Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | Too early for tarpon fever? Nope!
Talking tarpon in February? Yes, and why not? After all, April is right around the corner and early season tarpon hunters are preparing to do battle with these 100 million-year-old powerhouses which in some parts of the world are capable of reaching 300 pounds.
There’s no known cure for tarpon fishing fever. Once you’ve seen and felt the power of this great fish, you may be hooked for life like I was after my first encounter down in the Keys many decades ago. Not long after that first fish, giving up snow and deciding to move to Florida to catch many more was an easy decision.
If you haven’t caught a tarpon yet, it’s time and Southwest Florida is a great place to make it happen. Historically, this is tarpon fishing central. Anglers, both women and men, famous sports figures, presidents and kings from around the world have traveled here to try to catch a fish most believed to be uncatchable on rod and reel.
As the weather continues to warm, so will the tarpon fishing. We’ll have tarpon at the beaches, in and around the passes, the river, backyard canals, bays and Charlotte Harbor, as well as the shallow flats of Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound, with the fishing often lasting into the Christmas season.
Capt George Tunison
Nothing special is required to battle a giant tarpon here in Southwest Florida as they can be caught from land or out of your 12-foot Jon boat with that 50-year-old Johnson hanging off the back.
Want to set a speed record in your lightweight kayak? Get hooked up and hang on!
Fly rod purist? Not a problem as 150-pound fish like 2-inch flies.
Lazy sit and waiters? Live bait under a cork? Lure chuckers? Night stalkers? Come one, come all, we’ve got a tarpon for you!
If all this sounds like your cup of tea but you’re new to tarpon fishing, there are several ways to get started. Probably the easiest way is to hire a competent local guide. A half day spent with a good guide or teacher will get you off on the right foot and in the end save you time and money, but if you really want an education on every aspect of this great angling sport, you’ve moved to the right spot. Cape Coral is the home of the largest and most respected tarpon club in the world and on Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Cape Coral Tarpon Hunter Fishing Club will be hosting its annual event at 7 p.m. at the Lake Kennedy Center on 400 Santa Barbara Blvd. (CapeCoralTarponHunters).
Talk with local experts with hundreds of catches to their credit all willing to share their knowledge and love of the sport. Learn all about tackle, rigging, knots, seasonal strategies, locations, presentations, techniques and, most importantly, how to properly take care of your fish once caught, insuring that it lives to fight another day. Tarpon time is coming up quickly so be sure to not miss out on this awesome event.
If you spent time living up north chasing walleyes, muskies, smallies, pike and trout, you’re probably familiar with In-Fisherman Magazine which, in my opinion, is the best freshwater angling education magazine ever in print and still going strong. Here are a few interesting facts borrowed from this month’s edition. O.G. Smith invented the electric trolling motor in 1934. Lauri Rapala first carved his classic minnow back in 1936. Motor Guide started up in 1943 and ceased production in 2024. W.L. Gore invented GORE-TEX while working for DuPont in 1969. Hummingbird was founded by Tom Mann in 1971. The Japanese company Kureha Corp. invented fluorocarbon line in 1971. Ron and Al Linder introduced In-Fisherman magazine in 1975. Berkley PowerBaits came on the market in 1988. PowerPole started selling its must-have products in 1998 with (still overpriced) Yeti cooler products introduced in 2006.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at 239-579-0461 or via email at captgeorget3@aol.com.