lost a huge tarpon

[RIJIMMY]

im down in hilton head, sc, took the wife and kids out for a family shark trip in the low country with a guide. It was from 6-9pm, easy fishing in the creeks. We netted some mullet and anchored in the mouth of a creek. he said the night before the hooked a tarpon and lost it. My kids caught a few small sharks after an hour or so and I was considering the trip a success. I was talking to the guide and a huge tarpon surfaced about 40 ft from the boat. It was an amazing sight. There was a ton of bait around us, lots of small bunker, I was suprised he called them pogies, I thought that was an RI thing. Then one of the rods went off, my son had the rod but the guide said I'd better get this one. The fish was peeling line like I never seen before, he pulled the anchor in and we chased the fish down, We were down to the backing, I gained some line and thought I had a big shark. After about 10 mins of a steady run, the fish surfaced, it was a 5-6ft tarpon, we saw its entire head and back, it dove straight down and stayed there. I had it within 15 ft of the boat and then that awful feeling of a loose line. The wire leader had pulled out at the hook, I lost the fish after a 20 minute battle. Maybe I horsed it too hard, dont know. The guide said there was nothing I could have done. I've caught a lot of different fish but never had a fight like that. Im hooked and ready to move down here. Everywhere you look is bait, tons of it, bunker, mullet. Shark, tarpon, jacks, redfish, spanish mackeral. So a family trip turned into the fish of a lifetime, my wife got the whole thing on video which should be cool.

[niko]

tarpon are the best. i had one take me to the knot once

[The Dad Fisherman]

That's my dream fish to catch....hopefully someday

[Jim in CT]

Tarpon are the best.

I fought a 125 pounder for 20 minutes in Marathon FL (in the keys). 10 feet from the boat, we could see the tarpon clearly in the crystal clear water. Out of nowhere, 2 large bull sharks came in and ripped the tarpon to shreds right in front of us. I brought back just the head. still attached to the hoppk. That was pretty cool, though less so from the tarpon's perspective.

[Got Stripers]

They are cool, nothing like a 100 lber clearing the water and looking you square in the eyes. The boat work of the guide to chase, follow and weave his 27 footer in and around the Marthon bridge pilings was almost as amazing as the power of these big ones.

[bart]

I hooked 4 large tarpon from a bridge down in the keys, but couldn't land one. awesome fish...

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

im down in hilton head, sc, took the wife and kids out for a family shark trip in the low country with a guide. It was from 6-9pm, easy fishing in the creeks. We netted some mullet and anchored in the mouth of a creek. he said the night before the hooked a tarpon and lost it. My kids caught a few small sharks after an hour or so and I was considering the trip a success. I was talking to the guide and a huge tarpon surfaced about 40 ft from the boat. It was an amazing sight. There was a ton of bait around us, lots of small bunker, I was suprised he called them pogies, I thought that was an RI thing. Then one of the rods went off, my son had the rod but the guide said I'd better get this one. The fish was peeling line like I never seen before, he pulled the anchor in and we chased the fish down, We were down to the backing, I gained some line and thought I had a big shark. After about 10 mins of a steady run, the fish surfaced, it was a 5-6ft tarpon, we saw its entire head and back, it dove straight down and stayed there. I had it within 15 ft of the boat and then that awful feeling of a loose line. The wire leader had pulled out at the hook, I lost the fish after a 20 minute battle. Maybe I horsed it too hard, dont know. The guide said there was nothing I could have done. I've caught a lot of different fish but never had a fight like that. Im hooked and ready to move down here. Everywhere you look is bait, tons of it, bunker, mullet. Shark, tarpon, jacks, redfish, spanish mackeral. So a family trip turned into the fish of a lifetime, my wife got the whole thing on video which should be cool.

Positions are available in Raleigh with you fav uncle ned

[Green Light]

Great story. Thank you for posting. Good luck landing your next tarpon.

[BassDawg]

first and only time i went tarpon fishing
was a private charter off of Useppa Island in Boca Grande Pass.

it was CRAZY as that was during the spawn and in a 1/8 sq mile area there was every watercraft known to man and so many tarpon that in some places you could see their backs breaking the surface, in 35' of water. YES, the entire water column was full of these amazing Silver Kings. and i only believed it because i saw it on the Lowrance AND on the surface.

dawn tide,,,,,,,,,heavy convench gear,,,,,,,,fighting chairs,,,,,,,,,color coded line to attack the zones of fish,,,,,,,,,,and the boat sets the hook!!

"GREEN on the tip!", "RED 20' down!" "GREEN up 10'!" !!!WHAAM!!!

my brother and i had a double header, his tarpon sounded for all it was worth and mine went out about 40 yds and did a tail walk away from us with 3 lines across her. my captain starts yelling to the john boat, the flats boat, and the 32' fully loaded Cris Craft to, "cut yer lines, reel 'em in, get outta the way, 2 FISH AWWN!"

so he's chasing both fish, my brother's continues to sound and hunkers down for five or six mins, after mine takes a second BREACH followed by running for Venezuela. within 10 more minutes my brother's fish is gone, and i am still on. they put me in the chair and we chase her some more. the next thirty minutes was full of gaining and losing then gaining more and more line. and after a third not so strong run it was time to subdue this trophy.

by the end of the battle, i had brought to the boat(with the excellent help of the Capt and crew)
a 74" x 110# Tarpon that was AMAZING to behold. i chose to release her that morn
and her flight and walk and battle remain fresh and vivid with me still to this day ~~some 26 yrs later.

[Finaddict]

Tarpon are the greatest of all fish ... nothing compares to the take, jump and runs of a tarpon. But I will say, as fun as they are to catch on conventional and spinning gear, nothing beats the fly rod ... nothing at all ... no fish and nothing else ... it is the greatest of all fish for me ...

... I can remember each and every one, as they all have different personalities, and levels of aggressions [the behemouths and the babies] ... ripping the fly line across the surface of the water so it sounds like the water is tearing ... watching six foot long missles coming at you, trying to remain calm ... it's the greatest ... the glisten of their silvery backs in the early morning sun as they role on the surface or get into a daisy chain on slick calm water, not another boat around ... finding pods laid up in the backcountry in slightly tanin colored water, where they pretty much eat anything in front of them ... full moon night throwing flies in the dark at rolling tarpon in the passes on the West coast, and seeing the reflection of the moon on their sides ... drifting bait on a flat calm February night off Miami beach, tarpon exploding on crabs sounding like M-80s ... it's all amazing ...

... but if you really want to get into them, move to South Florida ... you can pretty much catch them year around, different places, different locations ... all awesome ...

... I have been fortunate to have lived as a single angler in South Florida for four or five years, and that was all that mattered ... when, where and how could we find and catch tarpon on any given weekend .. great. They are truly a cult status fish, anglers devote their fishing lives to tarpon ... guys like Andy Mills, the former skier who married Chris Everett Lloyd (I think they split), he pretty much fishes solely for tarpon pretty much all the time ...

... no other location has the options available for tarpon than South Florida ...

... but when it comes to locations, tides, techniques, etc., it's serious business ... if you can book a trip with a guide, it's not cheap, but worth every penny a hundred times over ...

.... if you can head down to the Keys right now, you can find them in the Everglades, pockets of the backcountry in the Keys and out in the Marquesas and in the Lakes area for teen-sized fish up into the 30-40 pound class ... which are a lot of fun ... or you can head up to the Space Coast area for some fish on the beach fronts.

If you have only one vacation to take ... schedule it around tarpon fishing ... not easy, but worth every single penny ... of course get a good guide who can do what is necessary to catch fish. I encourage everyone to pursue them. And if you need to go on vacation from tarpon, head down to Central America or the West Coast of Africa for some big, big tarpon.

[BassDawg]

greatest of ALL fish?

might be a little strong, but it is yer preference and that's cool!

not that i've ever caught them, but i can think of a coupla pelagics
i'd rank right up there,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Blue Marlin, Big Eye Tuna,,,,,,,,,,

and then there is the ever elusive, smartest fish in tha back country
of SW FL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SNOOK! better eatin' you'll not find, imho.
and when you get into the trophy class of snook, you bess have yer fishin' mojo in order!!!

been schooled more than once by them, while wade fishing the flats of the west coast of Florida.

[piemma]

Great story Jim.

[Raven]

great reading.... this is why i " tune in" to S-B

well that, and a good ole NEBE blood bath now and then....