I've been meaning to post this since we returned from vacation but work keeps interfering. I know it's not our area but work has also been interfering with my area fishing so this is the best I can do. Anyway, the last week of June we headed down to Sanibel Island but made a stop along the way in Sarasota to fish with Tom Stephens (Jr.). I had missed my annual spring snook trip with him this year so wanted to make it up. Well, when we arrived Tommy said that the mid-summer snook fishing was not the best bet for us. He said we need to go after tarpon instead. I've never fished for tarpon and never even accidentally hooked one so I figured it would be good to give it a try. Besides, my 13-year old son has been wanting to catch a tarpon. So, we left the dock mid-afternoon and turned north out of New Pass to cruise the beach. Tommy said to look for the pods of tarpon cruising along. Sure enough, we soon saw a dark patch moving through the water and as it got closer we saw the fins and backs of the tarpon rolling. Tommy positioned the boat south of the school -- for whatever reason, the tarpon at that time of the year are always moving north to south. He threw out a spinning rig with a live crab on, handed the rod to my son and we waited. Everything went just as planned, as the pod passed over the bait, my son got a hit and set the hook. An hour and ten minutes later, he had a 120-pound tarpon boatside. Using 25-pound test meant a long battle to get the fish boatside. He'd get the fish close and then the fish would make a long run. Close again, and then another run. All I could do was cheer him on and splash him down with water every now and then. He really hung in there though and I was proud of him for gutting it out. He was whipped but thrilled with his big fish! Anyway, after that we went through the drill again and found the fish. This time my 16-year old nephew was at bat. His fish made several jumps but then he put a little too much pressure on the fish and the line broke. We found a few more schools after that but couldn't get a hook-up. We finished the day inside the pass fishing a rock pile and catching and releasing snook. The next morning we headed south out of New Pass looking for the pods. We had a couple of hook-ups but couldn't get the fish out of the school before getting cut off by the other fish. Then the fish decided they didn't like the crabs anymore so we caught some LY's and started getting hits again. Still, we kept missing fish and getting cut off. Other boats were working the same area and it was the same drill -- move ahead of the fish, place the bait, wait for the fish. Sometimes folks would hook up and move off to fight the fish. If they didn't hook up they would move south again with the boats leap-frogging one another as the school moved. I was surpised how well all the boats worked together to give everyone a shot at the fish. Anyway, finally, my nephew hooked into a nice fish. After 20 minutes though, the boy was whipped and his uncle took over. After an hour and a half, he had the fish boatside -- this one was a little bigger than the one the day before, maybe 140 pounds. By that time, we had to leave the water and hit the road so I never was able to get a fish.
But, the most important part was that my son got his big tarpon he'd been wanting so it was all worth it.
Very interesting and different trip for me. I can see now why folks get so hyped up over the tarpon fishing. Still, I don't think I'll be running out and buying a fancy flats boat and Columbia gear any time soon. I think I'll stick with cork slingin' and grouper diggin' for a while longer.
Sounds like you had a good time. I remember well when I would rather see my son catch fish than catch them myself. You're a good dad, even if you are a lawyer. 
Is the "Mucky Duck" still operating?
