Tarpon season is one of the most anticipated times of the year on local waters. While I’ve encountered tarpon occasionally most every month of the year, April through July is the time eager anglers turn their sights to these silver-armored adversaries. Their arrival in numbers worth pursuing is generally water temperature-dependent. The magic number is debatable, but when water temperatures reach into the 70s, ardent anglers take notice. When that number reaches the high 70s to 80s they take action. Hopefully, there will be a season.
I thought long and hard about the subject of this week’s article. The condition of local waters has worried me the past few years as regular readers of this article will no doubt be aware. The resilient marine ecosystem that has amazed me in the past has not recovered after the 2017-18 red tide. On top of this, the disaster at Piney Point puts massive amounts of nutrients into Tampa Bay just as waters start to warm and red tide reports creep up the coast. But let’s be optimistic.
We are blessed with some of the best tarpon fishing in the world and the local bars and inshore waters host some of the finest fly and spin fishing to be found anywhere. For most anglers this isn’t a numbers game, it’s the hunt and the action that keep them pinned to the bow in the sizzling summer sun.
Tackle should match the size of the quarry with most anglers opting for a 20- to 30-pound spin outfit and/or 11- to 12-weight fly outfit. A heavy bite tippet is required because of the size of tarpon and their rasp-like mouth. Fly anglers generally use 60- to 80-pound tippet while spin anglers choose 70- to 100-pound test. While it might seem like a difficult task to land a tarpon on the fly, or any tackle for that matter, an angler who knows the limits of her gear can actually land a tarpon in a surprisingly short period of time. The key is to apply maximum pressure from the hookup and never let up. Too many anglers “baby” their tarpon in a misguided attempt to land them. The truth is that the longer you fight a tarpon the better chance you have of losing it.
A properly (IGFA approved) tied tarpon leader used by fly fishers usually runs between 10 and 12 feet and is tapered to accurately deliver the fly. The leader includes a class tippet (weakest link) from 16 to 20 pounds that is doubled at both ends to soften the (shock) impact to the class tippet and bite tippet. Key to the whole equation is to have a very sharp hook, as tarpon have extremely tough mouths. Conventional leaders vary from angler to angler, but a doubled standing line tied to a leader and then to the bite “tippet” with a blood knot or Albright Special won’t fail you.
Flies vary from the classic splayed feather “Key’s” style to more complex designs like the “Toad,” various baitfish imitations and worm flies. Some fly anglers are not concerned with landing a tarpon, preferring to just enjoy the hunt, the hookup and the jumps that usually follow the hook set. They use light bite tippets which allows the tarpon to work through the leader with their abrasive mouths. The key to landing tarpon on the fly is accuracy. The fly must be placed perfectly, move in a precise direction relative to the fish and be at the proper (fishes’) depth. Even when all of these factors come together, there’s still about a 50% chance that the tarpon will reject the fly, assuming that the condition of local waters doesn’t repel them first.
It’s happened before and while some would have you believe it’s natural and there’s nothing to be done, if there’s any silver lining in all this, it’s that it wakes us up to what we can and must do to protect our passion. But more on both fronts next week. To learn more and lend support visit Suncoast Waterkeeper.
