Tarpon Fishing Info
Southwest Florida is hands down the best tarpon fishery on the planet. I invite you to join me on the tarpon trip of a lifetime. This site will detail the absolute best tarpon fisheries in the world: Charlotte Harbor, the Southwest Florida gulf beaches, and the tarpon capital of the world, Boca Grande Pass.
Most guies on the West Coast of Florida start their tarpon season in May and end sometime in the middle of July. Most websites and articles written about tarpon fishing in Southwest FLorida highlight May, June, and July as the prime months for tarpon fishing and in turn give a false feeling that these months are the only months to have a great day of tarpon fishing in Southwest Florida. My tarpon season starts in April usually around the second week if our area doesn't see any major cold front activity. I will tarpon fish from April through September, usually concluding my tarpon season by the middle of October
Charlotte Harbor tarpon fishery early season (April/May) - Starting sometime around the second week of April, tarpons start to show up in Charlotte Harbor in great numbers. While most tarpon guides are still backcountry fishing in April, I'm targeting the silver kings on a daily basis. These fish that I see in early April are usually resident fish that live their lives in the Peace and Myakka Rivers, which open up into what we know as Charlotte Harbor. These early season fish are big and hungry. Over the last 10 years of targeting these fish I find the average size to be well above 100 pounds and some pushing the 200 pound class size, true trophies. These fish will stay in Charlotte Harbor for three to four weeks depending on current weather factors. Around the end of the third week of April, the Charlotte Harbor tarpon fishery doubles in size. Tarpon will be found from the mouths of the rivers all the way up to Pine Island Sound. These tarpon usually school up by the hundreds to enjoy the schools of bait that also call Charlotte Harbor home. The thing I truly cherish most about these early season tarpon is that there is hardly any fishing pressure on these fish. Our area hasn't yet seen the influx of out of town guides that come here to fish Boca Grande Pass. Once the month of May comes and the threat of cold fronts is nothing more than a bad memory, the tarpon fleet arrives. Guides from all over Florida will now start their season. By now I will have my fishing pattern set as most the other guides are just starting.
Boca Grande Pass Tarpon Fishery - Boca Grande Pass and the surrounding beaches offer world class tarpon fishing from around May through the middle of July. It is documented that at the height of tarpon season there will be up to 10,000 tarpon that call Boca Grande Pass home, hence the reason why Boca Grande is truly the tarpon fishing capital of the world.
Hill Tide
The full and new moon spring tides offer the best tarpon fishing of the season in Boca Grande Pass. The strong outgoing tides during these lunar phases sweep millions of Calico crabs from Charlotte Harbor through Boca Grande Pass. The tarpon gather around the "hill" of Boca Grande pass anxiously awaiting an easy meal. If a topwater bass or snook bite gets your blood pumping then just thing of a 100 pound bass crushing a topwater plug and you can somewhat imagine what Boca Grande Pass looks like during one of these tides.
Hill Tide Dates - Book Fast.
There is a limited number of hill tide dates left for the 2008 tarpon season. Book soon so you don't miss out. Get ready for some tackle busting action!
May - 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th,
June - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20thth, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 30th
July - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
Beach Fishing - I offer tarpon fishing trips along the sandy beaches of Southwest FLorida in addition to Boca Grande Pass trips during mid May through June. Schools of tarpon roam the shallow waters of the Gulf beaches in what I call pods. On calm mornings it is easy to spot the silver king from many hundreds of yards away. These fish break away from Boca Grande Pass to migrate towards the north on a daily basis. There are not many guides that fish both Boca Grande Pass and the beaches. Sometimes the best tarpon fishing is in Boca Grande Pass and other times it is found along the beaches. Typical tackle used for these fish are 7-7.5 foot spinnign gear with a reel that can handle 300+ yards of 20# class line.
Charlotte Harbor Tarpon Fishery (late season) - Once the tarpon action on the coast comes to an end, usually around the middle of July, I focus my attention back to the areas where I first fished them in April. By now the nomad tarpon fleet that stormed Southwest Florida is all gone. Now the season is at its halfway point. From July through October great numbers of tarpon will call Charlotte Harbor home. This is truly my favorite time of the season. The fish that are here have one goal, fatten up for winter. Tarpon will gather in numbers that rival June. I have many many times have had thousands of tarpon 360 degrees around my boat on a sunny September and could not see another boat more less a fisherman for miles. I have fished these fish for many years and it is always the same case. The tarpon fishing will be first class until about the end of September when the tarpon start the migration back south. This time of year is very special just due to the lack of fishing pressure on these fish. You can relive the "good ol' days" of tarpon fishing just about any time from July - Early October.
2005 Jim Beam Tarpon Cup Championship
5 Week Qualifying Standings In The 50 Boat Field
- Week # 1---First Place (tie)
- Week # 2---Third Place
- Week # 3---Fifth Place
- Week # 4---Fifth Place
- Week # 5---Seventh Place
2005 Jim Beam Tarpon Cup Championship Finale Event
Most Verified Leader Releases (5)
