Sharpon Fishing 6-22-08
Posted: June 23rd, 2008, 8:02 am
Sharpon: That is a Tarpon that fights really well, jumps one time, and then turns into a Shark right at the boat. A big Shark!
Went out at 4:30am Sunday morning to get a little Tarpon time in with Talltails in his boat. We stopped on the shoreline and picked up some nice Tarpon sized Mullet and headed all the way out to where we were fishing. Tarpon were greyhounding all around us. Talltails throws a line off his end of the boat, I throw one off my end of the boat, and Talltails throws out something to get closer to the bottom. Off Talltails end of the boat a Tarpon just way lays his bait on top and massacres his cork. Then disappears. About a hundred yards away Flounderpounder hooks up a Tarpon in about a foot and a half of water and loses it. We see lots of greyhounding but no takers on the mullet. Talltails hooks a Gar, a Flounder, a few gafftops, and a shark. As this big storm approaches, Tarpon are greyhounding everywhere. The lightning is within the 30 second rule (If you see lightning, and hear thunder in less than 30 seconds) so we move to a boat ramp. We sit out this big storm and grab a sandwich and when the lightning subsides we get back to fishing. Still a few greyhounds but only sharks are participating. I start to complain about the lack of even a trashfish when my cork disappears. I set the hook and this fish darts across the top of the water. I yell Tarpon, and we get to going on moving stuff out of the way and I begin a march around the boat. The fish takes off and makes a long run from the boat, and then makes a return. Talltails remarks, “Are you sure that’s a Tarpon?” and I insist it is. A few more trips around the boat, and he is still unsure, until we see the cork and the tail of the Sharpon. Yes, it started out as a Tarpon and must have been swallowed by a shark and now I have a shark. That has to be what happened. Whatever happened I now sinch up on the drag and am mad we wasted time trying to land it so carefully. We ended the day after that and I went home with Egg on my face. It was still fun.
Went out at 4:30am Sunday morning to get a little Tarpon time in with Talltails in his boat. We stopped on the shoreline and picked up some nice Tarpon sized Mullet and headed all the way out to where we were fishing. Tarpon were greyhounding all around us. Talltails throws a line off his end of the boat, I throw one off my end of the boat, and Talltails throws out something to get closer to the bottom. Off Talltails end of the boat a Tarpon just way lays his bait on top and massacres his cork. Then disappears. About a hundred yards away Flounderpounder hooks up a Tarpon in about a foot and a half of water and loses it. We see lots of greyhounding but no takers on the mullet. Talltails hooks a Gar, a Flounder, a few gafftops, and a shark. As this big storm approaches, Tarpon are greyhounding everywhere. The lightning is within the 30 second rule (If you see lightning, and hear thunder in less than 30 seconds) so we move to a boat ramp. We sit out this big storm and grab a sandwich and when the lightning subsides we get back to fishing. Still a few greyhounds but only sharks are participating. I start to complain about the lack of even a trashfish when my cork disappears. I set the hook and this fish darts across the top of the water. I yell Tarpon, and we get to going on moving stuff out of the way and I begin a march around the boat. The fish takes off and makes a long run from the boat, and then makes a return. Talltails remarks, “Are you sure that’s a Tarpon?” and I insist it is. A few more trips around the boat, and he is still unsure, until we see the cork and the tail of the Sharpon. Yes, it started out as a Tarpon and must have been swallowed by a shark and now I have a shark. That has to be what happened. Whatever happened I now sinch up on the drag and am mad we wasted time trying to land it so carefully. We ended the day after that and I went home with Egg on my face. It was still fun.
They are a lot like a ratfish-starts out as a red, but turns into a catfish at the boat. 
