Fishing for Tarpon in the Florida Keys and Everglades

Tarpon have no equal in their jumping and fighting ability and there is no place in the world like the Florida Keys that offers better classic sight fishing and fly fishing opportunities.

Tarpon are considered by many anglers to be the ultimate fly rod target. It is as if they were made for fly anglers. Tarpon from juveniles or "babies" of 6 to 15 pounds and mature fish on up to 150 pounds can be found throughout our region. Tarpon are found just about everywhere in our area as they have the ability to tolerate just about any kind of water condition. This includes land locked tarpon in golf course ponds, lakes, drainage ditches and rock pits to the large migratory tarpon found in tidal rivers, bays and the Atlantic and Gulf waters of the Keys and Everglades. They also range from Virginia to Brazil, along the coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic, and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea. Tarpon are able to gulp air, which allow them to travel in and through oxygen depleted areas, namely brackish and estuarine waters.

Small Tarpon

The juvenile tarpon is also considered by many anglers a favorite sport fish. Tarpon under twenty pounds are usually considered babies, but are thought of in many cases as more enjoyable to catch than the big boys.

Notes

I try to release tarpon as soon as possible; I choose not to lift tarpon completely out of the water for photographs. Many guides, marine biologists and fisheries experts agree that the mortality rate of the tarpon is significantly reduced by an untimely release - mostly due to predation. There are other viable options that will capture the memory such as video taping the fight or a photo at the side of the boat during the release.

Best Time

Tarpon fishing in January, February and March can be the best of the year, but weather dependent and is not a "sure thing" like April, May, June and July. Cold fronts in the late Fall and early Spring can compromise the great early tarpon fishing with high winds and cool water temperatures so a backup plan like snook fishing is a very good idea until the water warms up and the wind subsides. By late March through July the tarpon are on their migratory tracks and sight fishing opportunities are a given regardless of the weather. You can't count them out literally any month of the year Oct, Nov, and December can be very good months with the right weather conditions.

More Information

Links...

Tarpon FAQ
Check our knowledge base for any questions you have about tarpon; or ask one.

Fishing Gear For Big Tarpon

Fly Fishing Gear

• 10 weight with floating, clear floating and additional "clear sink tip" line, for tarpon.
  
  
• 11 weight with floating, clear floating and additional clear sink tip, best all around tool for big tarpon.
  
  
• 12 weight is optional but great to have on that windy day, for a little more punch with a floating line, sink tip and especially with an intermediate line to cut through the wind.

Leaders For Big Tarpon

• Leaders I use a variation of the standard IGFA big game leader with 16 or 20 pound class tippet. Including the butt section, I generally tie these leaders from 9 to as long as 14 feet. If you are not interested in world records, in my opinion you can increase hookups by lengthening your shock tippet from the standard IGFA 12 inches to as long as 30 inches. The advantage here is less visibility between knots and also gives you ability to clip off a damaged fly or a couple inches of scuffed leader and re- tie without having to trash the entire leader.
  
  
• Leader Materials...
  I generally use hard Mason or hard Rio for the 5 to 7 foot butt section, I use the same for the class tippet. I then use Seaguar fluorocarbon for the shock tippet.
  
  
• Tarpon Flies...
  My tarpon flies are generally tied in the non-fouling splayed tail, married tail and toad style with lots of color variations. If you choose to tie your own, you should tie both light and dark patterns with hook sizes ranging from 1/0 for ultra clear water conditions to 3/0 for silty water conditions.