Tarpon Fishing Techniques

Tarpon can be caught on just about any type of tackle and with almost any kind of live, frozen, or artificial bait, using a variety of methods including drifting, trolling, surf casting, and drifting. Tarpons can be caught from jetties and bridges, kayaks and canoes, and million-dollar fishing yachts.

Spinning Reels and Fishing Line

For spinning gear, you'll need a large saltwater spinning reel with at least 350 yards of at least 30 to 50 pound test line to have a chance at boating this majestic fish, which will take off at a dead run and peel your line off your reel before you know it. For fly fishermen, a 12-weight fly outfit is suitable for tarpon fly fishing. Too little weight and you'll likely wear yourself out before you can land him. A 5' to 6' length of heavy 80 to 100 lb. leader is recommended.

Casting From the Beach

Schools of tarpon often seek their meals just a few feet off the beach — which means you can cast into the surf directly from the beach. Look for areas where the mullet are jumping as they attempt to flee the tarpon.

Lures and Bait for Tarpon Fishing

Tarpon will go after almost any kind of bait or lure, but some are more successful than others. For live bait fishing, shrimp, blue crabs and pinfish are excellent choices, with scaled sardines and threadfin herring also suitable options. The key is keeping your bait live and healthy.

Flies, plugs, and spoons have been successful with tarpon. There are 2 primary types of fly designs used in tarpon fishing, the "Keys" style fly and the Whistler pattern. The Keys pattern is used in clear water, when you can see the tarpon before you cast, while the Whistler pattern is used in deep or murky water and is specially designed to create sound waves for the tarpon to home in on.

Time of Day

As with much fishing, early morning is usually the best time for tarpon fishing, just after sunrise. Tarpon tend to be more active in the mornings, and you'll find it easy to spot schools of tarpon breaking the surface with their rolling motion.

Casting

When the tarpon lay up and stop in an area, you want to cast so that your bait drops about 10 feet forward of the lead fish — giving the bait time to sink a few feet so that when tarpon completes its roll and swims downward, the bait is right there in front of it. Don't cast directly into the group of tarpon; you'll only spook them.

The Strike

When a tarpon strikes, it's not a hard fast strike; initially, you'll feel dead weight at the end of your line, and you need to set the hook hard. It may take 2 or 3 (or even 4) tries to really get the hook buried in the tarpon's bony, hard mouth.

But once the tarpon realizes he's hooked, you'll know it immediately. He'll take off like he's heading across the ocean, and you'll be glad that you have plenty of line on your reel. But soon the tarpon will start his aerial leaping, a sight that can take your breath away. Keep your drag set at about 1/3 of its tensile strength until the tarpon's lunges settle down a little. Watch your line carefully, and when you see that the tarpon is about to break the surface and jump, lower your rod tip and allow some extra slack to keep the line from breaking. (This is sometimes called "bowing to the king.") When the tarpon is back in the water, reel quickly to get as much line back on your spool as possible.

From this point onward, it's a fight to the finish between you and this magnificent fish. Your goal is to wear him out before he wears you out. Keep pressure on the line so that he has no chance to rest, but always watch for more leaps and lunges out of the water, so that you can give slack as needed.

Landing the Tarpon

When you finally bring the big tarpon alongside your boat, he'll make a few more efforts to get away — these fish don't give up easily. You'll probably have to bring him alongside a few times before he's ready to be handled.

Although you can buy a tarpon tag for your fishing license that allows you to keep one of these beasts, you probably plant to catch-and-release like most tarpon fishermen. Tarpon aren't particularly good tasting (although they are edible), so do your part to preserve these fish by releasing your prize after the hard-fought battle. Measure the fish, take your pictures for evidence, then remove the hook carefully and move the fish back and forth in the water a few times until he's recovered enough to swim away on his own.