Don’t
rule out Tarpon Fishing anywhere from Georgia, SC, North
Carolina to the Gulf, even in dirty water.
Tarpon
are a highly migratory game fish. During a cold winter,
they travel as far South as South America and make an
Atlantic crossing back to Florida, and then North into
Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina as the water
warms. There are parts of extreme South Florida that house
Tarpon year round.
A
great deal has been learned about these hard mouthed,
scavenging brutes over the past few years. We have started
learning incredible amounts of information about Tarpon
Fishing, Tarpon feeding habits, Tarpon migrating habits
and most of all, how to locate these fish no matter if
they’re rolling tarpon and free jumping tarpom or
not showing themselves in dirty or deep water. Georgia
Tarpon Fishing is especially difficult when Tarpon Fishing
or Charter Fishing for Tarpon.
The
brutal battle of a Tarpon and acrobatic maneuvers of Tarpon
draws new charter fishing anglers to this sport each season
as the word spreads amongst anglers and Charter Captains.
It’s action like no other when the bite is on as
the angler attempts to set the hook into pure bone!
As
scavengers, Tarpon can be one of the most finicky feeders
in the Game Fish family. I’ve seen Tarpon turn their
nose up at a live Menhaden while they explode in the chum
slick behind the boat. One would think that if the Tarpon
are in the chum slick feeding, they’re willing to
eat your offering. Most times they are, but it can be
disappointing and frustrating when you have 20 or 30 Tarpon
rolling behind the boat and you can’t get a knock
down.
"Prime
Baits for Tarpon"
Depending
on where you fish for Tarpon, you will want to coordinate
your bait to the fishing and baitfish environment.
For
example; in South Florida, the Gulf and the Keys, most
anglers in these areas will use a giant shrimp, Pin fish,
White Bait or crab while drifting inlets, bays, flats
or channels where Tarpon are known to be holed up.
Charter
Fishing St. Simons Island Georgia is a Charter Fishing
Guide tradition over 40 years old. My friend and charter
Captain Greg, has fished several locations on the Gulf
and Atlantic Coast. Greg says "If I’m fishing
the West Coast of Florida, Crabs are an exceptional bait
especially on and around the Full Moon tidal stages as
the crabs funnel out of Charlotte Harbor into Boca Grande
Pass. If I’m fishing on the Atlantic Coast especially
while charter fishing for Tarpon in Georgia, a DOA Bait
Buster works magic when sight casting to rolling Tarpon
in dirty water Estuaries, Bays and Sounds."
Fishing
in Georgia and South Carolina are not so fortunate to
have the flats and clear water situations as south Florida
offers. Most of these anglers target Tarpon with a large
Menhaden in Channels, Sand bar cuts and open Sounds. A
6 –8 inch Mullet is a good bait choice for Tarpon
in these areas as well.
"Effective
Tarpon Chumming in any Location"
The
many myths about chumming for Tarpon are only part true
from my personal experience of running over 100 fishing
charters for Tarpon each year targeting these fish. I
have also found, the oilier your chum bait, the better
off you will be in terms of successful Tarpon fishing
in Georgia.
For
a long time I lived on the belief of chumming the entire
time I was Tarpon Fishing. Now, I’m not saying an
angler should just forget about a chum slick all together.
However, do it in moderation instead of cutting up a hundred
Menhaden or mullet every 30 minutes. Charter Fishing Guides
in Georgia normally moderate their chum while Tarpon fishing.
Too
much chumming will have you fighting off Bluefish, Bar
Jacks, Spanish and Sharks. On a Fishing Charter, when
things are slow, that’s great. When you’re on
the water to target Tarpon, that’s not so great at
all.
Depending
on the bait situation when I arrive on a school, I typically
fill a five-gallon bucket to the top with chum only baitfish,
which will normally be Menhaden.
My
mate will cut the fish three ways and cut the head in
two so it won’t float and bring in the Sea Gulls
to tear up your flat line bait after they realize there
are no floating morsels. Keep that in mind no matter what
fish you chum for. Most fish heads will float unless it’s
a larger bait like a big Mullet.
When
you arrive at a spot where you are watching fish roll
or you simply know the fish are deep; set the lines out
with no chumming to begin with. No need to call in the
Gulls and the Sharks if you don’t need to. If the
Tarpon don’t bite after 15 minutes or so, start a
slow to moderate chum, but don’t over do it. Just
toss out a few of those cut pieces every couple of minutes
as you watch the Rod tips. Give it an hour or so and then
move on to another hole if they won’t cooperate.
If
the fish are rolling by your boat and they won’t
bite, this calls for heavy chumming. With a little luck,
you’ll have one in the air within a few minutes after
a heavy slick is formed. But, as we all know, they are
fish, and sometimes they just don’t bite. Like any
other fish, we don’t want those fish to have to think
too much!
"The
tricky part: Locating Tarpon"
Aside
from catching Tarpon at your favorite Marina under the
cleaning table in Florida, Tarpon can be difficult to
locate at times, especially if you’re in an area
that’s not familiar stomping grounds for you. If
you’re anything like me, you don’t ask for much
help in unfamiliar waters, or for that matter, even locally
in your hometown! First off, the water temperature in
your fishing locale needs to be 75 degrees or more, and
you are ahead of the game already.
With
that much under your belt, head out to the nearest Sound
or Bay and get a feel for the area in general. The mission
here is to boat ride until you have located a bait school
on the surface or your bottom machine. Look for Jack Crevalle
to be feeding in the bait schools. The Jack Crevalle are
tell tale signs of Tarpon in the area. These fish often
run together balling up bait and crushing the surface,
or they could be deep in the column marking at 35 ft.
or more. When you mark the bait or spot surface activity
in a bait school, send out a line and give it a try for
a while as you drift with your engine(s) shut down and
depth recorder off. Excess noise is a killer when you
are attempting to locate and catch Tarpon.
Other
prime areas are Inlets or Sounds where baitfish pour in
on the flood tide out of deep water into shallows or over
a submerged sandbar that forms a rip. Sharp sloping ledges
in shallow or deep water may be holding bait and Tarpon,
so watch the bottom machine closely as you idle outside
the channel or inlet. Just like any fish, there has to
be something to eat, or you normally won’t find them.
In
shallow Sounds and Bays where clear water is the norm,
you may be able to spot tarpon rolling or simply roaming
the flats in search of food. In fact, there is no doubt
you will spot Tarpon in these areas if you are a patient
angler.
Another
key factor is tides. If there is one thing that’s
predictable about Tarpon, it’s their movement with
tidal flow. Tarpon move out with the ebb and in with the
flood following bait in and out. Bait schools drift with
the current and the fish aren’t far behind.
Ebb
tides will send you a little further offshore in search
of Tarpon in most area’s, especially on the northern
sector of the south east coast in places such as Jacksonville,
Fl, St. Simons Island, GA and into areas of South Carolina
as well. In these locales, 7- ft. tidal stages are normal
all year round.
Flood
tides will send you looking for Tarpon closer to shore.
These fish can be caught in river mouths as the flood
tide rises. When the tide is affected by a new or full
moon, you may even find Tarpon far up into small rivers
and the back ends of sounds and bays, or even around docks
and Marina’s, especially in South Florida.
A
major tip to keep in mind is to watch for Tarpon rolling.
Don’t ever pass up an area where you are watching
the fish roll. Kill the engine when you get close and
ease the anchor over the side and get busy. Don’t
leave that area if you are watching fish roll. If you
leave fish to find fish, you may get left out and curse
to yourself for leaving the area after other boats come
in screaming about all the Tarpon they caught in that
area.
"Anchor
or Drift? Tarpon Fishing"
Drifting
and anchoring have both proven to be effective for Tarpon
fishing. The deciding factor for many Tarpon anglers,
including myself, is bait availability and Tarpon movement
with the bait. When there are mass amounts of baitfish
and Tarpon are feeding amongst them, cast your net and
get that bait. Then, drop back two flat lines into the
bait school and hold on! Chances are you’ll never
need to throw the anchor, especially if the bait is on
the move. The Tarpon will be right with them until they
are gorged with food, and you’ll want to follow right
along with them shutting down the engine(s) when you approach.
Anchoring
and waiting for Tarpon to bite is honestly quite boring
at times, but it too, will pay off. If you are watching
a few fish here and there and the bait situation is nothing
to brag about, go ahead and ease the anchor over and fish
a while in that area and begin to moderate your chumming
until the fish bite, or move on.
If
the Tarpon roll on past you and there was no hook up,
you may need to pull anchor and move in or out depending
on which direction the tide is moving. Go find them again.
Chances are, they haven’t gone far from where you
were anchored.
"Tarpon
Fishing - Top or Bottom?"
To
cover the water column effectively while Tarpon Fishing,
be prepared to fish several different methods. On the
anchor, an effective spread is two baits on the bottom,
one cut bait and one live bait. In the other two rod holders,
fish a flat line with no weight and live bait. Your final
rig should have a 3/8 oz. weight on the leader to get
the bait down just a bit.
With
the above set up, you have covered the column and your
chances for a hook up on a Tarpon are far better than
fishing only one way. If Tarpon are rolling and won’t
take a shot at your flat line, add a float so the bait
can’t take it down at all and he’ll be left
fluttering in panic on the surface.
As
you drift a bait school with Tarpon busting through them,
the best technique is a flat line and a light weighted
flat line as mentioned above. If you’re marking bait
in deep water, send those weighted rigs down to the marking
and see what comes up.
"Tips
on Tarpon Fishing Tackle"
Catching
small Tarpon in shallow water or on the flats (30-90 pounds)
doesn’t require much in the way of tackle. If the
fish are consistently small, use Spinning Tackle with
20-pound line and a 60-pound leader.
Small
Tarpon Combo:
Ugly
Stik Tiger Spinning Rod (#BWS 2201) 20-50
Penn
SSM or SSG Spinning Reel
Fill
the spool with 20-25 pound Berkley Big Game Braid
6
ft. of 60 lb. Mono Leader
Mustad
7766 6/0 Tarpon Hook or a Redfishone Circle Hook
Boating
larger Tarpon (100-200 Pounds) requires a bit more backbone
in your rod, and a reel with the capability of holding
300 Yards of 40-pound line, especially when fishing deep
water for these fish.
All
Around Tarpon Combo:
Ugly
Stik Rod (#BWB 1120) 40-80
Penn
Reel capable of holding 300 yards of 40 pound line
6
ft. of 150 lb. Leader
Redfishone
Brand Tarpon Hook
Handling
Tarpon for a Healthy Release
We
have all seen the pictures of anglers holding Tarpon in
their boats for that perfect photo. Research proves that
after a grueling fight on rod and reel, these fish are
on the borderline of death when they are landed with light
tackle in warm waters.
Extreme
care must be taken to prevent these fish from having an
early death. First of all, don’t drag a Tarpon in
the boat for a picture. Put on your gloves and grab the
inside of the bottom part of the mouth and hold him up
for a very brief time out side the boat for a photo. Revive
the fish for as long as it takes, as the oxygen levels
are much lower when the water temperature reaches 80+
degrees in the summer.
Quiet
is Key when Tarpon Fishing
When
you locate Tarpon working an area or some of your buddies
call you in on a good bite, be cautious in your approach
and be prepared to shut down that powerhouse and the depth
recorder. I’ve seen these fish spook when a boat
idled in too close. They will leave the area and find
their food elsewhere if they spook.
If
you toss the anchor, do it as quietly as possible. If
the fish are extremely skittish, the anchor chain sliding
on the rub rail will send them running.
Fish
em’ down and tight - Tarpon Fishing in Georgia!
Fishing
for Tarpon with your reels in gear boasts more solid hook
ups than free spooling. Tighten your drag until you’re
pulling 14 pounds on the scale. It’ll pay off come
hook up time! If you’re using a lighter rod and reel
combo, pull your drag to 10 pounds to avoid a break off
on the initial run.
Use
an extremely powerful "sideswiping" hook set
toward the water after the fish makes the first jump.
This too, will help you sink the hook into that bony mouth.
Don’t plan on setting the hook while that fish is
in the air, or you will be on the deck to avoid a 6/0
Tarpon hook as it comes flying across the t-top of your
boat. Be sure the fish is down after that first jump and
then put the steel in em’.
.jpg)
