It’s tarpon time
Tarpon time? Yes, it’s on and Boca Grande is filling up with your next angling trophy. If you’ve only read about it but are ready to experience Boca’s tarpon fishing, if at all possible, go with a guide or experienced local to understand some basics like no anchoring, how to approach and drift with the pack, don’t run over the fish, always keep the motor running, bottom fishing straight up and down while drifting and common sense basic boating courtesy.
There are special rules that apply when it comes to vertical jigging lures allowed in the pass. This from the FWC — “Fishing with gear that has a weight attached to a hook, artificial fly or lure in such a way that the weight hangs lower than the hook when the line or leader is suspended vertically from the rod is prohibited when fishing for any species year-round within Boca Grande Pass. If this gear is on board a fishing vessel while inside the boundaries of the Pass, it cannot be attached to any rod, line or leader and must be stowed.” Check out the FWC website for more detailed information to make sure you are legal.
What equipment should I use spin, fly, conventional? Yes, all three of these have their place in the tarpon game depending on your goals or favorite fishing method, but in the pass vertical presentations as the boat drifts is best accomplished with conventional or spin gear. Throwing a fly at constantly rolling or surfacing tarpon might get attention but typically not productive here.
Boca is not the place for ultra-lite angling feats and prolonged battles which results in weakened fish and easy prey for the army of ever-present sharks looking for a fast snack. Hot weather, lite gear, warm water and prolonged battles are bad news for tarpon, but good news for sharks especially in the passes. Use gear heavy enough to be able to enjoy the fight but that allows you to gain control and get the fish to the boat in a reasonable amount of time. Personally, I’d rather jump or fight multiple fish in an hour than fight one fish to exhaustion or into a shark snack. These guys are decades old and deserve a better fate.
When fighting the fish, get up close and personal and pull in the opposite direction the fish wants to travel. The pass is no place to have a hundred yards of line out. When the fish is near the surface I’m using my hips and pulling hard, parallel to the water’s surface with the fish maybe 10 yards off the trolling motor in front of me, which really puts the heat on the fish shortening the fighting time.
Another piece of equipment almost as important as your tackle is your electronics. The bottom of the pass changes depths and is also a snag nightmare. When vertical fishing you are concentrating on keeping your presentation “in the zone” straight up and down below the boat as you drift through the pass, which requires frequently adjusting the depth of your lure guided by what you see on the screen or what depth the captain is calling out as you drift.
During the fight if you see a shark seriously after your fish, then free spool the line or even cut it to give your player a chance at escape.
Pass fishing Boca Grande, the world’s greatest tarpon hole, is something every angler should experience at least once during their tarpon career. Best results come from fishing the 3 a.m. to just after sunup shift.
Been there, done that and crowded pass fishing and boat bumping isn’t your cup of tea? That’s O.K., as Southwest Florida offers a ton of locations to pursue tarpon from knee deep flats, mangrove shorelines, river and bridge fishing, coastal and offshore encounters, as well as pass fishing deeper waters. Good luck!
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.