Tackle for big big tarpon!

Questions about Saltwater Fishing

Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby carliandres » Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:42 pm

Hey Larry! How are you? Hope you're fine!!!
I've been busted...(again) by giant tarpon....we fish for them from the shore here in Barranquilla, Colombia.
I have a Stradic 8000 loaded with Powerpro with 30 lbs...the thing is...this Tarpon are acting like Jack Crevalles...they're running fast and in straight line to the open sea. I have to cast about 70 meters to get for them.....I think my rod isn't the right one for the job (7 MH). My Stradic holds 300 yds of 30 lb powerpro, should I get a bigger reel or instead having less yards of powerpro but a stronger strenght??
Considering they're biting on poppers (yes, poppers!! :D ) bucktail jigs ( 1 12 oz) an X Raps 14...which rod could I use?
Thanks a lot for your help and keep up the good work!!!!
Best regards,

Carlos Andrés.
Carlos Andrés Patiño Milanes
Barranquilla, Cartagena/ Colombia

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, love only what we understand, understand only what we are taught"
Baba Dioum.

http://www.youtube.com/user/carliandres?feature=mhee
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Re: Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby dahlberg » Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:18 am

Hi C
You have a good problem!
It's not at all unusual for tarpon to hit poppers when they are in that type of environment. It would seem to me that under the circumstances you are hunting elephants with a BB gun!
I would suggest a much larger reel. The ideal would be a Stella 18000. It's the same frame as a 20000 but the 18000 spool will allow longer casts. I would load it with either 80 or 100 lb powerpro and I'd be using 200 hard mono or fluorocarbon for a leader. The ideal rod would be a MH surf rod, like the Tiralejo in the 8-11 foot range.
With the heavier tackle you will also have to pay close attention to the strength of the hooks and split rings on your lures. The Sebile Salt and Sea series would be good choices. The 152mm splasher, the 155mm Stick Shad, Magic Swimmer, and the Bonga Jerk all have adequate hardware right out of the box. Same goes with the series of zig zag lures I designed for River2Sea called Wide Glides (large size)(be sure to cut the feathers off.)
Another good thing to try is to remove the hooks on the Stick Shad and instead rig a circle hook (9/0-12/0 depending on size of fish)IN FRONT of the lure by using a large split ring on the nose of the bait.
Put the hook and two strong swivels on a large split ring, then put it on another split ring on the nose of the lure. Line to swivel, swivel is on front split ring along with hook and second swivel. Second swivel connects to split ring on lure. When a fish bites, just keep reeling. Hooking percentages are pretty good, and the odds of the fish throwing the lure on a jump go down drastically!
I am fine after having recovered from a bout with Dengue, thanks for asking.
I wish I was there with you right now casting for tarpon instead of being stuck in the edit suite!
Merry Christmas to you, and please say hello and merry christmas from me to all my fishing friends in Colombia!
If you get to Apartado be sure to eat a couple bananas for me! It's important to keep your potassium levels up when fighting big tarpon in the hot sun!
Be sure to send me pictures when you land one!
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish
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Re: Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby carliandres » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:13 am

Larry!! Thanks a lot for your answer!!!
Ooopssss....I think I'll have to buy another tackle...lol!!....and a hand of bananas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to hear you're recovering from Dengue, soon you'll be in the water :D Hope one day I could fish with you!!!!!!!!
Larry, Merry Christmas to you too and I wish you an excelent new year 2011!!!
Best regards,

Carlos P.
Carlos Andrés Patiño Milanes
Barranquilla, Cartagena/ Colombia

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, love only what we understand, understand only what we are taught"
Baba Dioum.

http://www.youtube.com/user/carliandres?feature=mhee
carliandres
 
Posts: 22
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Location: Barranquilla/Cartagena - Colombia

Re: Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby dahlberg » Thu Dec 23, 2010 5:05 pm

Hi C
I'm curious as to which months you are catching tarpon. Also curious as to the physical description regarding surf, substrate, and distance from nearest adjacent change in substrate. (rock to sand, cliffs to rock, submerged islands, etc)
Are they coinciding with some other run of smaller bait? Dropping back from river systems? Do you see them rolling? How big are the biggest you've actually seen alive or photos of?
As you may know, the world record Maracaibo tarpon that stood for so many years was caught not that far from you by tarpon standards.
best,
L
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Re: Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby carliandres » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:12 am

dahlberg wrote:
> Hi C
> I'm curious as to which months you are catching tarpon. Also curious as to
> the physical description regarding surf, substrate, and distance from
> nearest adjacent change in substrate. (rock to sand, cliffs to rock,
> submerged islands, etc)
> Are they coinciding with some other run of smaller bait? Dropping back from
> river systems? Do you see them rolling? How big are the biggest you've
> actually seen alive or photos of?
> As you may know, the world record Maracaibo tarpon that stood for so many
> years was caught not that far from you by tarpon standards.
> best,
> L

Hey Larry! Thanks for your answer!!
Usually the biggest tarpons are seen around late September through December...but there are cases when you see them randomly on other months, althought the biggest seem to hang out on Sept-Dec. The physical description of the place are lots of submerged rocks, and in the same place, you cast from a cliff or from the shore, either way, there are lots of submerged rocks, the sand is full with oyster shells. Now the thing here is that there are no studies about the tarpon habitats and behaviours, as in many places, the locals seems to have the answer. They usually told us that there is a very small population of tarpon that lives nearby, but the bigger ones come with the mullet run (which is around Late October - December..the peak season seems to be November). Yes, we doo see them rolling, but most of the times we saw their backs as they swim pretty slow through the waves. They tend to appear also whith Jack Crevalles. This year, we had a very strange season, the mullet came around late November-December, where the wind is blowing hard and it's a bit difficult to cast. The nearest river system is the mouth of the Magdalena River. In a small stream of this river I fish for baby baby tarpon year round with fly.
Well, I've seen giant tarpon actually jump several feet over the water chasing mullet, and man, they're big! They are like logs in the water, the locals say they have landed tarpons around 200 lbs!!!! And you can actually see some busting on the mullet that are pretty big! The ones that my friends managed to land are the smaller ones, around 60 lbs, the bigger ones just broke the line off or spooled completely the reels, that's why I started this post..lol!
Thanks a lot Larry!! :D

Best regards!

Carlos
Carlos Andrés Patiño Milanes
Barranquilla, Cartagena/ Colombia

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, love only what we understand, understand only what we are taught"
Baba Dioum.

http://www.youtube.com/user/carliandres?feature=mhee
carliandres
 
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Re: Tackle for big big tarpon!

Postby carliandres » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:24 am

Ooopps. I forgot..!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 LARRY!!!!

:P :P :P :P :P :P
Carlos Andrés Patiño Milanes
Barranquilla, Cartagena/ Colombia

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love, love only what we understand, understand only what we are taught"
Baba Dioum.

http://www.youtube.com/user/carliandres?feature=mhee
carliandres
 
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:54 pm
Location: Barranquilla/Cartagena - Colombia


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