Im going tarpon fishing and need some advice

[Tyson]

Hey Larry i need your help!

So i am going to be live baiting crab and pin fish in less than 20ft of water for fish 40-100lbs and would like some advice on what hooks, line, and tackle to use. I have never caught, seen, fished, or even looked for tarpon. Any help on finding and locating them would be helpful since im completely clueless on the subject. I basicly have a tip and a general location.

Also I saw you throw artificials as well and was hoping you would have some suggestions?

thank you!

[Questor]

Tyson:

Try The Tarpon Book, by Frank Sargent (sp?).

That'll give you a clue about approaches and techniques. After that it's finding the fish. Where are you going fishing?

[Tyson]

im going on saturday.. Its a bay no more than 5 miles in diameter, i just dont know what to look 4

[Questor]

That's pretty slim information. But you can try looking for any kind of canal or river associated with the bay, or any channels where the water is a bit deeper than the norm. If there are any inlets with some current you may want to try those too.

Your best bet is to ask at the nearest bait shop or other source of local knowledge. Don't ask for specific places, ask for types of places that are likely.

[dahlberg]

First advice is to be there pre-dawn with your eyes and ears on.
If the weather is stable the fish should reveal themselves.

Try fishing the pinfish and crabs under a float. Vary the depth of the bait from right on the bottom to about 4' from the surface.

Use a size 7/0 to 9/0 circle hook depending on bait and fish size.

With lures I've had best success with slow lazy retrieve, but sometimes a very fast nutso retrieve will work. Also sometimes surface lures like a Zara spook with get blasted but they are very hard to hook with it.
Usually lures in the 3-4" range are best. I've caught them on soft plastics, hard baits etc, etc. Just be sure the hooks are stiff and the split rings are strong.

Current can be a huge deal and it's usually affected by tide changes. Be at your spot at least an hour before and after tide changes, again with your eyes and ears open. See what goes on and where the water flows.

If the fish are pressured, stealth is important.

best,
L