by dahlberg » Sun Feb 20, 2011 6:50 am
Tarpon can be really frustrating.
The night and early am idea is a good one for sure, especially if those time coincide with tide changes.
Without going into an hour long essay on possibilities, tarpon can sometimes be very, very selective. This makes it tough if they are eating something that's too small to get a hook strong enough to land the fish into.
Very often, a lure or bait has to be right in front of a tarpons face and at the right angle and drift speed to get it to eat.
Often when you see them roll they are traveling and may not eat until the settle down or get to where they are going.
That being said, I have been in a boat where one angler using lures for tarpon gets a bite every six casts and the other angler with the same lure goes all day with one or two bites. Usually it's because the unbit guy was moving his lure too fast.
They can be caught on giant 12" poppers in some cases, but usually something quite small, in the four inch range is more effective.
The environment they are in is usually what dictates the best approach, but what they are eating is of course a big deal as well.
If blue crabs are present, it's hard to beat. Poke a small hole in the horn, run copper wire through it and wrap on a 9/0 circle hook. You might want to add a few split shot. Cast up current and allow to dead drift until straight back. You can leave it hang or crank up and cast again. I like to anchor and cast an imaginary grid.
It's also very effective drifted or suspended on a balloon. I've caught tarpon in 100 feet with crabs and lead drifted on a balloon. The resistance of the balloon sets the hook for you.
Live bait is almost always by far the easiest way to catch them. The best lure I know for casting to them overall is my small sinking wide glide in redhorse color.
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish