Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released or jumped tarpon on spin and fly tackle during the past week. Conditions were challenging early and late in the week, which has been typical this season. Several tarpon were jumped or landed in the coastal gulf waters and we fished the more protected waters of upper Charlotte Harbor a couple of days, targeting smaller fish when the gulf was rough.
Bill Roth, from Longboat Key, FL, and his son, Will Roth from Columbus, OH, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday. We fished Peace River canals on Monday due to rough seas in the gulf and it proved to be a good decision. They jumped 3 tarpon and landed one of them, a feisty 20-pounder. All fish hit either a DOA TerrorEyz or DOA shrimp fished on medium spinning tackle. Conditions improved the following day and allowed us to get back out along the beach off Casey Key to target large tarpon. Will landed an estimated 90-pound tarpon on a live crab on Tuesday. We had a lot of tarpon moving both north and south early in the day and then the action slowed.
Fly angler Stephen Smith, of Angling Strategies in Bedford, NY, fished the same waters with me on Wednesday and Thursday. Stephen’s goal was to catch his first tarpon with a fly and he was successful. He connected with an estimated 100-pound plus tarpon on a black and purple bunny fly on Wednesday and fought the fish to the boat!
Keith Kaufman and Rob Sourbeer, both from the Lancaster, PA area, fished with me on Friday and Saturday. We fished the coastal gulf waters and Friday and had great conditions. There were only a few fish moving early in the day and then we found a happy school around noon. Keith jumped a large fish on a live crab out of the school and then they wouldn’t bite again. We also caught and released a small shark by drifting a threadfin behind the boat. We were surprised to find rough seas in the gulf on Saturday morning, so we loaded my boat back onto the trailer and headed for the more protected waters of the Peace River. The floodwaters had taken their toll there, too and pushed baitfish and tarpon out of the areas where I had previously found them. We did find a few fish and had a couple of bites on a DOA shrimp but didn’t hook up.
Tarpon fishing for large tarpon in the coastal gulf waters will continue for a while as long as conditions allow us to get out there. However, there will be more singles and loosely schooled fish traveling both north and south. Smaller tarpon in the 20 to 30-pound class will continue to be a good option through early fall.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail [email protected]
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net