Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide

TrophyFishingTN.Com
Videos

Striper, Trout, Smallmouth, and Musky, guide trips in the Nashville area. Our home waters are Cumberland and Caney Fork River and our specialty is fly fishing for Trout and Stripers.

~Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked away to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish~

Author Topic: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida  (Read 5902 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jkilday4

  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 318
  • Karma: +2/-0
  • One cast ... just one more ... 'n'then another ...
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« on: April 05, 2013, 07:43:51 AM »
So here comes season #2 of this puzzle I'm trying to figure out. 

Friend Brad and I tarpon fished Charlotte Harbor / Gasparilla Pass area early last May.  We decided to go on the full moon last year to coincide with the hill tides but we didn't crab-fish for them & stayed out of the crowded Boca Grande Pass, choosing to see what we could do with flyrods.  We ran around the harbor the first couple days not knowing what to expect.  Saw a pair of tarpon from a distance jump 4-5 feet out & just explored the lay of the waters.  I'd read and heard of the beach-fishing for cruising fish so we decided to go up the public ramp at Placida & head out to the pass just to see if we could even get the 18'6" carolina skiff out there, anchor and see fish.  Not knowing what we would get into, it was a success in being able to do just that.  We saw mostly south-bound tarpon on the beach there at the pass two separate days.  They weren't in an eating mood at all; saw only one tarpon jumped among several boats both days.  Third day (last day of trip), the winds prevented us from setting up out there again.  In the article below, the author theorizes that the ones heading south are preoccupied with spawning and not as hungry as those moving north.  Anyone else hear that or know that to be the case?

http://www.cyberangler.com/articles/mccue/index.htm

Part IV of the article makes a compelling case for fishing July/August after the spring crowds disappear.  I would prefer to throw flies at them, but not opposed to using spin/baitcast/live bait.

I'm sure that times other than just the May or June highest tide swings would be worth fishing that area - I just don't really know when or where.  I'm sure local knowledge would help & may just need to hire an experienced guide to find out if the tarpon congregate in bays for a while etc & move back out to the beach at certain times, or reside in certain inshore areas that I need to concentrate on.  As far as on my own in our boat, I don't have a problem getting out on the beach (at least Gasparilla area) and can get fairly shallow too although I don't have a microskiff that can be poled.

I welcome any input as I try to put the pieces together...

jkilday4

  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 318
  • Karma: +2/-0
  • One cast ... just one more ... 'n'then another ...
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2013, 12:33:20 AM »
Hoping to hook up w a guy down there I been talking w over at Florida sportsman forum to do this one day:

http://www.theonlinefisherman.com/how-to-all/210-catch/6224-how-to-catch-tarpon-the-easy-way-fishing-bridges

TWiles

  • DDS
  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1405
  • Karma: +9/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2013, 08:03:07 AM »
Looks like you're really doing your homework for this one.  Wish I could go with you, buddy.
Just get down there and do all the recon work.  Once you figure those fish out, I'll come down and help you battle those brutes. ;D

Good luck on your trip.

wheatworth

  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2013, 09:04:23 AM »
I was down in Tampa this week and had a chance to fish for tarpon on Wednesday with guide Greg Patterson.  I had near perfect weather for most of the day; low winds, lots of sun and big tides. I saw more tarpon this day than I had all other days fishing combined, and there were some big ones too. But the one variable that wouldn't cooperate was the fish. I had 30-40 good shots but didn't get one to bite all day. Granted some of that was because of some terrible casts but the fish were lip locked and weren't interested in an fly I had to offer.

There were a bunch of boats out there and I saw only one fish caught all day, a north bound fish caught by a guide fishing by himself. There was also a boat with Craig Heister from the show Seasons on the Fly filming an episode. He didn't touch a fish either.

It was frustrating to see so many fish and not get a single hook up, but I'll be back chasing the silver king when the opportunity presents itself again.

stefanick

  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2013, 10:57:05 AM »
I never submitted a report from when I went to Tampa but all you have to do is switch the dates on wheatworth's post and you have exactly what happened to me...  Same guide, beautiful weather, hundreds of fish, dozens of shots, no takers, and only one fish jumped by one of the other boats out there. 

Glad to know it's not just me...

-Matt

MikeA

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12363
  • Karma: +65535/-4
  • https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2013, 05:39:29 PM »
For much less money I can put you guys on some great fish.... Tarpon and most salt guide trips are a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg shot.  Add in a major tourist location and weather and it gets even worse.
There is not much collective security in a flock of sheep on the way to the butcher.

MN Fishing Bum

  • ***
  • Posts: 188
  • Karma: +0/-0
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2013, 08:37:57 PM »
Wait what kind of fish do you recommend for a cheap saltwater trip? 

stefanick

  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2013, 11:41:03 PM »
Mike, you've got my attention...  Could you maybe expound on that post a little?  Why do you say it's a long shot, I would have thought going for a Tarpon is probably one of the better reasons to hire a guide?  I'm clueless though, compared to most of you on this forum I'm just a wannabe fisherman :)

jkilday4

  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 318
  • Karma: +2/-0
  • One cast ... just one more ... 'n'then another ...
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2013, 12:12:45 AM »
Day 1

Flight good.
Taxi ride good.
A/C at our place was not working. The one guy we know around us has a guy who does HVAC but both #'s listed for him no good.  So we had to find another place to stay.
Go to get boat at shop. Repair bill pretty high.  Stan (shop owner) said about our boat "Everything you GOT is HORSESHIT!  Every time we'd look at it, we would find different stuff wrong with it."  Gordon suggested time to go rent a boat.  Stan gave me a number to call another HVAC. 
One tire was down to threads from dry rot; fails and we limp home in a downpour and get soaked unhooking.  Will try repairs in the morning. 
Get back in car and a steady stream of water comes thru bottom of entry handle; the rubber gasket is failing on the top of windshield to roof.  Comes in thru drivers visor too.  Finally started laughing. 
Had good grub and a few at a bar/grill named Ryan's on Hwy 17 just west of I-75.

TWiles

  • DDS
  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 1405
  • Karma: +9/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2013, 06:46:14 AM »
Holy shit dude. :o

Every great fishing conquest involves some kind of sacrifice.   I've paid musky dues with broken rods/lost nets/fly lines in the trolling motor...

With the rate you're going, your tarpon payoff ought to be HUGE.  Hope you get some AC, a boat that floats, and some large gulping fish.
If all else fails, atleast you have the dock for cruising fish.
Good luck man.

Steve H

  • Need to fish!
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 9493
  • Karma: +999/-5
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2013, 07:02:47 AM »
Smile and persevere. You will be rewarded.
Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum

MikeA

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12363
  • Karma: +65535/-4
  • https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2013, 08:32:37 AM »
Mike, you've got my attention...  Could you maybe expound on that post a little?  Why do you say it's a long shot, I would have thought going for a Tarpon is probably one of the better reasons to hire a guide?  I'm clueless though, compared to most of you on this forum I'm just a wannabe fisherman :)

I said catching a Tarpon is a long shot. Add in major tourist location, tides, weather, wind, migration, etc, and its even longer. If that's what you want to do and you can afford to drop $600 to $800 a day for a shot at a fish, great. It's money well spent if catching a tarpon is the goal. I'm not saying it's not a good reason to hire a guide at all. Just pointing out that for much less money and a lot closer to home I can put you on fish that are  large, pull hard, and a good trip is 15 to 20 of them. I've Been doing it for a very long time and there are many here who have been to the beach and paid the guides and have also fished with me who can vouch for what I'm saying...

You don't hear or see alot about it here because we try VERY hard to keep quiet. I'm not willing to sacrifice a great fishery to be the hero.

On a side note, the johnny come latelys will never see what me, my friends, and my clients, have seen if they keep trying to be the hero.
There is not much collective security in a flock of sheep on the way to the butcher.

MN Fishing Bum

  • ***
  • Posts: 188
  • Karma: +0/-0
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2013, 09:07:47 PM »
Great point mike

stefanick

  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2013, 10:01:30 PM »
Mike,

Got it.  Thanks for the clarification.  I totally understand you not posting up the "how to" manual, I just wasn't sure if you were actually talking about tarpon/saltwater or not.

Also, sorry for the thread hijack jkilday4, I hope your luck comes around and you get into some fish.

jkilday4

  • FishHead
  • *****
  • Posts: 318
  • Karma: +2/-0
  • One cast ... just one more ... 'n'then another ...
Tarpon fishing in SW Florida
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2013, 11:41:54 PM »
No sweat stefanik keep the conversation going.

We had favorable fixes today all around.  Trailer minus a fender but ready to roll (I think it's legal anyway).  A/C just a $119 capacitor change.  Got new trolling motor batteries; partial warranty on the old ones.  Boat tags good until December.



Finally got around to organizing all the tackle and rigging some rods.  Stretched my first line at 5:40 pm just over 24 hrs after landing.  Not bad considering.  In gold colored water, put a streamer down right on what looked like a nice red flash - and right after that with still winds saw some red tails but couldn't change to crab fly quick enough. Spinning pals fished hard between only one rod for the two-ish hours and had one grab. Skinnied in on a group of active and curious manatees.





One local fisherman saying all the rain they've had over last bit he thinks has pushed bait and other interested fish further out toward a more desirable salt content...we are going out of Ponce de Leon Park tomorrow for a falling hill tide.  It was moving really good this evening. Just need to find fish now.