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Fishing Report for Homosassa, Florida
Capt. Mike Locklear
June 15, 2005
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
Tarpon Duals
Scott Coleman and Steve Scott of Gainesville, FL both made my week and theirs when the two hooked into a pair of 120 & 140 pound tarpon. Almost at the same second the pair launched the two 6 foot black and silver kings. It was a spectacle they will always remember. Me too!
After one jump, Scott’s tarpon got off, but Steve’s stayed on for the duration. After 20 minutes of down and dirty tactics the wide bellied fish was along side and submitted to the angler. I actually removed the hook from the top of his mouth without any tools or gloves. The female swam off healthy. Both fish were hooked on live baits.
Last Wednesday, Jim Greene’s tarpon was not as lucky. The first day we worked three schools of fish and kept changing flies because no one was hungry. Finally with a reverse black death fly with red on the hackles and black on the tail. A tarpon of about 100 pounds ate and Jim did a beautiful job setting the hook.
The tarpon never jumped nor did he waste any time getting out of Dodge. Jim almost lost all of his 300 yards of backing as the tarpon and a school of some 20 fish together hurried to get away from a pack of bull sharks; we did not know this at the time.
I was almost on a plane chasing the school at almost unheard of 8 mph and the tarpon was heading straight into the sun making it difficult to see what the tarpon was doing. Once the tarpon turned and tried to go under the boat. I was ready and quickly reversed the engine preventing the fish from getting off perhaps.
I hollered out loud to Jim, I wish that fish would change course, the sun is blinding me. No sooner said than done, the tarpon turned south. Jim replied, asked and ye shall receive. If I would have known that, I would have asked earlier.
With the fish alone, Jim really began to palm the fly reel and apply heat or pressure to the already tired tarpon. He kept the rod straight and I knew this tactic would wear the fish out quickly. The 60 pound test non-IGFA class tippet was stopping the fish from breaking off. We could see the fly in the top of its mouth.
While Jim said a bull shark was swimming under the boat, I said we should break off the tarpon to give it a better chance to get away. No cigar, Jim tried repeatedly to give the tarpon her freedom. I was video taping the whole scene and I had just shut the engine off minutes before.
Before you could say Uncle the shark attacked the tarpon and bit its tail off. Completely without its prop the tarpon was helpless. As the tarpon came up to the surface, Jim got his fly back. We both hated the fact that the 8 foot bull shark got a free meal thanks to us. It was a 10 foot wide blood bath with scales and splashing all about.
This is a typical scenario in every day tarpon life. Just today we saw a shark trying to pick out a tarpon with no success. He did manage to mess our fishing up for a while.
Get out there and go fishing because it is goooood ferrrrr yaaa!!!!
Capt. Mike
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