Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | Going ‘hand to fin’ with a rampaging tarpon — again!
When’s the last time you fought a tarpon? No, I don’t mean with your favorite spinning outfit, I’m talking really fought a tarpon, as in fin to fist. When it comes to live, green, hell bent on people, tackle and boat destroying tarpon, for some odd reason I seem to draw the action.
I’m starting to feel like the Roy Sullivan of the tarpon world. Many of you may remember Officer Sullivan the park ranger struck by lightning seven times during his long career surviving each time and earning a place in the Guinness Book of World records. I’m not up to seven yet and haven’t looked at Guinness to see if there’s a “Jumped In the Boat Tarpon Battles” category, but this past week my lifetime score went up to five and still lived to tell the tale.
I left the snow and moved to Florida many years ago just to be close to my favorite fish Mr. Tarpon, not long after catching my first silver king down Islamorada way. Since the early ’90s I’ve caught more than my share of silver kings and as a guide for the last several decades I’ve helped countless other first-time tarpon dreamers’ wishes come true as well. Over these past years I’ve come to know quite a few captains, tarpon specialists and tarpon fanatics from Key West to Tampa that have impressive scorecards much larger than mine, but I think I may be up there when it comes to close encounters with nighttime, dangerous, steel plated and slime coated unwanted boat guests — with bad intentions.
My first two battles were fought under the Cape Coral Bridge many summers ago with several other boats anchored in a line all drifting live ladyfish and mullet under floats. The first intruder was a hooked fish from the boat next to me. After two close-to-the-boat jumps, the third one landed square in my skiff and went absolutely nuts kicking out tackle trays, coolers and two expensive rod combos before launching itself back into the river never to be seen again, only leaving a thick coating of slime as its calling card.
The second summer bridge encounter was similar except it was hooked to my client’s band new bride’s rod. These folks were from Toronto and had never been on saltwater but had “Caught some sunnies and crappies.” The float went down, the tarpon went up, back down, went under the boat then rocketed straight up this time landing in the boat. Within an instant, I could hear the smacking and thudding of the crazed fish as it went on a rampage but this noise was easily drowned out by the hysterical shrieks and screams from the terrified bride now perched on the very back edge of the skiffs poling platform, which was the furthest point away from this huge sea monster that had attacked our boat. She was hysterical and demanded to be taken in. Odd, they never called to book me again.
Two more Keys bridge battles long ago, but thankfully all quiet for the last several years, until this past week at Boca Grande which resulted in injuries. I was a guest on a new boat and hooked up not long after starting to fish. The fish made one jump, sounded and then came back up, making a long graceful leap landing in the boat and then started dancing. I threw a beach towel over it and rode the 80-pounder rodeo style till it somewhat calmed, finally managing to get it back in the drink. As my friend turned, he slipped on the slime, went up then down hard, fracturing his elbow. Great way to break in your new boat!
Doesn’t happen to everyone but I do know several others that have had to endure rowdy boat guests. It’s the complete tarpon experience with the big surprise ending.
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.
To reach CAPT. GEORGE TUNISON, please email news@breezenewspapers.com