Capt. George Tunison

If you asked 10 tarpon anglers what’s the best size and type of hook to use to tame the silver king, you’re sure to get lots of different advice. For hooks, the FWC recommends non-offset circle hooks although many still swear by and use J-hooks. Treble hooks are simply too dangerous for fish and man alike so changing the hooks on your tarpon hard lures to singles is good policy obviously simplifying the release process.

Hook size will be determined by the task at hand and actual bait size, with floating pass crab anglers at Boca Grande going as small as 4/0, to catfish tail bottom soakers, some choosing a big 12/0 or even larger hook.

When lip or nose hooking live ladyfish or mullet, learn how to bridle the bait using a 4/0 – 8/0 circle hook depending on bait size, which allows for more natural baitfish movement, much longer bait life, and as a bonus with the fully exposed hook, much better hook-ups reducing jump-offs. Larger baitfish can also be bridled lightly through the top of the body near the dorsal fin.

Another form of bridling for soft plastics uses the screw lock system with a wire coil that screws into the nose of the soft bait. The bend of the hook is attached to it and keeping the hook fully exposed. This works great especially at night when tarpon are up on top. Rig a 10-inch Hogy floating eel this way and fish the surface bite when the fish are chasing on top for some heart stopping strikes.

When bottom fishing with a large fillet, chunk or catfish body, don’t make the mistake of hooking into too much meat when rigging the bait which could impede the hookset. Some folks even bridle dead bait but it’s not necessary, simply position the hook on the very edge through some tough skin. A circle hook is always recommended when bottom fishing for tarpon typically a size 6/0 to 12/0 again depending on the dead bait size.

Leader size can be as controversial as hook size. When angling for triple digit fish in clear Gulf water, I could go down as low as 40-pound test for seemingly always finicky fish or as high as 120-pound line for close quarter, nighttime, bridge battles.

You’ll find tarpon in Boca Grande, Captiva and Redfish passes, as well as moving along the beaches. Idle along or stake out and watch for rolling fish. Once spotted, figure out their travel direction and set up for the interception by going out, way out and around, and then set up shop and wait for them to close the distance. Never get in behind and chase them as it will spook them. Never spot a school then go out and around then cut back in in front of a boat already waiting for the same school to come down the beach to them. There is lots of water and lots of fish. Play nice, have fun and be respectful of your fellow anglers this tarpon season.

Those looking for cast net bait seem to be having the best luck around Jug Creek and Bokeelia, catching whitebait (scaled sardines or pilchards) for shoreline snook adventures, others substitute suspending twitch baits like MirrOdine’s, for those not cast net savvy or that don’t like the work or mess of cast nets.

All in all a frisky well aerated 3 to 4-inch whitebait hooked through the soft spot near the eyes and nose with a 2/0 hook is probably the best snook presentation of all for general fishing and numbers. For trophy snook it’s a toss-up between large live baits or large dead baits like a mullet head hooked through the lips and soaked on bottom.

Instead of a walk the dog retrieve, try a faster, erratic and splashy retrieve when using a top-water plug for snook in skinny water.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-282-9434 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.