The current world record is 177 pounds. Capt. Al Dopirak (right) guided Tom Evans to a 194.1-pound tarpon that has unofficially set the world fly rod record for 12-pound tippet.
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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 tarpon Capital of the World?
As most know, Boca Grande is known internationally for being the tarpon capital of the world.
Where are the largest tarpon in the world?
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.
How old is a 100 pound tarpon?
An average 100 pound tarpon is about 13 to 16 years old.
What is the best time to fish for tarpon?
The best time for fishing is May to June, and that’s when people from throughout the world come and catch Tarpon. The flats that surround Crystal River and Homosassa Bay are packed full of huge Tarpon. Another good place to fish during June and summer is Apalachicola Bay.
How long is a 100 pound tarpon?
That fish measured 8 feet 2 inches long. Typically, a six-foot tarpon weighs about 100 pounds. A seven-footer goes about 200 pounds and a 300-pounder measures eight feet or more.
How long is a 100lb tarpon?
Tarpon are slow-growing fish and do not obtain sexual maturity until reaching an age of 6-7 years and a length of about 4 feet (1.2 m). Tarpon weighing about 100 pounds (45.4 kg) typically fall between 13-16 years of age. Male tarpon attain lifespans of over 30 years, while females may live longer than 50 years.
Is tarpon good eating?
Tarpon is edible but people rarely eat them because their meat contains a lot of small bones and it’s reported that they don’t taste very good.
How deep is Boca Grande Pass?
The Boca Grande Pass, just off the southern tip of Gasparilla Island State Park, is world-famous for sportfishing, particularly tarpon. The pass connects the Charlotte Harbor to the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the deepest natural passes in Florida, reaching depths of 80 feet.
How do you fish for tarpon in Boca Grande?
Catch the “Silver King”! Depending on the time of the Spring or Summer, there are a few ways to target them. Live bait such at threadfin herring and live blue crabs work extremely well on the beaches and in the harbor and artificial lures known as jigs are the primary choice when the fish are in Boca Grande pass.
Where is the best tarpon fishing in the US?
The Florida Keys remain the most popular tarpon-fishing destination on the planet, and Islamorada is the fishery’s epicenter. Anglers target giant tarpon around the bridges with live bait and conventional tackle. Fly fishermen stalk the flats and shallow “lakes” sight-fishing for giant fish.
What is the biggest fish ever caught on a fly rod?
WAHOO — 77 Pounds, 2 Ounces.
What is considered a big tarpon?
Tarpon can reach sizes up to 8 feet and can weigh up to 280 pounds. The life span of a tarpon can be in excess of 50 years. The oldest tarpon in captivity lived to be 63 years old. Due to its majestic appearance of size and color, the tarpon is nicknamed “silver king.”
What is the best tarpon bait?
Best Live Bait for Tarpon Some of tarpon fishing bait are shrimp, pinfish, mullet and crabs. Stake out above areas that hold tarpon and drift your live bait down to the fish. Hook crabs in the corner of the shell and baitfish through the mouth.
Can tarpon bite you?
It’s relatively safe to feed tarpon by hand because unlike many large fish, Tarpon don’t have sharp teeth. Rather, their mouths are the consistency of sandpaper. Their bite hurts a bit – I got a good scrape from one massive “hit” which bled a little – but it didn’t stop me going back for more. How big are these Tarpon?
Do sharks eat tarpon?
Fish-eating birds feed on young tarpon. Porpoises and alligators sometimes eat larger ones. But by far, the most dangerous predators are sharks. A big bull shark or great hammerhead can easily cut an adult tarpon in half with just one bite.
What is considered a trophy tarpon?
A 150-200 pound Tarpon is considered a trophy fish. Tarpon is usually found near in the passes, bridges, and closer to the beach.
Are tarpon hard to hook?
Tarpon Description They primarily eat fish, shrimp, and crabs. Tarpon have very large scales that make a nice souvenir after you release one. The bone-hard mouths make them difficult to hook. Once they are hooked, the jump repeatedly while thrashing around wildly.
How hard is it to catch a tarpon?
Catching tarpon is challenging enough, but stiff winds make it difficult to cast as well as to spot fish. The fish are on the move, and you’ll find them cruising the beaches, swimming across the flats, daisy chaining in the deeper water, and laid up in the back country.
Does tarpon jump out of water?
If you hooked a fish that size with a fly in 50 feet of water, you might fight it for hours. But because the tarpon are in the shallows, they jump instead of dive, and the jumping tires them out.
What is the biggest fish ever caught?
What Was the Largest Fish Ever Caught? According to IGFA records, the largest fish ever caught was a great white shark that weighed an unbelievable 2,664 pounds (1,208.389 kg.). Caught off the coast of Ceduna, Australia, in 1959, it took angler Alfred Dean just 50 minutes to win the fight against this one-ton shark.
How fast can tarpon swim?
With a top speed of 35 miles per hour, the Atlantic tarpon is among the top ten fastest fish in the world. But as you can see here, even this incredibly quick swimmer can’t outrun the Ferrari of the ocean: the great hammerhead shark.
What is the best time of year to catch tarpon in Florida?
The best time to fish for large migratory tarpon in the Florida Keys is when the water temperatures reach and stay above seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. That can be as early as mid-March, but usually equates to late March to as late as early April. May is all safe as well as most of June.
How long was the biggest tarpon ever caught?
World Tarpon Record – Biggest Ever Registered About 90-inches-long (7.5 ft.) from the nose to the fork in the tail, and 50-inches in girth, the biggest tarpon ever caught and registered as a world record was caught off the coast of West Africa just offshore in Guinea – Bissau on the Atlantic coast.