Some Gulf coast anglers scout for tarpon aggressively. Instead of running outside the rollers and looking toward shore, they run as close to the beach as they dare, tight enough to the sand to put the sun at their backs to catch sunrays reflecting off silver scales. Of course, the Gulf surf can be much tamer than that of the Atlantic during spring. On cloudy mornings, or when the fish don't roll, anglers keep an eye glued to the bottom. In the Gulf's clear water, individual tarpon resemble dark logs. Milling pods sort of look like a black hole. Catch things just right and you don't even need a boat to sample a fast beach bite. Jumping tarpon feeding in the first trough at high tide is attracting more Megalops atlanticus thrill-seekers every season. Flipping small jigs, topwaters and, for the really brave, flies to fish slurping mouthfuls of glass minnows within 20 feet of dry sand sure gets you going.
The mouth and eyes of an apex preditor.
An effective setup is nothing more than eight to ten feet of 60- to 100-ound-test shock leader tied to your fishing line with a surgeon's or uni-knot. When targeting fish upwards of 20 pounds with relatively light line add a Bimini twist in the fishing line before attaching the leader. Tie on your lure, or hook if you're bait fishing, and start jumping fish.
Bridge Country
Tides run hard through restrictive, relatively narrow bridge openings, sweeping helpless baitfish and crustaceans along with them. These prey items funnel past concrete pilings and across shadow lines, creating feeding stations where tarpon and other top-echelon ambush predators come for the piscatorial version of the fast food drive through window. Except in this case, the food drives through, and the tarpon grab a quick bite from the conveyor belt. Bridges allow tarpon to expend minimal energy as they lurk in the shadows, waiting for a disoriented or careless meal to come to them.
Florida has coastal bridges galore, many of which host great tarpon fishing. Two of the best-known tarpon spans are impossible to miss, for either man or beast. Seven miles of bridge, cleverly called the Seven Mile Bridge, connect Marathon and Bahia Honda in the Middle Florida Keys. With traditional tarpon migration routes disrupted, exact timing and locations are no longer predictable, but sometime between early spring and midsummer they show up to feast on mullet and crabs flushing through with the tide. Research shows that tarpon prefer to feed from below--though the position of eyes and mouth tells us that--so look for them in deeper holes where they silhouette bait passing above as they hide in the bridge's shadow. Local tackle shops can give you up-to-date information on where to start looking along the lengthy span, and others such as Channel Five and Two just up the road in Islamorada. Otherwise, watch for rolling fish or for concentrations of boats, preferably those already hooked up, to tell you where to anchor or set up a drift. Let your ears locate the same fish at night. Keep motor use to a minimum to avoid spooking fish and as a courtesy to those who set their alarms earlier than you.
Roughly 220 miles to the north and west, another seven miles of even more spectacular fish-holding structure awaits. The expansive Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay, attracts a wide variety of Gulf species, from tarpon, kingfish and cobia to snook, gag grouper and snapper. From April until autumn, water temperatures there remain in the tarpon comfort zone (mid 70s to upper 80s).
Tarpon techniques and baits for bridges will of course reflect local variations, but, tarpon being tarpon, there are more similarities than differences. The majority of bridge fishermen are livebait anglers, or during slack-tide periods, dead bait-on-the-bottom fishermen. Keys anglers use mullet as the primary bait, while most Skyway anglers sabiki various herring (threadfin, menhaden, scaled sardines) from the same schools that attract the tarpon. Heavy tackle is generally regarded as a prerequisite at either location. While 20-pound tackle will eventually defeat the rare fish that swims toward open water, 40- to 50-pound test with 100-pound mono leader is a sensible minimum for fish that take delight in forcing you to follow them through the maze of barnacle-blanketed pilings and nearby anchored boats. Boating bridge anglers have the option of trying to muscle fish out of the pilings from an anchored position, but most quickly release their anchors, tossing over an anchor marker float while they give chase. Where to anchor? Unlike snook, which almost invariably face upstream on the uptide shadow lines, tarpon might cruise either side. On weaker tides look for them on the uptide side. During maximum tide cycles, they save energy behind current?shielding pilings in the downstream shadows.
Finally, the Fly
Depending on who you talk to, you'll hear that fly fishing is the deadliest, the least effective, the easiest, the hardest, the most satisfying, or the most exasperating (and you may kick in your two centÂ’s worth at any time) means of catching a tarpon.
Florida is the undisputed epicenter of tarpon fly fishing, though it's done in other U.S. coastal waters on a limited basis. Tarpon on fly is practical wherever the water is shallow enough to spot them, or tarpon-rich enough for dredging flies deep in inlets and passes during the day or night. But, by and large, sight fishing is the real deal. Most fly rodders can't imagine doing it any other way.
Sight fishing for cruising or laid-up (resting) tarpon is not limited to crystal clear Keys flats. Florida fly fishers also stalk fish of all sizes statewide via pushpole in backcountry bays, and along shallow shorelines of coastal waterways. The electric motor comes into play along beaches from Miami to Jacksonville, and from the Ten Thousand Islands to the Panhandle on the Gulf coast. Wherever practiced, the drill is similar: You spot 'em, gather your wits, make the cast and keep your cool as you watch your fly disappear into a gaping maw, along with about 10 gallons of salt water. If you successfully dig the hook into that granite-hard mouth and manage to get the fish on the reel, the battle is joined.
Florida estuaries serve as nurseries for tiny tarpon, so naturally, Florida has unparalleled baby tarpon fishing, too. And that's ideal for beginners wanting to break into the sport. Tarpon are equally at home in saltwater creeks and brackish canals, mosquito control impoundments, and even freshwater canals and lakes that have access to salt water. In short, Florida fly fishers can pick the size of their fight, in various waters, at practically any time of year.
Speaking of a fight, that bring us to the weapons. If caught undergunned you'll hurt the fish, and maybe even hurt yourself. Be a responsible sportsman, not a stuntman. Whether you're fly fishing for giants on a South Florida flat or off an Atlantic or Gulf beach, when the jumping's over, the hard part starts. Highly-skilled fly fishers may beat 100-pounders with 10-weight or 11-weight rods in a half-hour or less, but that doesn't mean you can. A tarpon may appear to jump itself into submission over a 3-foot-deep Keys flat, but upon reaching a channel, it uses the current and finds new life, as you start to fade. Those epic 2- to 4-hour flyrod battles are to be avoided at all costs. Just ask any conscientous flyfishing guide about that.
Consider your ability, fish size and fly size when choosing tackle. An 11-or 12-weight fly rod is advisable for fish over the century mark and to cast 2/0 tarpon flies. A 10-weight can suffice for 50- to 80-pounders and flies tied on 2/0 hooks and smaller. Your trusty 9-weight is rod enough for 25- to 50-pound fish, and will cast 1/0 flies or smaller. For fish under 25 pounds, just be reasonable and pick enough rod to land fish quickly for release. Tiny tarpon can be caught with a simple click fly reel used for bass, but for midsize or adult fish, a top-of-the-line reel with a dependable drag is a must.
Floating lines are widely used, but slow-sinking lines are best when the fish are deeper, or when a choppy surface tosses around a floater, lending unatural action to the fly. A clear or clear-tip sinking line is advised for clear water, and depending on fish size, monofilament or fluorocarbon shock (bite) tippets from 25- to 100-pound test are standard. Tarpon flies should primarily mimic local forage in size. Many fly fishers favor natural-looking flies patterned after shrimp, baitfish or crabs over yesteryear's gaudy attractors. And as is the case with every form of tarpon fishing, top-quality, super-sharp hooks are a must.
