in the 5000 class for reels. Either has enough drag and line capacity for the job and are not expensive. I used Shimano Teramar rods back when I was guiding.

[badweatherbiker]

Had one roll right beside the boat 2 weeks ago at St Marks when we tossed some baitfish overboard, no kidding it was every bit of 7 feet long.

[SouthernPointe]

This is very good information! I definitely appreciate it. I will have to invest in a good 5000 series. I don’t have anything over 4000.

Is there a certain time of the day that’s best? I spoke to some tarpon fisherman at the landing and they didn’t get out there till noon to fish them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For sight-fishing, the middle of the day or later when the sun is more overhead or behind you is an advantage. But early in the morning, before boat traffic and sea breeze chop picks up, is prime time to spot rollers and wakes.

Check out the Shimano NASCI or Daiwa BG Big Game series in the 5000 class for reels. Either has enough drag and line capacity for the job and are not expensive. I used Shimano Teramar rods back when I was guiding.

Thanks for the info. Very informative. I definitely love my Nasci


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[zload]

While keeping them in the water is clearly best, tarpon under 40” to the fork “can” be legally removed from the water for a photo, measurement or scientific testing.

I’m not sure what the reasoning behind that is other than to allow those who rarely see a tarpon much less catch one to photo it or to allow tarpon guides to post for advertising but it is legal. I’d probably photo one if my kid/grandkid or sr adult caught one of that size...

I’ve seen some guide pics with fish of that size around on the web, usually with a kid in the picture.

https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/rec ... al/tarpon/

[Salty Gator]

This is very good information! I definitely appreciate it. I will have to invest in a good 5000 series. I don’t have anything over 4000.

Is there a certain time of the day that’s best? I spoke to some tarpon fisherman at the landing and they didn’t get out there till noon to fish them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For sight-fishing, the middle of the day or later when the sun is more overhead or behind you is an advantage. But early in the morning, before boat traffic and sea breeze chop picks up, is prime time to spot rollers and wakes.

Check out the Shimano NASCI or Daiwa BG Big Game series in the 5000 class for reels. Either has enough drag and line capacity for the job and are not expensive. I used Shimano Teramar rods back when I was guiding.

Good advice here. For some reason Diawa has 2 different size scales. A saltist or ballistic is the same as shimano. But some reels , black gold included, have a different scale. A 4000 bg is huge. More like a 6000 -8000 size. Just be careful if you order online without being able to see the reel up close