Every year around this time we are fortunate enough to have a healthy migration of Tarpon move though our area. Although we do not offer specific trips just for Tarpon, you never know when the "Silver King" might take your bait when fishing on one of our charters. Truly the Fish of a Lifetime, he does everything a sport fish should from jumping high, to peeling drags, to shaking the hook loose more times than not, but it's that great challenge that makes it such a trophy fish to pursue. For many, tarpon fishing has progressed from an addiction to an outright obsession. Whether you enjoy the challenge of fly fishing for them, throwing artificials or just bait fishing for them like we do, the second that fish jumps for the first time your heart will stop and that exact moment will been frozen in time forever. It is that very moment that's most responsible for turning relatively stable human beings into outright addicts of Tarpon Fishing.
Many are familiar with the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, but what they don't know is that the word whale was actually a translation used rather than "big fish". The original ancient story was of a giant "FISH" that ate Jonah and as depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel as it relates to that story, we can clearly see that that fish was in fact a Tarpon. A fish that is said to have been on earth for roughly 120 million years and has mystified fisherman for thousands upon thousands of years, the tarpon has captured the souls of so many who chase them. Maybe it's not so surprising that a fish with such a rich history has the ability to grasp our minds and spirit like the Silver King.
Recently I had the privilege of fishing with my longtime friend and avid angler @Huntress_Jen Jen has fished with me many times in the past and we have battled everything from 10 Foot Tiger Sharks, to big Gag Grouper, to you name it! She is a highly skilled angler and when we are working together as a team on catching trophy fish I always have a little bit of extra confidence knowing her ability. When I saw the perfect wind and tidal conditions lining up, I told her it was Tarpon Time and she needed to get up here. We left the dock early, headed out to just the right location, pulled up a few bait fish and then set our gear and waited for the chaos to ensue. After a few minutes we saw our first roller right behind our bait. If that wasn't enough to get our hearts pounding, a few minutes later the first rod went off and after a violent run on the drag, our first Silver King was airborne. A quick throw of the anchor and we were on his tail. Unfortunately a few minutes later he made an aerobatic leap that would lead to a gill cut leader, but hey, that's tarpon fishing! With our hearts still racing, we reconnected to our anchor and set out another bait. It didn't take long for the next Tarpon to go airborne and with perfect timing and teamwork, we were fast after him and gaining ground. After a few quick jumps, Jen started to put the heat on him and within approximately 20 minutes we had our Tarpon boat side. After a quick picture and a hook removal we began to revive the fish and within seconds the fish bolted away. A healthy release and a day that will be etched in our minds forever because no matter how many days you fish, the days you execute a perfect plan and actually land your tarpon will remain in your mind for a lifetime. There are countless fish in the sea, but there truly is only ONE Silver King!
- Captain Ed
