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Tarpon Report March 2010 ITS ON!!!!

PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:41 am
by rufishingyet
Weather was not much of an issue this week. Light winds and beautiful blue skies filled our days with bliss. The water temperatures are hovering around the low 60’s making certain fish such as bonefish harder to target however, many other fish were more than willing to bite! We should begin to see the weather pattern warming and stabilize as we enter the month of March.

As we enter the month of March my dreams are filled with Tarpon, Tarpon, Tarpon! My excitement is unsustainable as I have been witnessing juvenile Tarpon, around approximately 35 pounds beginning to show up around the bridges. They will become more prominent as the waters warm up. The hottest time to target Tarpon is mid March until mid June. Keep your eye on the water temperature as this will be one of the deciding factors for when the bigger Tarpon make their debut. Please note that FWC has issued new regulations as of Jan 15, 2010 in response to the recent prolonged cold weather in Florida. As of today you may not harvest any Tarpon or remove the Tarpon from the water solely for a picture. Anglers may still catch and release Tarpon during this temporary closure however FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release.

Limited long term research has been completed on Atlantic Tarpon however; one program that all Captains and anglers can get involved in is the Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study being lead by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). The research is to help biologists understand the Atlantic Tarpon’s migration patters and the success of Tarpon stocks. This kit is easy to use and puts very little stress on the fish. You can order the kit from FWRI by calling 1-800-367-4461 or e-mailing [email protected]. You can also request a kit from some of your local bait shops. I have been using the kit for years and happy to help any research needed to sustain my favorite pastime, fishing!

This week the fishing was hot especially out west near Springer Bank. My clients Scott and Caroline from Texas were astonished and exhausted with the many fish we were bringing to the boat. We caught an array of fish including Cero Mackerel, Pompano, Blue Fish, Black Tip Sharks, Ladyfish, and Jack Cravels.

Besides going out west to Springer Bank I fished some of the local brigdes and some of the patch reefs which showed some great results. We were able to catch some Mangrove Snappers, nice variety of groupers, Lane Snappers, Big Jack Cravels and some juvenile Tarpon. Bait has not been an issue this week which is key to success!

Until next time, ask yourself this one question, Are you fishing yet?

Captain Richard Burson