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Started By
Message
the official Tarpon catching, getting it off your bucket list thread.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:44 pm
I have had catching a tarpon on my bucket list a long time. I tried in earnest in '05 a couple of times. The Thursday before Katrina, I was catching some world class Gafftop under the L&N bridge.....no tarpon though. the water was already up. knocked off my all around light going under 11.
I caught a baby one in the Biloxi marsh years ago. I thought I was on them in Pontchartrain a few years back, but when I got the the commotion, it was big arse gars.
Tarpon Tom used to post a lot about them. But is not as active now I don't think.
Anyway lets find them and catch them. I know you can catch them in west bay in the late summer. I want to catch them in Pontchartrain or Grand Isle or Timbalier. If I have to, I will trailer down in August but I sure would like to catch them closer.
Anybody on the OB an expert and willing to share?
Thanks
I caught a baby one in the Biloxi marsh years ago. I thought I was on them in Pontchartrain a few years back, but when I got the the commotion, it was big arse gars.
Tarpon Tom used to post a lot about them. But is not as active now I don't think.
Anyway lets find them and catch them. I know you can catch them in west bay in the late summer. I want to catch them in Pontchartrain or Grand Isle or Timbalier. If I have to, I will trailer down in August but I sure would like to catch them closer.
Anybody on the OB an expert and willing to share?
Thanks
This post was edited on 4/24/13 at 12:49 pm
11
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:46 pm to ReelFun
I'm a youngin, the only way I've heard of doing it is in South Pass.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:47 pm to ReelFun
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.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:48 pm to ReelFun
I caught one out of port Everglades in south Florida. It was by accident though, on a ballyhoo. That bastard did horse me around for like half an hour though.
South pass is where to catch em down here.
South pass is where to catch em down here.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:49 pm to ReelFun
quote:
The Thursday before Katrina
Lake was full of dead ones right after storm. And I'm talking 100lb+ fish.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:52 pm to Capt ST
quote:
Lake was full of dead ones right after storm. And I'm talking 100lb+ fish
Was Hat and the Hell Divers spear fishing in teh lake at that time. They've got a rep for killing those things apparently.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:52 pm to Capt ST
Caught one on a fly rod many years ago.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:52 pm to Capt ST
reel fun.. holler at me in july....
Posted on 4/24/13 at 12:58 pm to tigerinthebueche
quote:
Was Hat and the Hell Divers spear fishing in teh lake at that time.
I hope not for their sake, they were pumping out Chocolate City.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:02 pm to tigerinthebueche
quote:
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.
That sounds like fun Tiger, but I want to catch one here.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:04 pm to choupiquesushi
quote:
holler at me in july....
will do choupique
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:04 pm to ReelFun
quote:
I want to catch one here
i hear ya and don't blame you a bit. But if you decide to fish them elsewhere, I'd urge you to mirror my trip. Good luck!
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:05 pm to tigerinthebueche
Would love to go get a giant. Only one i have caught was in the florida keys, about 40 lbs
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:11 pm to Bullredbf
great thing about the trip we take is its all on light tackle- spinning reels and live thread fin herring for bait. We sight cast and hope they're hungry. 100#+ tarpon on ligh tackle is quite exhilarating.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:12 pm to ReelFun
I don't know if you caught the latest episode of River Monsters this past Sunday, but he was going after big Tarpon in Central America with a fly rod and a kayak.
It looks like it would be incredible to try.
River Monsters Tarpon Episode
It looks like it would be incredible to try.
River Monsters Tarpon Episode
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:15 pm to ReelFun
spent a 16 hour day trolling out of south pass one summer. it was 100+ degrees, dead calm, and we hooked 4, caught 2. Never want to do it again. Left Venice in the dark, returned after dark.
A buddy of mine in the LKFC hooked one in LNG on trout tackle. Got some video before it broke off. I could do that, but not interested in targeting them unless it was in the Keys.
A buddy of mine in the LKFC hooked one in LNG on trout tackle. Got some video before it broke off. I could do that, but not interested in targeting them unless it was in the Keys.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:18 pm to tigerinthebueche
Never caught a reel big fish, but the coolest on was the one I caught in the surf at Elmer's Island. The thing went airborne over 20 times. Should have got the thing mounted. 
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:20 pm to ReelFun
I can't help you in LA. I did see them just out of casting distance one time in Matagorda. I hooked into a jack cravelle and got excited until I realized my error in judgement.
I had to go to Puerto Rico for this one.
I had to go to Puerto Rico for this one.
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:24 pm to Mung
I saw that video on youtube, awesome
Posted on 4/24/13 at 1:38 pm to Mung
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)"
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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