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 Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
Posted by headrush999 on May 28, 2006
Hands down, there is nothing more exciting in fly fishing than watching a
big tarpon come flying out of the water with your fly in its mouth.
Southwest Florida in the end of May can be your best chance for doing battle
with a silver king. Tarpon seem to wake up early for breakfast, so a pre
dawn boat ride is usually the routine. This morning we arrived in
Chokoloskee as the sun was just starting to shine. We tied up some loose
ends, rigged some rods, and dumped the boat in the water as a black pick up
truck showed up towing a bay boat full of spinning gear and painted with all
sorts of logos. "Who is this guy?" I said to myself as Roland Martin stepped
out of the driver's side door and jumped into the boat so his guest could
drop him in the water. We said hello to each other, and I said my usual
smartass comment that was received with a laugh, and Kevin and I went out to
fly fish. Our plan was to head south, stopping on the way down in a couple
areas that we have recently seen tarpon on the feed, then finding some new
hopefully big fish in some not so well traveled areas in the Everglades
National Park. The plan was a
good one. Our first stop was a shallow cove
near the outside and it was loaded with rolling fish from 30-80 lbs. Within
minutes I was hooked up and playing tug-o-war with a 50 pounder. The black
muddler minnow found its way into the tarpon's top lip, and the fish was
easily landed after about 15 minutes. The skunk was officially off of the
boat, so the decision was made to run south. A 40 minute boat ride down the
beaches and mangroves almost hummed me back to sleep, but when we arrived at
the next spot, I was hit with enough adrenaline to restart a dead man's
heart. 100 pound plus fish were rolling in a corner that wasn't more than 3
feet deep. Big fish in skinny water usually means a hook up as the fly is
easier for tarpon to see when you know there is no chance that the fish will
be deeper than your offering. We snuck in on them and the first cast at the
first fish yielded an explosive take and a six foot long monster shooting
out of the water. The fish went berserk and eventually threw the fly. I
retied my loop knot and instantly had a shot at a big fish laying just
below the surface next to a tree that was blown in from Hurricane Wilma.
Fish number 2 came unglued on my muddler, jumped over the tree, then came
rocketing at the boat. I knew that I hadn't put a good hook in it, so I
stripped back as fast as I could, but the fish was gone. Over the next 30
minutes, this was scenario was relived 2 more times. These fish are so
difficult to get a good hook set into, but the most exciting part is usually
the take, and I wasnąt disappointed in the least. Yeah, so we were bored
with the tarpon, he he, and decided to go catch some of the snook that were
busting bait around the corner. Top water flies, big snook, you know the
story.
On the ride back I thought to myself, "I knew this would be a good day the
minute I realized that we beat Roland Martin to the boat ramp."
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Re: Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
by MarshallD on May 29, 2006 http://www.flyanglersguide.com | "Hey Roland! Who's yer Daddy?!"
Kevin+Hedrush=a great team on the water for sure. I want to go agin when I get back down. Great day, Dave. Cool read.
marsh |
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Re: Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
by joey on May 30, 2006 http://www.fliesandfinseast.com | Nicely done Dave- Sounds like you are crushing the tarpon down there....Have you been able to get any work done? :) Keep the tarpon tails coming and lets see some video of a few battles.
j- |
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Re: Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
by bbhog on May 30, 2006 http://home.fuse.net/cbruce | | I think I live in the wrong part of the country each time I hear one of those tarpon tales. Seriously, I'll have a place in South Florida in the next 20 years - it's the goal! |
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Re: Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
by Shaq on May 30, 2006 http://www.theanglersnet.com | ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
There are words there but they wouldn't come out |
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Re: Southwest Florida Tarpon: 100 Pound Fish In 3 Feet Of Water
by wrh on May 30, 2006 http://www.theanglersnet.com | | I just watched your video on FFS. I don't even know what to say, words can't describe what you put together and captured so well. It's a beautiful work of art. Thanks for sharing it. |
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