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Jacksonville Fishing Report for Amelia Island & Mayport
Capt. Dave Sipler
June 28, 2004
Jacksonville - Saltwater Fishing Report
2-Tarpon in 72 hours in 72 degree water!
I am one lucky guy.
And I have to thank my quality customers for making my week a very enjoyable one.
This last week has been one made in "fish heaven".
To start off, I had Tom Guffin and his lovely wife Cindy out for a casual offshore live bait trolling trip. We had some fun and caught some nice kings, Cindy catching the largest at 17-18 pounds.........foul hooked so bad that we thought the fish was 50 pounds!
That was last Sunday, but Tom also had a TARPON trip planned for Tuesday. So off we go to Tarpon-land and to only catch a bunch of hard fighting sharks, which was okay too. We did see one Tarpon jumped and lost by another boat, but it was a small fish. "Okay the agony of deafeat was on us."
BUT NOT REALLY.
Cause Tom booked that Friday too. (three times, he booked me and we were getting to be ole Friends)
So off we went on Friday ( June 25th) and Tom got himself a 90+ pound TARPON and about 15 sharks. He was slap wore the hell out!
He was a great angler too. 30 minutes and that poon was at the boat giving up. He brought no one with him, no one had to share the rods, no one had to share the fishing. (a very smart way to go.)
Tom was freaking out!, He did it. He got his TROPHY. He battled the 'poon with all his might and put that baby to the boat like a pro.
That is what Tarpon is all about.
A trophy hunter is not concerned with others. The cost. The time. Or how much beer, sandwiches and bags of chips to bring.
FOCUS, DETERMINATION, AND THE FIGHT, is all that matters.
And I'm in these people's corner all the way. No half assed attempts. Go all the way. or don't go at all.
HUNTEM, CATCH'EM and RELEASE'EM.
With the water temps AGAIN just like last year. (10 degrees colder than it should be, at this writing) Not everything is Perfect. Catching Tarpon in 72 degree water is not easy. A simple morale booster would be a rise to at least 78 degrees. But again we probably won't get that (like last year) till we get a big storm/tropical depression or hurricane to move this water out of here.) THIS IS MY DISCLAIMER.........but then again the story continues..............
Next up was Scott Beyer on Sunday (June27th), a local "Coastie" out of Mayport. His girlfreind gave him this Charter trip and that morning he showed up with no one else. I said, "where's your buddy?" He replied, "he didn't want to go, figure that one out, huh???". So off we went to Tarpon Land. We got some chum, a live-well full of pogies and were on the spot ready to go.
Scott reeled in one Finetooth shark, while I got the chum flowing and then the next fish was..........
GUESS WHAT?
A HUGE TARPON, It flew out of the water like only the SILVER KING can, and the 7/0 circle hook was firmly planted in it's jaw.
The first run took all but half the spool of line (450 yards) off the reel as it smoked like no other fish can. This was BIG GAMING. This was a BIG TARPON! A 200 yard run, against 10 pounds of drag pressure at the rod tip.
WOW.....
I try and now stay on anchor after following fish in the past, with limited success at wearing them down any sooner. But I had to get the anchor up and get some line back on Scott's reel.
There is NOTHING like the drag of an ACCURATE twin drag reel, absolutely no reel of any size made anywhere in the world, can perform as flawlessly as an ACCURATE can. And matched to my G. LOOMIS 8 foot backbounce rods, they are a match made in heaven when wanting the absolute best in light tackle.
And here's a big fish hint: MASON "hard type" leader Material is the best I have ever used. Do you want strong and massively abrasion resistant leaders?
Use Mason!
As I chased the fish around in a big 1/4 mile loop, we finally got some line back on the spool and closed the gap. Then more blazing runs, a head shake and even more drag burning runs. I kept dropping anchor and picking it up again, as Scott closed in on the fish. No leaps except for one half hearted attempt near the end of the 45 minute battle.
Then the end was near, this monster was tired. And a close quarters fight was on. Around the boat, "walking the dog" as I call it. Gave Scott and I a chance to make our move.
I can usually throw a 80-100 pound fish in the boat like a "sack of potatoes". I grab the leader. lip the fish with my Tarpon gaff, lift the fish onto the gunnel of the boat, check for freakishness (??) and then up to the bow it goes. Like lifting bales of hay. No problem..........Except for this fish was so heavy the lift up to the gunnel was hard enough. Scott was tiered and worn out, but had to help me. After some photos and cheers by a passer by we had the monster on the floor of my 23' May-Craft, and couldn't get the fish back into the water! Three to four attempts later we got big momma back into the water and now for the "proof of the puddin". The 100 pound scale! I put the gaff on the scale, stood on the side of the boat with one foot and on the coffin box cooler with the other. It took Scott and I all we had to lift the fish up and it pegged the scale and bent the scales hook! Over 100 pounds, and at least 120!
I said it on my radio show, "ALL ABOUT FISHING" last week, "if you're not used to fish this size but want to catch a trophy of this magnitude, sit in a sauna and do curls with 20 pound dumbells". I was just joking though.
OR WAS I??.
Two teriffic clients, and two Tarpon in 72 hours! And all while the water temp is 72 degrees!
That makes 4 to the boat. and jumped and lost two, for me since June 3rd till June 27th. Not bad, but I have to say, it was the anglers that made this happen for me. Tom and Scott.......thankyou!
CAN YOU ONLY IMAGINE HOW GOOD THE TARPON FISHING WOULD BE IF THE WATER TEMP WAS 82 LIKE IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE IN JUNE?
Guests, big thanks and annoucements........
NEW Recent catch pics are going on my site. Wanna see for yourself? Surf on too: www.captdaves.com-click on my recent catches pages.
ALSO NEW: "SIZE DOES MATTER" apparel at, www.captdaves.com
July 3rd-"ALL ABOUT FISHING"- radio show Guest: Carl Di Salvo - Greater Jacksonville King Fish Tournament Chairman. Learn more about the largest Kingfish Tourney in the world! And hear it only on "ALL ABOUT FISHING" with the Jetty Wolf. 7am-9am WNNR am970 The Winner!
Tom called in last week and we talked about his Tarpon, hopefully Scott will too.
Thanks to, the P-n-L "Parts-N-Labor" team, Skipper and Jeanne Bernacki for being last weeks (June 26th) guests. Where we talked about husbands and wives that fish together, stay together. And women CAN learn, and out fish the men. Jeanne says, "just get out there and learn, be a part of the team!"
Till next tide.........FISH HARD, FISH OFTEN!
Capt. Dave Sipler's Sport Fishing
Jacksonville, Fl.
www.captdaves.com
904-642-9546
"All About Fishing"
with Capt. Dave the jetty wolf
WNNR the winner-am970
Saturdays 7am-9am
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