Beginning Tarpon Season Fishing Report
Tarpon season is here and in full swing! We have good numbers of fish moving through the area along the ocean and through the backcountry. We are having a lot of success with live bait and we are getting action on Hogy soft baits as well as on fly.
Sight fishing strings of tarpon on the beach is an incredible way to spend the day. The fish are traveling along the shore in strings and the opportunities present themselves in good numbers. Patience goes a long way here. These fish can be a little spooky and hard to feed; but when you make it happen it is awesome. A well placed fly presented in the correct manor can yield explosive results that end with holes in the ocean and big runs. If you prefer spinning gear, we can use artificial baits like Hogys and hard plugs.
We are also finding quite a few fish out back. These fish are laying up along the edges of flats or piled up in the channels. A live bait presented with the current can be very effective on channel fish. They stage up nose into the current waiting for the conveyor belt of current to bring an easy meal. Circle hooks are the method of choice for live bait.
The baby tarpon are also a potential target in the backcountry. While they aren’t as big, they are still loads of fun. These little guys love to jump and have big fights in their smaller bodies. They can easily be targeted on fly, or with spin gear.
Other targets this time of year include bonefish, barracudas, Permit, and sharks. Stalking bonefish and permit during the high sun of the mid day can be very productive this time of year. Casting plugs along channel edges can also produce barracudas. We have plenty of sharks around and after catching a few fish to use for bait, chumming them to the boat can be done.
Overall this is a great time of year that can be really fun out on the water. The tarpon fishing is going to keep getting better and the summertime patterns will also improve. The weather is improving and things are looking great.
There are still a few days open in May and June, but not many. Give me a call and we can get you out there.
Thanks for reading,
Capt Brian