# tarpon time?????report



## DnT (Jul 5, 2015)

Just finished my three day trip..for those of you who checked my earlier thread here's what I've learned  1the spinner sharks n black tips are everywhere...but know tarpon to be found...we did not even see one roll ...not saying there's none but they are scarce if there is any.2 i dont think early July is worth fishing for tarpon it's a little to early n I didn't see any charters fishing for them so I guess that explains it(no charters no fish)3 don't expect to get a whole lot of help if you ask questions about the spoopoospoopoonsaboyoouynsnsabouyns seems to be a lot of tight lips or info from those who don't know sh#=.kind of sad really been tarpon fishing  all over florida never seen nothing like it..everyone down there is as helpful as possible n up here I'umm not so much .we will b back down at the end of July I'm sure it will b much better EARLY JULY IS JUST TO EARLY....


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## shawncweed (Jul 6, 2015)

DnT...Hey...sorry didn't back to you last weekend, but called in for work...did go out on FRI and then SUN off the front side of St Cats (Black hammock) and off the south banks of Ossabaw Island (St Cats Sound) and out to the buoys...The good news was there was bait all over the beach front...acres of them...and then some tight density bait balls being hammered by Spinners and Blacktips...saw no tarpon...no Cobia for that matter either...But caught several blacktips...the Method was pretty straight forward...Castnetted enough bait with two tosses of the cast net...just incredible...then I rigged an adjustable float with a 3 foot 80lb cable and a 7/0 hook...live bait the Menhaden and inch the boat around to the dense bait ball where you can see the blacktips forcing the menhaden out of the water by the hundreds...cast the float right in the middle...and literally within seconds of the splash, the float would disappear and was hooked up...and the spinner would take off and make some great runs with some leaps...we also had out a freeline and a bottom rig...but the adjustable float in the middle of the bait ball was the ticket...Last year when we caught tarpon in the same place it was the same bait conditions but we used 100lb mono leaders...Saw no tarpon in the sound...but we did catch a few Spanish mackerel trolling spoons on the way to the buoys to check for Cobia...none there though. Still early in the season though...


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## rdnckrbby (Jul 6, 2015)

Tarpon are here..No big numbers yet but people are catching a few already. Know of a boat that went 4-6 off Doboy last week around the rip line.


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## shawncweed (Jul 6, 2015)

rdnckrbby said:


> Tarpon are here..No big numbers yet but people are catching a few already. Know of a boat that went 4-6 off Doboy last week around the rip line.



That's good news...about 50 miles south of us...hopefully, they are working their way up...Last year they really started to show up in numbers in SEP...


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## DnT (Jul 6, 2015)

Thanks for the info Shawn...n that's how u caught tarpon last year also?all the tarpon I got on last year we anchored n chummed so we fished the same this trip but we never saw any to go after either ..all of them we hooked up with were in 4 to 8 foot of water..like you though we caught a bunch of spinners n black tips..but the prize was a 250plus lb lemon though it lacked silver n a aerial display the fish nearly spooled my shimano 25 tld was quite impressive but we were disadvantaged since the hook hung her in the dorsal fin truly a long painful fight......Thanks for the info rdnckrbby


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## Southernhoundhunter (Jul 6, 2015)

Saw tarpon in St. Cats Saturday. They're here, just not thick yet


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## shawncweed (Jul 6, 2015)

Last year we caught three tarpon in similar conditions, but it was a bit later in the year(SEP/OCT)...The key was the bait. Two were caught near Black Hammock near St Cats, and the other off the sand banks on the south end of Ossabaw...there were acres and acres of Menhaden...the beaches were alive with them and the winds were low and the waters very calm...We GPS'd a school in the sound at over 1,000m long...the biggest I have ever seen...we could just sit and watch the tarpon launch every few minutes. It was quite a spectacle...we fished three lines in at a time...one on the bottom, one on top (adjustable float), and one pitched bait depending on where we saw action...I try not to anchor so I don't have to worry about the anchor line...plus I can redirect the boat to the right place more quickly. Gear wise we use stout spinners...(SSV, Fin Nor Offshore, and a Torque TRQS9) with 65lb braid and mono leaders. The big difference from last year to what we saw over this past weekend was while there was a lot of bait on the beaches they were smaller than last year...And I didn't see the humongous schools in the sound. They were for the most part being corralled into the shallows. It was cool to watch though...I think it will only get better from here on into early NOV.


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## shawncweed (Jul 6, 2015)

Southernhoundhunter said:


> Saw tarpon in St. Cats Saturday. They're here, just not thick yet



Very nice...Where did you see it?


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## Southernhoundhunter (Jul 6, 2015)

Off north beach. Saw 2 come out of the water. They were a long ways off.


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## Tightliners (Jul 6, 2015)

Never fished for Tarpon before but it's my new trophy target. About a month ago my buddy and I went out to the front side of St. Cats. Got into some Menhaden balls and  saw a few GOOD sized Tarpon jumping. Fished a bit and only caught Balcktip after Blacktip. Hope to go out more soon and try to target the poons more specifically.


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## DnT (Jul 6, 2015)

Shawn what ur saying is u just drive around looking for big bait balls n look for tarpon busting?...if you don't see them then what?just drive n and out through the sound n along the beaches?......tightliners good luck with your adventure I caught my first tarpon when I was thirteen it has ruined me and cost me a lot of money lol...I've spent the last 25 years chasing them down but am new to the jekyll island thing..but there's nothing like hooking a tarpon and fighting one especially the first 15 minutes... Thanks for the report southernhoundhunter


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## shawncweed (Jul 7, 2015)

DnT...well, in a nut shell yes...It seems the most efficient way here. There is the option of anchoring up and chumming...which has its merits...but the down side is the chum is going to attract lots of sharks, bluefish, jacks etc...plus, with a boat like ours without a top, you kind of broil just sitting there...and I hate it when folks are restless...Plus, my thought process is it is better to have your boat within casting distance of where you can see the fish feeding, than to try to lure them away from a density of live fish towards your chum. Make no mistake, I am an amateur at this and last year was the first year we targeted tarpon and caught them. This year we wanted to catch Cobia, and frankly I haven't seen a single one this year...But we are trying!


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## DnT (Jul 7, 2015)

I appreciate all the info Shawn thank u!!!!this fishing is a lot closer than the keys but way more difficult...at the right time with the right bait delivering the right presentation I can jump a 100 tarpon in 3 nights(that is no exaggeration) by the third night u could care less if u catch one or not it's like fishing in a barrel n have done it year after year...unfrtunately that trip is a 13 hour drive one way compared to a 4 n half hour...pic your poison i guess..again thanks for the info n I welcome any other info I can get ...thank u


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## shawncweed (Jul 7, 2015)

Ahhh...the Keys...we love the place. Fishing Nirvana...But we also like the coastal GA area and how much of it is undeveloped...just a different kind of fishing. We miss the Clear water in the keys though...it's amazing. The first Tarpon I ever saw in person was hand feeding them at Robbies on Islamorada...they look like they they have aluminum siding...and like you said...they seemed to be everywhere there!


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## alphachief (Jul 8, 2015)

Headed over to tarpon fish Saturday with Capt. Greg Hildreth out of St. Simons.  I'll post a follow up on how we do.


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## DnT (Jul 8, 2015)

Appreciate it alphachief


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## Flaustin1 (Jul 9, 2015)

They were off of tybee yesterday.  Watched a huge school of menhaden come up the beach and every so often, you could see the tarpon bust up the school.  They were just out of range of my surf rods though.


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## shawncweed (Jul 9, 2015)

Flaustin...that's awesome...a good sign. Sounds like the conditions I saw over the weekend...I just didn't see the Tarpon...I probably should have stayed longer, the narrow channel I use to get to the front of St Cats is only passable for a couple hours in and around flood tide in my boat...the bait is really plentiful this year which is a good sign all around...


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## shawncweed (Jul 9, 2015)

alphachief said:


> Headed over to tarpon fish Saturday with Capt. Greg Hildreth out of St. Simons.  I'll post a follow up on how we do.



Alphachief...good luck to you...pass along to techniques you guys use if you would...always looking to learn something new.


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## DnT (Jul 9, 2015)

Awesome..sorry about the out of range thing ...thank u sir...was hoping to see that very thing when I was down but nope still got two trips coming up...


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## DnT (Jul 9, 2015)

Well said Shawn ...would appreciate all the details...thank you alphachief


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## shawncweed (Jul 10, 2015)

In the barren dry desert of So Cal's Mojave...no fishing for a week...why do people live here?


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## alphachief (Jul 11, 2015)

Saw around 50 tarpon today.  Had a big 175 pounder hit the bait and come all the way out of the water about 20 yards behind the boat...but didn't hook up.  Of course caught 20+ shark.  Migration is not on yet.


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## shawncweed (Jul 11, 2015)

alphachief said:


> Saw around 50 tarpon today.  Had a big 175 pounder hit the bait and come all the way out of the water about 20 yards behind the boat...but didn't hook up.  Of course caught 20+ shark.  Migration is not on yet.



Wow...Around St. Simons? That's incredible...will be headed our way soon I hope...Just in time for me to get back from this inferno...I haven't seen so much as a puddle out here...I guess that is why they call it a desert...What was your guys' technique?


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## DnT (Jul 11, 2015)

I was hoping for u to do better..but u did better than I did when I went july1-july3..slowly getting better...last year we jumped 2 caught 1on July 17...good fishing to u alphachief thank u...oh I saw ur quarterback punch that girl...not good news for your Seminoles..got a lot of drama around ur quarterbacks the last couple years jumbo must b pulling his hair out


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## DnT (Jul 11, 2015)

Yeah never tried sand fishing Shawn lol...it'll make getting on the water when u get back that much sweeter


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## alphachief (Jul 11, 2015)

shawncweed said:


> Wow...Around St. Simons? That's incredible...will be headed our way soon I hope...Just in time for me to get back from this inferno...I haven't seen so much as a puddle out here...I guess that is why they call it a desert...What was your guys' technique?



Fished live pogies up top and dead bait off the bottom.  Anchored up and worked the tide. It'll be on in August.


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## DnT (Jul 11, 2015)

Just out of curiosity alphachief did the tarpon jump a live pogy or cut one


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## alphachief (Jul 12, 2015)

DnT said:


> Just out of curiosity alphachief did the tarpon jump a live pogy or cut one



Live


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## tgw925 (Jul 16, 2015)

We caught a few back in June. Tried to get out in early July but swells were too big.


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## alphachief (Jul 16, 2015)

Figures...our Capt. went 2 for 2 on Sunday after our Saturday trip!


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## Ga Woodrow (Jul 16, 2015)

Boys first time in the ocean.  Caught 20+ sharks and both boys landed tarpon 70 and 80 pds.  Great day.  Went with Richie Lott and had a great time.  His mate made sure the boys had fun and Richie worked nonstop to keep us on the fish.


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## DnT (Jul 16, 2015)

That's unfortunate alphachief...that's fishin though I guess....that's awesome ga woodrow if you don't mind give me the details...where?how deep?live bait?anchor or drift?top or bottom?spot them or just set up on one of his honey holes?


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## DnT (Jul 16, 2015)

Tgw925 you wouldn't happen to want to share those details about ur june tarpon would ya


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## Tightliners (Jul 18, 2015)

Saw at least a dozen poons around Tybee today from my Kayak. I was fishing around Cockspur island and saw multiple good sized ones jumping and flying around in the distance. Then as I was paddling across the shipping channel I found myself in the middle of a popping school of pogies. I looked forward and saw a school of about 8, ~5' tarpon right in front of me circling at the surface with their dorsals showing. I ended up running right over them. A few thrashed and whacked my Yak pretty good. They're out there!!! Still have never caught one, but imma take the powerboat out tomorrow and give it a go.


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## DnT (Jul 18, 2015)

Man that had to b intense..tarpon hitting ur kayak WOW!!!!thanks for the report n b safe..go get him n let me know how u do


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## Tightliners (Jul 19, 2015)

Got a late start this morning and it was a bit too rough to really spot fish the tarpon. Saw one busting up some pogies by the jetties, but didn't seem worthwhile to pursue.Too bad, maybe next time!!


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## shawncweed (Jul 20, 2015)

D__n you all...was home from the desert for 36 hours and now up in NY...I can't wait to get the boat in and get after it...


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## DnT (Jul 21, 2015)

We're coming down  for trip 2 this weekend...fishing sun-wed..gonna fish front side of the moon..hoping for better results..hate that for ya Shawn...but in my case you got to work hard to play hard..although tarpon fishing is a lot of work too go figure...tightliner keep at it hope u hook one on ur yak that would b nasty


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## shawncweed (Jul 21, 2015)

DnT said:


> We're coming down  for trip 2 this weekend...fishing sun-wed..gonna fish front side of the moon..hoping for better results..hate that for ya Shawn...but in my case you got to work hard to play hard..although tarpon fishing is a lot of work too go figure...tightliner keep at it hope u hook one on ur yak that would b nasty



Good luck to you and your crew!...and post a note on how you do...I am rooting for you...home on FRI, so hopefully WX holds for this weekend...


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