by John Kumiski
Everglades. Tarpon. The two words combined to make one phrase have a very satisfying feel to them, sounding to the ear kind of like the feel of a big 'poon at the end of your line does on the hands. Everglades tarpon, yes, that sounds right.
It seems only appropriate that one of the wildest places left in Florida would be home to droves of silver kings, a wild fish if ever there was one. And while Everglades tarpon come in all sizes, from the little ten inchers I've had free jump into my canoe on the Bear Lake Canoe Trail to the twenty and thirty pound fish commonly found rolling in the dredge hole behind the Flamingo Campground, in America, the land where more is better, tarpon fill the bill where big fish are concerned. You can run into a hundred pound or better tarpon almost anywhere in the national park.
When
While the baby tarpon to 30 pounds or so are year-round residents, found on all but the very coldest days, the bigger fish start showing up toward the end of March in most years. They appear like magic when the water temperature reaches 75 degrees, first on the banks in Florida Bay, and at the mouths of some of the rivers.
The bend at the mouth of the Little Shark River sometimes holds a load of fish in March, and is as good place to look for them as any. The first tarpon I ever saw were here. It looked like a segment from the old American Sportsman TV show, tarpon, big tarpon, rolling by the dozens on the low outgoing tide. I jumped and lost three of those fish and was hooked for life. The quest for tarpon became something I had to do. Be careful or it will happen to you, too.
Tackle
Regardless of the type of tackle you prefer, it had better have some beef for any fish over 100 pounds. For hackle heavers twelve weight outfits are in order. Carry
two outfits, one rigged with a floating line, the other with a sinktip or a slow sinking internediate line.
Spinning or plug tackle both handle plugs and fish effectively. A medium to medium heavy spinning outfits loaded with 15 or 20 pound test monofilament, or better yet, 30 or 50 pound Power Pro, works well. At the business end the line is doubled with a Bimini twist and a section of 80 pound fluorocarbon shock tippet is tied on with an Albright special.
The DOA deep running Bait Buster and the Bagley's deep sinking Finger Mullet are both excellent tarpon lures. Consider sticking to single hook lures for your tarpon fishing. It will make the release easier on both of you.
Standard tarpon streamers work for Everglades tarpon. Almost any color will work on occasion. The standard Keys tarpon streamers that are tied from hackle feathers will work, but many of the new synthetic patterns can be devastating, for both the babies and the big boys.
Flies for big fish should carry the standard rigging for tarpon- 12 inches of 80 pound fluotocarbon shock tippet, connected to the class tippet with a Hufnagle knot. If you can find them the fish usually aren't nearly as fussy as Keys or Homosassa fish. Get the fly in front of the eating end of the fish and the chances are good it will eat.
Where to Look
"If you can find the fish..." Well, this really is the crux of the problem, isn't it? A great source of information is Captain Andy McLean's Fishing Mate. Unfortunately this little book is out of print but I'm lucky enough to have a copy, and will share some of its information with you, gentle reader.
McLean says, "If it's big tarpon you're thinking about- from 75 or 80 pounds to well over 100- the time to start thinking about them is in March. That's when a few start showing up over most of the southeast [Gulf] coast (although big fish can be found earlier in scattered situations). April and May are the peak times for the lunkers, with good prospects continuing well into summer.
"No matter what size the tarpon, or where you look for them, they are almost always spotted in advance through their habit of 'rolling' at the surface. Their favorite hangouts of inside waters are in the bends of rivers and creeks, or in wide openings of smaller creeks, or in the open waters of many larger inside bays. Outside, they can be found atop deeper flats and also in and around the mouths of rivers and passes."
According to the Fishing Mate, tarpon can be found in the Everglades with reasonable consistency in the following locations:
-along Chokoloskee Pass;
-at the confluence of House Hammock Bay and the Huston River;
-at the mouth of the Huston River;
-on the flats at Chatham Bend;
-at the western end of Chevalier Bay;
-in front of the Lostman's River Ranger Station;
-in Broad Creek and Graveyard Creek;
-at the mouth of the Shark River system;
-at the mouths of Big Sable Creek and Little Sable Creek;
-in the Mid-Cape and East Cape Canals;
-and in Mud Bay, at the north end of the Joe River.
Florida Sportsman and Top Spot make fishing charts that also have tarpon hotspots marked on them. Some spots (other than those already mentioned) that these charts suggest you try include:
-along Indian Key Pass;
-the south end of Alligator Bay;
-in Rodgers River Bay;
-in Broad River Bay;
-in Tarpon Bay near the head of the Harney River;
-near the Watson River chickee in Whitewater Bay;
-along the beach at Cape Sable;
-along the north side of the First National Bank and Dildo Key Bank in Florida Bay;
-in the dredge hole behind the Flamingo Campground;
-and in Snake Bight, along the channel that runs its length.
Clearly, there are a lot of places to search for these fish. First time visitors to the park hoping to tangle with a tarpon would be wise to consider hiring a guide specializing in tarpon fishing if they hope to have success. The alternative is to commit plenty of time hunting until you find some fish, because if you hunt long enough you most certainly will find them.
Getting a Strike
Regardless of how or where you find them, once they are located the next job is getting a strike. Ideally you could see the fish (this does happen and a good shot like this is worth its weight in gold, or silver as the case may be) and so determine to which end of the fish to cast. A cast landing three or four feet in front of the fish will attract the attention of the fish without spooking them and will often lead to a strike.
Everglades waters are usually stained though and seeing into them is difficult at best. In this situation you must determine which strategy is a better idea- blind casting in the area where the fish are rolling, or waiting for a fish to roll and then casting to it. Both methods work, so pick the one that you think will work better in your particular situation.
Once the fish strikes, you must strike back, several times. You did put a razor edge along the point of the hook, didn't you? Tarpon mouths are extremely hard. Even with the sharpest hooks you will lose most of the fish you hook. You may consider using circle hooks. You will still miss strikes but those fish that get hooked will usually stay hooked.
After the Hookup
There are a couple of rules you need to keep in mind when fighting big tarpon. We will print them here for the benefit of anglers everywhere:
-When the fish is not pulling line out, you MUST be pulling line in. A standoff benefits the fish the most.
-If the fish is heading to the right, pull to the left and vice versa. The rod should almost never be pointing up, but rather should be pointing off to the side.
-Give the fish slack when it jumps by "bowing to the king".
-If you're not hurting when fighting a big tarpon then you're not doing it right! Pull harder!
Unhooking and Releasing the Beast
Sooner or later everything will work and you will get a fish alongside the boat. Ideally your guide or fishing buddy will do one of two things, depending on how strong and/or experienced they are. Method one- put on a glove and lip the fish like you would a largemouth bass. You need a strong grip to do this successfully with a big tarpon, but it's better for the fish. Put your fingers into its mouth, keeping your thumb on the outside. This is only safe when using a single hook lure, however. Then remove the hook.
It's at this point that if you were using a plug with gang hooks that you'll wish you had a single hook lure. It's so much easier and safer to remove the hook.
In consideration for the gallant warrior you've just defeated, leave the fish in the water. Pulling it into the boat is tremendously stressful for a fish that has just done the equivalent of running a marathon. It can't breathe while out of the water! It may be a game to you, but it's life and death to the tarpon. If you want photos, bring it to a shallow area and get out of the boat and hold it while you're both in the water. You'll feel exhausted but exhilarated as that magnificent fish swims away, and she'll live to fight again and thrill you or another angler.
Having said the above, an important consideration anywhere in the park are the ubiquitous sharks. They love tarpon. They will take them off the hook, or out of your hands. Be very careful and have someone keep a watchful eye for Jaws.
In Summary
After the early flurry of astonishing, breathtaking leaps is finished, you and the fish will settle into the slugfest tug-of-war battle that fights with big 'poons always turn into. The fish will most likely throw the hook or break off. Gone.
You will sit there, temporarily stunned, but then that's what tarpon fishing is usually about. You do well just to hook one, to feel the awesome surge of power transferred electrically through line and rod, to see and hear the fantastic leaps that characterize this spectacular fish. A wild, wild fish in a wild, wild place- that's what Everglades tarpon are all about.
Where to Stay
Where you spend the night depends on where you want to fish. At Flamingo you can camp or stay at the Flamingo Lodge. Campsites are available on a first come, first served basis. There are no hookups, but there are bath houses with showers and flush toilets.
Flamingo Lodge has both motel rooms and efficiencies. Reservations are recommended. The telephone there is (305) 253-2241.
At the other end of the park the Outdoor Resort offers all the amenities of a resort, right on the water. Three recreation centers include a health club, sauna, tennis, shuffleboard, and swimming pools. You can stay in efficiencies or in your RV. The angler can keep his boat in a private slip, and bait, tackle, information, boat rentals, and guide services are all available. For more information/reservations call (941) 695-2881.
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This article was written by John Kumiski of John Kumiski Outdoors and Travel. Contact him at his website www.johnkumiski.com or via email at john@spottedtail.com. Copyright John Kumiski.
John Kumiski 's most recent fishing guidebooks are How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System (Argonaut Publishing Company), and Fishing Florida's Space Coast (Argonaut Publishing Company).
John Kumiski's newest book is Redfish on the Fly- A Comprehensive Guide.
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