re: the official Tarpon catching, getting it off your bucket list thread.

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I've fished Punta Gorda Fl. for 8-10 yeas now and caught tarpon every time

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Thinking about possibly making a trip down there, what does a tarpon trip roughly cost?

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Growing up I always used to hear of the old guys talking about Tarpon in the pits near the Lake Front Airport.

Could be a bunch of fish stories but I heard it repeated enough that it just might be true...

Anyway that area is fun to fish. I used to fish the rocks and old camp pilings by south point at dawn and loved it. It was one of the only places in the lake that I hooked into Jacks and it typically has a lot of mullet so it would make sense that they might feed in that area? Who knows, worst case scenario is that you are in a great area to fish trout and reds.

Links to pit locations:

LINK

LINK

Quick summary from link:
"In the early 1930's several dredge pits were excavated along Lake Pontchartrain's south shore to provide material for land-fill projects adjacent to the Lake. The pits were dug down to the stiff clays of the Pleistocene surface 20-25 m (65.6-82.0 ft) below the Lake bottom. Two such pits were excavated to build up the south shore near the IHNC and the Lakefront Airport (Figure 42). The pit northeast of the Lakefront Airport (NE) has an area of approximately 0.45 km2 and extends over 14 m below the Lake bottom (Figures 43a and 43b). The pit adjacent to the IHNC is about 0.21 km2 and reaches 12 m below the Lake bottom (Figures 44a and 44b)"

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Hey computerguy, that's what I'm talking about! now we just need a Pontchartrain patrol to keep an eye out for activity.

I'm thinking the beginning of the rigolets...north of hospital wall? would be a great place to soak some pig pogeys and maybe pitch a swim bait for them. There is a lot of water that flows through there.

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started reeling thinking it was a red, it jumped, my jaw dropped, he spit the hook

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"You have to bow to the fish, son."

Reel...


Those holes filled in long long long ago...

In fact the fish weren't actually at the pits..the misnomer came because of people calling where the tarpon frequented

"tarpon holes"

What I seem to remember is that they were always in groups of at least 4 and following bait



One of my uncles caught a ton of em there until the late 70s in fact longtime state record came from lake

But I hear some guy in chags years ago running his mouth about my uncle fishing in a 80 ft deep hole and I can tell you that was not what we did
Looked for sig s of them and them and fished..in the meantime trolled


Near chef pass is and was always the best place

Lake Ponchartrain Basin Foundation puts out a map with all kinds of waypoints/markers for various different fishing related spots in the lake. (see link) LINK

They still have a Tarpon Hole listed at where the South Point Dredge Pit is listed in the links from earlier in this thread.

I highly recommend getting this map. It lists all the new man-made reefs too!

EDIT TO ADD: (All you need to know about the map)

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Lake Pontchartrain Fishing and Recreation Guide Map

Availability: online purchase at SaveOurLake.org, or at LPBF events (see Events/Calendar on website)
Or Call 504 836-2215

Map Coverage: Lakes Pontchartrain, Maurepas and Borgne, and surrounding areas that are within
Louisiana and east of the Mississippi River, including portions of the following parishes Orleans, Jefferson,
St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines St. Charles, St. John, Livingston, Tangipahoa

Total Size: 34 x 20 inches (two-sided print)
Map Scale: 1 inch equals 13,500 feet or 2.56 miles (1:162,500)

First Printing: December 2009
Publisher and Copyright (applied): Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Foundation, Metairie, Louisiana

Printer: Garrity Printing LLC. Harahan, Louisiana

Print type:
High-quality, color separation print on durable vinyl paper on two sides,
Completely waterproof ink and vinyl paper (similar to diver note paper & can
be written with pencil or ink)
Folded accordion style like a highway map (folded size 3 1/2 x 8 inches)
Unfolded, rolled maps on paper are also available for wall mounting

Map Corner Points (maximum extent):
Northwest corner: latitude 30o 30’ longitude 90o 30’
Southeast corner: latitude 29o 43’ longitude 89o 27’

Map Contents:
Artificial reefs, Historic shell mounds, Dredge holes, Railroads, Bridges, Oil and gas platforms, 58 Boat launches, Bank fishing locations, Water depth contours, Sailing regatta buoys, Power lines, State parks, Nation Wildlife Refuges, Wildlife Management Areas, Lake Pontchartrain Sanctuary, Bike paths, Swamp tour sites, Public beaches, Tide gages, Historic lighthouses, Common fish, Lake salinity ranges, Historic forts, freshwater diversions, major highways, and more.

Information in Tables:
• GPS Coordinates for artificial reefs, shell mounds, oil and gas platforms;
• Contact information for swamp tours, and boat launches;
• Bank fishing locations

General Information:
Emergency Contacts, General description of the Pontchartrain Basin, Catch and release suggestions, Photographs of common fish, Boating safety, LPBF artificial reef program, Environmental Issues, Water quality, Biding sites, hiking localities, suggested Kayaking/Canoeing sites. Recreational activities, Coastal living, Food Web for Lake Pontchartrain, Multiple lines of Defense strategy for coastal Louisiana, LPBF contact information.

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I've seen them out of South Pass and Galveston, but never hooked one. Def on my bucket list.

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I've fished Punta Gorda Fl. for 8-10 yeas now and caught tarpon every time. Fish run 100# and up. Its a great trip and well worth the money. If its truly a bucket list thing you need to go try it. I'll give you my guides name- hes the best guide I've ever seen.

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Have a family house right about a mile from Boca grande. You can practicly hand feed the tarpon around there, that and the ilsamorada in the keys are tarpon crazy

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Have a family house right about a mile from Boca Grande

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I'm jealous! The beach houses are gorgeous- at least from the water. I don't care for the way they fish tarpon in the pass- dropping jigs on them. It just seems a lot more fun the way Rhett fishes them.

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Dunno...only place in lake I knownthy have shown up at night is seabrook

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was that before they dammed the Mrgo?

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Lake Ponchartrain Basin Foundation puts out a map with all kinds of waypoints/markers for various different fishing related spots in the lake. (see link) LINK

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Thanks cdaniel, I just ordered the folding map. They are out of the rolled ones.