posted by admin on Mar 31
Tarpon are the king of the shallow water gamefish. Growing over a hundred pounds and often targeted in less then 20 feet of water they are a real treat to catch. When they eat that is. For such large fish tarpon can be surprisingly finicky. Tarpon can be sight fished on the flats but are also commonly targeted in the channel between flats. People fish for them with a variety of lures and baits, and common live baits for tarpon are large pinfish, mullet and crabs. Sometimes they are targeted with dead baits also. In Key West tarpon are sometimes chummed up with bycatch from shrimp boats.
Tarpon are often targeted using heavy spinning gear and 20-50# line. Personally I prefer fishing for them with 50# braid and drag on tight, it puts a ton of pressure on the fish but it makes the fight short and less wear and tear on the fish. Of course when you’re fishing like this it is common to straighten hooks and have other gear failures so be prepared.
Key West Tarpon Fishing
In Key West often people fish in front of Fort Zachary in the harbor. Other common places to fish are the mouths of various channels that feed into the harbor. Most tarpon charters are 4 hour trips, and tarpon tend to feed more in low light conditions, so you should try to get an early morning or evening charter.