Tarpon do most of their feeding on baitfish—
pilchards, pinfish, grunts, mutton minnows, threadfin herring
—the list goes on. Any of these baitfish species will catch tarpon under the right conditions. The key is to use what the tarpon are naturally eating.
How do you catch tarpon?
Tarpon do most of their feeding on baitfish—
pilchards, pinfish, grunts, mutton minnows, threadfin herring
—the list goes on. Any of these baitfish species will catch tarpon under the right conditions. The key is to use what the tarpon are naturally eating.
How do I get a tarpon off my dock?
Just
hook a dolphin belly
, or some snapper guts on 30 pound flurocarbon and let it sit with the rest of the carcasses. yellowtail skins!, flouro leader. If that doesn't work, when the tarpon are at my dock under the lights, a small soft minnow jig seems to do the trick.
How do you fish off a pier?
As to pulling a large fish up, you have two choices… work the line and your pole down the pier to the beach and land it on the sand. Or, many fishermen have
a “gaff hook” on a long rope
. Drop the rope, hook the fish, pull it up.
What is the best bait for tarpon?
Tarpon do most of their feeding on baitfish—
pilchards, pinfish, grunts, mutton minnows, threadfin herring
—the list goes on. Any of these baitfish species will catch tarpon under the right conditions.
How long does a tarpon live?
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 biggest tarpon ever caught?
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 hard is it to catch a tarpon?
It is very difficult to hook a Tarpon
because they have bone-hard mouths and very fine sharp teeth. They are very large fish and those who manage to hook one have the challenge of reeling it in as the fish thrashes and jumps about. … The fish is often able to release itself from the hook rather quickly.
Is tarpon a good fish to eat?
Tarpon is one of the most popular game fish in Florida. It's well known for its acrobatics on the end of a line and is capable of jumping up to ten feet out of the water. …
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?
Tarpon do a lot of feeding first thing in the morning. They are easy to find first thing in the morning because the water has less dissolved oxygen before the sun can photosynthesize the diatoms and algae in the water.
What is the best time to fish off a pier?
Generally speaking, the best time to fish from a pier is
either early morning or sundown
. This is when moving tides attract a lot of baitfish to the area, which in turn, brings out the big and hungry of the fish world, too.
What is the best bait for pier fishing?
Dead or alive,
fresh or frozen, shrimp
are one of the best baits for pier fishing and can attract a number of different catches, including: Whiting, Finger Mullet, Flounder, Pompano, Spanish Mackeral, King Mackeral and much more.
Is Pier fishing good at night?
So, if you're worried about fishing at night, there should be plenty of locations where you can fish in the company of other like-minded individuals, including well-illuminated piers and promenades. …
Angling during the night time is most productive between 8 pm and 3 am
, especially if high tide hits at around 12 am.
What colors do tarpon see?
Juvenile tarpon primarily see
dark blue and a range of green colors
. This is because they inhabit turbid waters that are dominated by colors within those wavelengths, such as colors within the green spectrum.
Do tarpon bites hurt?
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.
Does tarpon always jump?
Keep in mind that
all tarpon do not jump
, and this may be the one thing that acts in your favor if a free trip is all you are looking to achieve.
