Should I have get a guide? Nah!

longcast

longcast

Well-Known Angler
Spending some time with my wonderful wife in Florida for a week to get away from the job, house etc. We did some sightseeing and especially some eating lol. Decided to do a little exploring and found a spot to come back when the tide was right. Some locals gave me a clue about tides, etc, but tightlipped on spots! Got here early (dark) in the morning and saw the show first hand of the rich fishing that Florida offers. And how fast bugs can take the meat off the bones. Tarpon at my feet! Well, not so easy to catch. Finally managed to fool one and that fished popped it with everything it had and into the air it went! I leaned hard on the tackle to keep it out of the bridge but if it wanted to, my chance of landing it go to zero. The fish gods helped it go in the direction I needed to land this sucker. Little help from a local and into my arms for a picture. Back in the water for another angler.

Followed up with a small snook and called it the morning.

Nothing some Cortisone cannot fix. Ouch.

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The inlet out of Punta Gorda, Boca Grand Pass, is arguably THE BEST place on earth to have a shot at a trophy Tarpon. With May probably being the best month. It’s insane fishing that inlet at that time. Big Tarpon congregate there, and feed on Pass Crabs.
 
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MakoMatt said:
The inlet out of Punta Gorda, Boca Grand Pass, is arguably THE BEST place on earth to have a shot at a trophy Tarpon. With May probably being the best month. It’s insane fishing that inlet at that time. Big Tarpon congregate there, and feed on Pass Crabs
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If I remember, it is combat fishing.
 
longcast said:
If I remember, it is combat fishing.
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I’ve been told by more than one captain that when fishing Boca Grand Pass you need to know the “local protocols.” If you understand and follow those “rules,” and have decent boat handling skills there shouldn’t be any problems. Evidently there are a lot of “googans” out there that don’t have any idea what they are doing and cause the fish to scatter. Additionally, they can create some dangerous conditions.

And don’t fall overboard in the Pass!!!!! There are PLENTY of VERY LARGE SHARKS, especially Hammerheads feeding on the Tarpon.
 
Enjoyability is in the eye of the beholder. There are resident juvenile Tarpon up, and down the beaches here in the Gulf.

Boca Grande Pass, Gasparilla Island, and the Gasparilla Inn has attracted anglers worldwide in search of trophy Tarpon for over a century. I’ve never fished it with my boat but have chartered with knowledgeable captains who specialize in Tarpon fishing the Pass. It’s quite an experience sitting on the little stools that are mounted up on the bow of the Tarpon boats and being dragged around by a good fish. Kinda like a small Nantucket Sleigh Ride.

Some artwork I have at our Florida retreat. Tarpon pursuing a Pass Crab…..

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MakoMatt said:
I’ve been told by more than one captain that when fishing Boca Grand Pass you need to know the “local protocols.” If you understand and follow those “rules,” and have decent boat handling skills there shouldn’t be any problems. Evidently there are a lot of “googans” out there that don’t have any idea what they are doing and cause the fish to scatter. Additionally, they can create some dangerous conditions.

And don’t fall overboard in the Pass!!!!! There are PLENTY of VERY LARGE SHARKS, especially Hammerheads feeding on the Tarpon.
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“Googans” everywhere.
 
Snapprhead27 said:
I must have deleted the video. But where we fish in Key West, they hang around the dock waiting for scraps as the fish get cleaned.
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There are many places in the FL Keys where you can feed the Tarpon. Most notably probably is Robbie’s in Islamorada.

www.robbies.com

Robbie’s of Islamorada | Voted the #1 Place To Visit in Florida Keys

Welcome to Robbie’s Marina, home of the world-famous tarpon feeding! Here, you can discover the exciting things to do in Islamorada during your stop here.
www.robbies.com www.robbies.com
 

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