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Fishing Report for Homosassa, Florida
Capt. Mike Locklear
August 12, 2000
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
Recapping Homosassa Tarpon Action - Part 2
If you read my last report you would know that I recapping the Homosassa 2000 tarpon
season on the fly rod. I love catching fish on the fly rod and well, big tarpon just happen
to be here in May and June.
The second week of May, one of my clients got to fight his first tarpon on the fly.
Although this season was not a good one because the numbers were down, size made up
the difference. This fish was well over 130 pounds and was hot as it could be with many
dazzling jumps and sizzling reel drag action. This man was shaking so much after the
battle ended that he looked liked he needed a shot of whiskey to calm him down. He
settled for a bottle of water and mentioned that he was now hooked on tarpon fishing forever.
His friend got up next and had one tarpon eat, but he set the hook so quickly that he
pulled the fly from its mouth. He wanted to know what he did wrong. At first I thought
to tell him he screwed up, but since he was paying me, I told him that just the way fishing
is and most do get away. The next day was just not a good day for the clients. A
different crowd. A lot of shots were either too short or too far right or visa versa. They
were happy none the less to at least have the shots and miss versus not having any shots
at all.
The next day I had a cannon of an angler on board. World class guy from head to toe.
We never saw a tarpon all morning long. The VHF radio was buzzing with the same
news. No fish! Where had they all gone to? They were yesterday, I quipped to my
client! It got real calm out there and I told a guide friend that I was going for a ride to
look. He said he was going south. I said I am going north.
I only traveled a half mile and run over a good school of tarpon. I stopped and stood up
on the platform and saw four or five other schools in the area. It was going to be an
exhibition. I called in my guide friend and before long we had several boats helping us
out. Before anyone could get close to us, my world class angler hooked about a 100
pounder. He was such a pleasure to watch; a skillful guy doing everything right.
Then he asked me, could he break him off and try for another. I should have said go for
it, but heck he had only been on for a less than a minute. By the time I said lets play him
for a few more jumps, I realized that the angler was in it for the bite; not the fight.
Seconds later he ripped off a 100 yards of backing. It took us the better part of 20
minutes to get the fly line back on the reel. In the meantime, we called his friend that
owns the Fish Hawk in Atlanta. We put the phone up to reel drag while he listen. He
said it sounded like a little one, jokingly. But you know he was wanting to be there with
us.
My good friend and client from across the Atlantic Ocean who usually comes to fish with
me every year had to stay and work. So I went out myself the next day. I woke up
unusually early and checked the web site weather. Calm to three miles an hour was what
the wind was blowing at 3:00 am. I was stoked.
At daylight I was waiting in the honey hole. Not another boat anywhere in sight. I
thought I died and went to heaven as I was getting everything ready. I was thinking to my
self what I was suppose to do. Kind of like talking to myself but not saying the words out
loud. I wanted to be quiet and enjoy the morning.
I started to see a few tarpon roll and they appeared to be going around in a circle
following each other staying in one spot. I blew out some air loudly and then very quietly
I eased the trolling motor in forward. It was not a race to get there, so I was able to move
very slowly over to the spot.
Several things ran through my mind at once as the adrenaline started flowing. I had
made sure that the trolling motor was off, that I would not fall off the boat on the way up
to get the fly rod and that I would pick up the rod and fly line without getting the fly or
line tangled up in the process. Lastly I would need to make a good cast.
The most exciting moment in tarpon fishing is when the fish eats. Most times one can
see the big fish eat the fly and that is the best. Early in the morning, the water is dark and
the strike is a surprise, but none the less it is very exciting casting to rolling fish and
stripping the fly through the school. I let the fly sink for 5 seconds and began stripping
slowly.
My plan had worked flawlessly throughout the cast and strips until the break-off
occurred. I had tied up a 20 pound fluorocarbon class tippet leader with a 12 inch 80
pound bite tippet. I believe when the giant tarpon ate the fly he sucked it in way past the
12 inch bite tippet and broke it instantly as I barely struck the tarpon. It was a splashing
explosion on the surface when she ate the fly and then it was over in two seconds. I said
out loud “Damn!”
As I was putting on another fly, I noticed another boat with two guys had sneaked in on
my blind side. I am back on earth now. I had noticed him a little earlier from far away.
The school of fish I hooked the giant out of was still closer to me than the other boat. I
thought to myself, man, now I have got to bust his chops for coming in too close.
I decided to proceed slowly, but I made sure that the unknown anglers would suffer for
coming in on me. Finally he muttered for me to take a shot when he was trapped
between me and the fish. This did not set well with me. I said listen, you need to find
your own fish. There are more out here than just this one pod. Also, you need to
approach the fish at a slower pace. Your twin trolling motors are spooking the fish and
they will swim just out of your range if you start chasing them. I further stated that I
knew it was pretty deep out here but he might try poling his boat from the deck. He did
not say much back, but he obliged me and went off in another direction.
As things got back to normal, I made a perfect cast into the pod and a large tarpon sky
rocketed into the air only seconds after eating the fly. This fish got off after a couple of
jumps. He threw the fly and I probably forgot to bow to the king or as I say to my clients
the hook probably hit a hard spot in his mouth and just washed out when he fell back into
the water.
What happen the next hour was incredible for me. I found a couple more schools of
tarpon daisy chaining. Each cast into the school produced a hard hitting strike. The fly
pattern was a reliable orange and yellow pattern I have liked for the last 10 years.
I hooked and fought 2 more 100 pound tarpon that I broke off intentionally after seeing a
couple of bull sharks in the area. Last year I lost a tarpon to a bull shark and I vowed to
break off the fish at the first site of blood from the tarpon or when I visually see a shark
working the area.
It was about 9:00 am when I had to leave for a doctors appointment. I had a good time
fighting those tarpon getting about 6 jumps each and a sweaty good workout. I e-mailed
my friend from England and rubbed it in hard. He said please, do not torture me. Well,
that is what you get when you cancel me, buddy.
That is the end of week 2. Click in next week for Tarpon 2000 - Week
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