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Fishing Report for Homosassa, Florida
Capt. Mike Locklear
June 20, 2003
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
More Homosassa Tarpon News
The last week of May is usually the best week to try tarpon. Not always true though as we found the schools of the big silver king to be elusive. West winds did not help.
Rhett and Cole Clarkson, Michael Schmitt, Dustin Travis Dean, James Thompson, David Trivelpiece, William Nichols, Michael Young and Hale Snyder were here the last weekend of May. With 4 guide boats, only two eaters were taken from the entire crew.
Hale Snyder was with me and what a rocket arm he is; fed a tarpon up close and personal. We had to live that memory over and over to help pacify us throughout the trip. Cole’s brother, Brad, hooked a tarpon on the fly only to have it come unglued the second it ate.
The guide challenge of the Lizard came on June 3 as Atalantaian, Butch Rawson launched a tarpon into the air that almost landed in Al’s Silver King flats skiff. Within the same school, Al’s client Brian Tang, fed two poons, but did not get tight on either of them.
June 4-6 was a bust for Gus Morris and Farrow Allen. We had some shots but nothing in the air for us with west winds causing the fish to be less than cooperative. I cancelled June 7-8 because the winds were high, the clouds were blocking the sun and the rain did not help any.
So far the best day on the Lizard, was on June 14 when Tommy Newell cast his fly 20 feet to 2 laid up tarpon, the lead fish came up and ate it and Tommy got tight on the fish and the fight was on for almost 15 minutes. During the battle, the 60 pound poon jumped several times and Newell kept the upper hand on the fish. It was almost at boat side when Newell’s nail knot came unraveled.
A few minutes after that, while Newell re-rigged his rod, his friend, Roger Hanger decided to eat a sandwich. Knowing that the fish were coming through in pods; I began getting Hanger’s rod ready for him when a nearby angler pointed out a big single tarpon. Since there was no time to transfer the rod to Hanger or Newell, I launched a right-handed cast in front of the head on fish swimming towards the boat.
Seconds later, the 120 pound tarpon ate the fly and I stuck him hard and she went airborne like a greyhound straight away. I reel struck the fish hard several more times pumping and wailing away on her. She did not like it too much and began leaving the area at a rapid pace while jumping twice more. Well into the backing; I gave the rod away to Hanger. Hanger decided to break off the fish since it was a guide hooked fish by applying heavy drag pressure.
I took a break from the tarpon action on June 16 and went fishing for trout and reds on the fly with Bill and Mary Dodson. Bill is a member of the Atlanta/Homosassa Fishing Club. We fly fished from my Hells Bay Marquesas and had several shots at redfish with one big one that broke the tippet during the eat.
On June 17, Norman Cannella of Tampa fished with me and landed a 120 to 140 pound tarpon on the fly rod in just 13 minutes. Norman whipped the big fish good. What was disappointing was we had an eater previously only to have it spit the fly out. The fish kept coming straight on and never turned away.
So when the next tarpon ate, I slammed my pole in the water next to the tarpon’s face scaring it away thus getting the hook set. Just before that occurrence and with the same fish, he first ate the fly and I slammed the pole and he spat it out only to come again and eat it. Incredible Locklear technique Canella quipped!
Clayton Vandiver of Tennessee got one shot on June 18 before the lightning, tropical moisture and dark clouds run us in. I sent him home packing and it has been raining ever since.
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