Tarpon Season?

Report Date: January 25, 2004

Shawn with a poon

Ned with a nice one

Tarpon Season?

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding when tarpon season is. Better yet, are the tarpon biting? I?ll let you be the judge.

Bernard Noar (? day evening) ? 3 tarpon to the boat, had 4 on and 7 bites. The biggest was about 100lb. Smallest was 32 lb.

Jack and Diane Podelsney ? (1/2 day evening) ? Diane got her first tarpon (50 lb). Jack was snake bit. He had two on and they both came off. We must have had 10 -15 bites. I don?t know, used same rig as night before. Snake Bit!

Shawn Maloney fished with his father Pat and friend Frank, on Saturday night, in Fort Lauderdale. The bite was on. They went 4 for 7 on tarpon and caught a few small snook too. Everyone caught a tarpon!

Mike Noyes from The Sportsman?s Den in Conn. fished with his friend Ned Pitta. They each caught 1 tarpon and lost two. These two googan?s couldn?t catch a butterfly with a net. (just kidding boys!). I can?t really remember, but I think Mike?s was 3# bigger.

Randy New and Dixie got to fish for about an hour and a half one night and lost two tarpon. They had a really nice boat ride though.

Joe Irpino brought his buddy Bob Olufs fishing with him Tuesday night. This was Joe?s first tarpon trip. He only had to lose 3 tarpon before he caught a 100 lber on 14 lb test line. The older, more experienced, Bob, missed a couple bites. I?m sorry!

Paul Nelson and his crew Roger and Ron. Went 1 for 3 on tarpon. Roger was a first timer and caught a 32 lber.

Mike Noyes and Ned tried it again on Thur. afternoon. They each lost a tarpon on the fly. We had several shots but couldn?t get the bite. After dark we put out the baits and hooked two more. Mike?s was about 100 lb. and we lost it at the boat. Ned?s was about 50 lb and we got it.

All in all, 13 for 33 on tarpon, in 8 trips. I think I need better hooks or something. Those reports were from fishing Lauderdale.

January has been a good month in Biscayne Bay for my customers. This past week we had a little cooler air come through and the bonefish were a little more work. I saw some permit on the warm days. The ladyfish and bluefish are solid and there are plenty of bull sharks and black tips. Best of all the tarpon are moving into the bay. February is right around the corner and tarpon fishing gets really good then.

I still have some days open in the beginning of Feb. and the first and third week of Mar. if you want to give it a shot. Tight lines.

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