50-pound test braided line is the standard for tarpon, and you’ll want to have plenty on the spool—250 to 300 yards.
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What size fly rod for tarpon?
A 10-weight is not only a great tarpon rod, but works well for permit, roosterfish, milkfish, and most larger tropical species as well as a host of coldwater gamefish like pike and stripers.
What weight rod do you need for tarpon?
Rods and reels It takes a stout rod to battle a 100-pound fish that likes to jump. Use a medium-heavy action rod with a 5000 series spinning reel or higher. Some anglers prefer fly-fishing for tarpon, which requires a 9-foot 11- or 12-weight rod and large arbor reel.
How do you rig a tarpon fly rod?
How do you fish for tarpon on the fly?
How much backing does a tarpon need?
The more backing the better, but being that you’ll most likely be fighting the fish from a boat in relatively shallow water you don’t need to go crazy with backing. 200 yards of #30 is usually sufficient.
What is a 10 weight fly rod good for?
10wt fly rods are pretty good for casting heavier and larger dry flies. Plus, they’re great at for casting over longer distances against the wind. In addition, 10wts are a good choice when it comes to fishing from different positions such as standing on the boat or from the shoreline.
What is a 12 wt fly rod used for?
If you’re tarpon fishing somewhere you’ll be making a lot of casts, ie you fish rolling tarpon, or laid up fish, think about going with an 11 weight. If you spend a lot of time waiting with your rod in hand and letting the fish come to you, go with a 12 weight.
Will tarpon hit spoons?
Gold and silver spoons also work well for tarpon. Spoons are great because they cast so far and you can cover a lot of water with them. I have found that a slow retrieve works the best for tarpon. Watch the video below and catch more tarpon.
How long should a tarpon leader be?
Use Proper Leader When you’re setting up your leader for fishing for tarpon, it should be five feet of 50-pound fluorocarbon leader. You should attach this to 15-20-pound main line that is doubled. If you’re fishing off of a bridge, try 6-10 feet of 60-80-pound leader tied right onto 50-pound braided main line.
What weight fly rod for small tarpon?
Fly rods from 6- to 9-weight are ideal for baby tarpon, just let the size of both the flies and the fish you’ll be targeting dictate the tackle selection.
How do you make a tarpon fly leader?
How far do I need to cast for tarpon?
Practice Casting a Heavy Weight Fly Outfit Before even trying to tackle a tarpon on a fly, practice casting with heavy gear such as an 11-13 weight fly fishing outfit and stiff fly rod. You need to be able to cast at least 50 feet, preferably into a moderate wind.
Where is the best tarpon fishing in the world?
Boca Grande, Florida, namely Boca Grande Pass is considered the Tarpon Capital of the World. This body of water sits between Gasparilla and Cayo Costa Islands with a depth of 40-80ft.
What is the world record tarpon?
The all-tackle world record (additionally certified as the 80-pound class record) for a giant tarpon is 286-pounds, 9-ounces caught by Max Domecq in Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, Africa on March 20, 2003.
What can I use for fly line backing?
The most typically used backing is braided nylon in either 20lb or 30lb test strength. For light duty saltwater and most freshwater fly fishing, 20 lb is fine. The heavier gauge 30 lb is generally reserved for tarpon and other larger saltwater fish.
How often should you change fly line backing?
How often should I change my fly line? Most fly lines need to be replaced after 100 to 250 uses. This is the point at which enough wear and tear has developed to significantly decrease their performance.
Can I use monofilament as fly line backing?
“The fly line is used like backing, it never comes off the reel. The thick monofilament butt section is so stiff and heavy you can cast it. It essentially substitutes for fly line but it weighs a lot less. And that’s the key to why this works.”
Should I get an 8 wt or 9wt fly rod?
With all of this said, if you can only get ONE rod for general heavy freshwater and saltwater fly fishing, an 8-weight should be a solid pick. However, if you fish with larger flies, often face windy conditions, have shots at big fish and/or fish around a lot of structure and cover, the 9 can give you an added edge.
What is the heaviest weight fly rod?
Fly rod weight ranges from a 1 weight fly all the way up to a 16 wt, 1 being the lightest and weakest with most flex, and a 16 wt being the heaviest and strongest.
How many fly rods do you need?
I suggest two rods, a 5-weight and an 8-weight, both 4-piece, 9-foot graphite rods, can meet 90 percent of likely fishing situations. Fly rods are rated by the weight of the line they cast, the higher the number, the heavier the rod.
Do you set the hook on tarpon?
You don’t need to set the hook hard with tarpon. Because of the tarpon’s hard mouth the best approach is to drop back about 10 feet of line and let the line tighten up or, for the inexperienced, just leave the rod in the rod holder until the tarpon is stripping line off your reel.
What is the best hook for tarpon?
A 5/0 hook is the best size hook for catching tarpon. That hook size is perfect for hooking all of the tarpon’s favorites like finger mullet or large threadfin herring, ladyfish, pin fish, crabs or silver and striped mullet without affecting their swimming abilities too much.
Do you need a wire leader for tarpon?
“Wire leader is a staple in my tarpon fishing,” says Smith. “With dead baits on the bottom and with live mullet, I use a couple of feet of No. 8 (93-pound-test) single-strand wire. Tarpon have no teeth, but when they clamp down hard on a mono leader, their mouths are rough enough to keep the leader from sliding.
How do I know what weight fly rod I need?
Fly rods are sized according to the weight line they will use. A fly rod is matched to a fly line weight. It is important to match the two together. Sometimes you can “line-up” a fly rod with one heavier weight fly line.