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SLOT LIMIT: None
BAG LIMIT: One (1)-with special $50 "trophy" permit tag.
SEASONAL CLOSURE: None
Tarpon are a "seasonal" species that ad variety to the types of fish
we encounter throughout the year in our lagoons and near shore
Atlantic Ocean waters. They are usually available during the warmer
months of the year (April through November) when our water
temperatures remain above the 80 degree mark. Juvenile tarpon
weighing from 2 to about 50 pounds inhabit our lagoons and backwater
creeks during most of the year. They are the most acrobatic and
hardest fighting fish we target along Florida's "Space Coast."
Larger fish averaging 75 to 120 pounds travel in schools along our
beaches following schools of baitfish. June, July, and August are
usually our best months for these larger specimens which can grow to
over 150 pounds. Baby tarpon love to eat small jigs and flies that
imitate glass minnows or small pilchards. Spinning rods loaded with
8 to 12-pound test lines are the preferred tackle for these smaller
fish as are fly rods in the 6 to 8 weight range. When chasing fish
over 50 pounds we'll use spinning or casting gear in the 15 to 30
pound class range. This larger gear is necessary when anglers are
trying to land fish that are large enough to pull the boat around.
Large baitfish such as menhaden, mullet, or pinfish in the 6 to 14
inch range are generally slow trolled or drifted through the schools
of tarpon once we find them. (Click on any of the thumbnails to see a
full size photo) |
