Tarpon Fishing and Catching The Elusive Silver King - Megalops Atlanticus

If you have ever had the priviledge of hooking up on a big tarpon then you know the exhilaration and thrill of testing yourself in battle against one of the most sought after gamefish in the world. This distinction is easy to see at first glance as the tarpon starts a series of spectacular acrobatic leaps in the air that will have your heart pounding, your rod bending and your drag screaming. You better hold on!

Since the tarpon's habitat is so close to the shoreline, fishermen of all types and skill levels can catch them. They can be caught from jetties, passes, docks, bridges, beaches, piers and rivers. Tarpon can be caught while using many types of tackle, rods, baits, lures and rigs either while fishing from a boat, canoe, kayak or walking and wading from the shoreline as the tarpon work up and down the beaches.

Live bait fishermen's bait of choice is the 'dollar crab'. A small live blue crab about two inches across its carapace, hooked through one end of it's shell or underneath through a swimmer leg. Other extremely effective live baits include pinfish, threadfin herrings and pilchards. On days when the tarpon is being finicky in it's tablefare selection, try these for the best results, and oh, by the way, don't forget about a live mullet. If you can get them, use them. Flyfishermen are not left out either. The stealth of casting the right fly can sometimes be the trick to hooking up.

But Just What is a Tarpon?

Scientific classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Elopiformes
Family: Megalopidae
Genus: Megalops

This exceptionally fine creature is a prehistoric animal and the only fish with an air bladder. This allows it to absorb oxygen and live in waters with very low oxygen content. You can see them gulp air at the water surface. Tarpon are also called poons, tarpum, sabalo real, cuffum, silverfish or silver king and belong to the bony fish family Elopidae. The Latin designation is Megalops atlanticus.

While only microscopic at birth, tarpon have been documented at lengths of more than eight feet and weighing 280 pounds. Catches weighing more than 200 pounds, while uncommon, do occur. Many fish caught are well over 100 pounds. Their growth rate is slow, taking 8 to 10 years to reach maturity, and generally those over 100 pounds are female. Tarpon can live 55 to 60 years. They are greenish or bluish on top, and silver on the sides. The large mouth is turned upwards and the lower jaw contains an elongated bony plate. The last ray of the dorsal fin is much longer than the others, reaching nearly to the tail.

They are found primarily in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, but they are also found in open marine waters, around coral reefs, and in some freshwater lakes and rivers. Their normal migratory pattern ranges from Virginia to central Brazil in the western Atlantic, along the coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic, and all through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Florida is widely regarded as having many of the best tarpon fishing locations in the world, especially the world-renowned Boca Grande Pass in Southwest Florida.

Fishing for the tarpon can at times be an excercise of patience and discipline. You may be surrounded by large schools of rolling tarpon containing hundreds of fish and they will not hit anything you throw at them. Other times, it is a feeding frenzy. So, go fishing for tarpon every chance you get, that next world record catch may be waiting just for you.

Greg Smith is a life-long fisherman and publisher of fishing information websites. Visit http://www.tarpon-fishing-i.com/ for more resources, tips, tricks and techniques.

---

Women and Fishing -- Not Just A Mans Sport

More and more women are learning to enjoy fishing each... Read More

Why Do I Fish?

As part of an email discussion list I'm part of,... Read More

The Old Man And His Bluegills

I started fishing a little lake just south of Somerset,... Read More

Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Bluefin tuna are one of the greatest challenges to anglers... Read More

Swordfishing Fort lauderdale Style

I was laying down on the bow of the boat... Read More

Nymph Fishing Techniques

Small stream nymphing is a very productive form of fly... Read More

Ice Fishing in the Wisconsin Winter

It's late December... temperatures are racing towards 0 degrees. Ice... Read More

Understanding the Effects Moonlight on Swordfishing

In order to better understand why swordfish concentrate their feeding... Read More

What Has Happened to the Cod Stocks Off the Shores of Newfoundland?

The Newfoundland cod stocks. What has happened to cod fishing... Read More

Fly Fishing Journals ? Keep Track of Your Trips

Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop.... Read More

The Advantages of Underwater Fishing Cameras

Want to see what's really going on under the water... Read More

Take a Kid Fishing

Take a kid fishing and they will learn to be... Read More

Just What Is the Stream Trout?

The term stream trout is actually a term used to... Read More

Anglers Who Want Quality Equipment at a Reasonable Price Need the Garmin 160 Fish Finder

The Garmin 160 Fish Finder has some big advantages over... Read More

Choosing Steelhead Gear

Steelhead GearLike many things in fly fishing you can ask... Read More

Trout Fishing Techniques

One of the most popular trout fishing techniques is called... Read More

The Major Benefit Of Night Fishing

Number One Benefit to Night FishingI think the best thing... Read More

Swordfishing in South Florida

Southeast Florida Swordfishing ? "Purple Fever"Once you have your tackle... Read More

Orlando Florida Fishing - Redfish Capital of the World

When visitors think of Orlando and Central Florida, they imagine... Read More

Fish Cooking Basics - How to Transform Those Fish You Just Caught into a Wonderful Seafood Dinner

Fish Cooking Basics I must admit that I... Read More

Fishing Team Gear Helps Teams Market To Sponsors

Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the... Read More

Back To Fish School....Baitfish 101

Class Is In Session.... Baitfish 101Okay.So you would think that... Read More

Fishing the Points

Sometimes bass fishing in a big lake can be overwhelming.... Read More

General Overview About Trout Senses

When fly fishing for trout, it is of crucial importance... Read More

Concentrate on Your Fishing

I was watching a TV Show with Bill Dance and... Read More

Dry Fly Techniques

Dry fly angling is at the top of any fly... Read More

My Fishing Trip With The Pro

I was in Southwest Florida and was asked to go... Read More

Choosing the Right Fly Fishing Rod

Choosing a good rod is a major decision for the... Read More

Are You Holding Your Mouth Right To Catch More Fish?

My young stepson and I was fishing at Rush Creek... Read More

Successful Fishing: The Mysterious e Factor.....

Successful Fishing: The mysterious "e" Factor.There has always been a... Read More

The Fish Dont Care What You Wear

The fish don't care what you wear.... Read More

The Wet Fly Swing

The wet fly swing sounds like something one does at... Read More

Drop-Shotting For Picky-Overfished Bass

There is a fairly new technique when it comes to... Read More