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 do you get a tarpon in Crystal River?
Targeting Migrating Tarpon In Crystal River Fishing for large adult tarpon during the peak months of May through July focuses on finding pods of migrating fish over the expansive grass flats and in the many creeks and rivers in the area. When feeding, adult tarpon will strike live bait or large artificial lures.
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.
Where is the best place in Florida to catch tarpon?
Islamorada. 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 time are tarpon most active?
Tarpon can show up in early May and last into September, but the bulk of the tarpon are caught from June to Mid-August. All along the coast, the piers are some of the most popular spots for tarpon. They can be caught all day, but early morning and late afternoon seem to be the best times.
What is the best bait to catch tarpon?
The best baits for tarpon are chunks of ladyfish or mullet on the bottom or a live mullet or pin fish during under a popping cork during the first two hours after sunrise. The best lures for tarpon are 5 to 8 inch white paddle tails with 1/2 to one ounce jig heads or DOA Big One Terror Eyz.
How old is a 100 lb tarpon?
An average 100 pound tarpon is about 13 to 16 years old.
Do tarpon bites hurt?
What is this? 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.
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.
What is the best time of day to catch tarpon?
Early morning is a great time to fish for tarpon. Because tarpon are mostly nocturnal feeders, lowlight conditions are the best times to target these fish. Most of the fishing charters will get out on the water before first light to make sure you are on the spot just as it is getting light out.
Where is the tarpon Capital of the World?
As most know, Boca Grande is known internationally for being the tarpon capital of the world.
What pound line should you use for tarpon?
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.
Do I need a tarpon tag in Florida?
Gulf and Atlantic State Waters Tarpon over 40 inches MUST remain in the water unless in pursuit of a state or world record using a tarpon tag. Keep tarpon, especially the gills, in as much water as is safely possible.
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.
Do you bottom fish for tarpon?
All Tarpon will take dead baits, such as a Mullet head or half Mullet, fished patiently on bottom. For trolling or surfcasting with heavier gear, large jigs, spoons and lipped plugs get the call.
How old is a 150 pound tarpon?
Adult tarpon reach maturity at a size of about five to six feet long which is about 100 to 150 pounds. It takes between 13 and 16 years for most tarpon to hit this milestone, but some live up to 50 years in the wild.
How long is a 150 lb tarpon?
Their prize… a 6 foot long, 150 pound tarpon, one of the most fun sport fishes to catch in our area! These prehistoric monsters date back millions of years and they sure can provide a workout for any able-bodied fisherman.
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.
What is a Tarpons favorite food?
While juvenile tarpon are planktivorous, adult tarpon are strictly carnivorous and mostly feed on mid-water prey such as mullets, pinfish, marine catfishes, Atlantic needlefish, sardines, shrimp, and crabs. Tarpon feed during both day and night.
What rig do you use for tarpon?
Whether you’re rigging up live blue crabs, live baitfish, or soft plastics on a jighead, the free-line rig is by far the best rig for tarpon.
Will tarpon eat dead bait?
Dead bait, yes that’s right, dead fishing bait for Tarpon can at times be the most effective way to Tarpon fish. At times throughout the day it may be the only way to productively fish for them. It takes a lot of dead bait to be really effective.
What is the largest tarpon ever recorded?
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.
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’s the longest 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.
Can you keep and eat tarpon?
Tarpon are rarely eaten because their flesh is filled with small, hard to clean bones. In the United States, the tarpon usually is caught for sport — and then released. As a bony, strong-smelling saltwater fish, it may be more trouble than pleasure to eat.