Tarpon Rookie Contest

[Peterjay 0]

Welcome to the first annual

Three Stooges Memorial Tarpon Tournament!

The tournament is open to any fly fisherman who has yet to catch a decent-sized tarpon on an artificial fly.

The grand prize winner will receive six tarpon flies from the each of the sorry-ass entrants who fail in their quest to score the first fly-caught adult tarpon of their fishing careers.

The grand prize winner will be the angler who is first to report his catch on this forum. Sob stories about running out of gas on the way back to the docks, being hospitalized for sea snake bites, pirate raids, or computer crashes will not be accepted. First come, first prize.

Those who score after the tournament closes should feel free to report their catches as well As we’re all aware, bragging is an important element of our beloved sport.

Proposed rules:

1) Guided trips are permissible provided the guide in no way physically assists the entrant in bringing the fish to the boat. Guides are prohibited from touching the rod or line in any way. Grabbing the leader is permissible, as is swearing, screaming, and belittling the entrant’s skill level. This is to be expected.

2) A fish is considered caught when it is intentionally released to fight again. None of this “touch the leader” stuff. As we all know, large saltwater gamefish are capable of bolting and making substantial runs after being brought close to the boat. A tarpon that jumps into the boat will be considered caught providing the angler can produce photographic evidence of broken bones, smashed electronic gear, or other catastrophic mayhem. An ER bill, properly dated and witnessed will also be considered bona fide evidence.

3) Photographs are not required, although they are encouraged if circumstances allow. A photograph of a single scale, while proving nothing, will greatly enhance the entrant’s prestige on the FTF site. Photographs of dead fish will be automatically disqualified, as will photographs of the “entrants” alongside guides and others who have been deceased for years. Obviously, many members have refrained from posting likenesses of themselves on this site, but I know damned well what Joe Brooks and Jimmie Albright looked like.

4) There is no deadline for entries, although signing up after a fish is hooked is discouraged. Emails with “sent from my iPhone” on the page will be viewed with suspicion.

5) Entrants are not required to be long-standing members of the forum, although 50 pre-tournament posts should be enough to eliminate the possibility of an unscrupulous, unknown opportunist grabbing a nice collection of tarpon flies by faking an entry. Exceptions to this requirement will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

6) This is a big one: the tournament is being conducted strictly on an honor basis. No oaths are required. Since fishermen are, with great justification, widely considered to be a pack of lying bastards anyway, sworn statements would be a waste of everybody’s time and energy. The tournament board of directors asks only that entrants rise above their sordid reputations and, for once, give an honest account of the season’s piscatorial activities. Who knows, it might catch on.

7) At present, there is only one individual who has been issued a pre-tournament double secret disqualification. Said individual will be identified only upon an attempt to enter. Other names will undoubtedly be added to the list as time goes on. Entries submitted by persons known to live in the Yukon, Greenland, or the Gobi Desert will come under close scrutiny by the tournament’s fraud detection committee, as will evidence of harpoons, machine guns, explosives, gill nets, or barrels of rotenone aboard the entrant’s boat.

Comments, corrections, or additions are welcome. Upon ratification of tournament rules and a workable entry list, the tournament will be listed in the contests and swaps section of the FTF.

Respectfully submitted,

PJ

[Piker20 0]

I win I win Fishing today by the town drain overflow pipe, great spot for fish, and the rod slammed round. I saw it surface and it was at least 20 inches long but looked a little lean. Not a fresh one but a tampon all the same........................ OH Tarpon! oh well in that case just you carry on. I'll be looking for the lucky guy/gal to post.

[Peterjay 0]

Years ago when I worked for Reel-Time, I ran a rather shady bycatch derby that was won by a guy who caught a ladyfish in the outflow of a nuclear power plant in Connecticut. Your tampon wouldn't have taken the grand prize, but it certainly would have won a merit award. Keep up the good work!

[Piker20 0]

Can't be worse than the Johnny my mate hooked on the inner city canal. Knotted and full of something. He just cut his line below his float and let that swim on for another day.

[ditz2 0]

the rules seem more than fair and I would like to enter if a Tennessee Tarpon qualifies. That is if anyone can tell me what and where the TT's can be located. You left out Stu Apt so I assume the 30 year old pic I have could be used as an entry. 151# on a fly is large in anyones estimation.

[sthrncomfort 0]

I never fail to get a laugh out of the salty side if this forum.

 

Sign me up!

 

Now to find a beast if a tarpon.

[BrookTroutAngler 0]

Funniest post I have ever seen on this forum. Sounds like a cool contest to those participating, but I don't live near any tarpon and thank god because I can only imagine having to buy a tarpon-safe fly reel. Too much $$$$$.

[Peterjay 0]

the rules seem more than fair and I would like to enter if a Tennessee Tarpon qualifies. That is if anyone can tell me what and where the TT's can be located. You left out Stu Apt so I assume the 30 year old pic I have could be used as an entry. 151# on a fly is large in anyones estimation.

 

Heck, submitting a 30-year-old picture of Stu Apte is probably as honest as this tournament is likely to get. The awards committee has already disallowed submissions from a Norwegian dam operator and some guy at a weather station in Tierra Del Fuego. A 300-pounder caught in Maine was thought to be leading the pack until evidence turned up indicating that the fish was caught on a live smelt through the ice on Lake Mooselookmeguntic. Guess the guy thought we were too dumb to notice the minnow bucket in the picture.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Ok I am going to win I caught this one off the Tawas point fishing a #12 griffths gnat on my 2 wt you see in the picture the water temp was a balmy 34 degrees its weight was estimated at 135lbs as you can see in the water mark took me 20 minutes to bring to hand but I let it go to swim back to the ocean in which it came that day was a great day also landed 3 sharks and a blue fin tuna off the same pier

[Peterjay 0]

Ok I am going to win I caught this one off the Tawas point fishing a #12 griffths gnat on my 2 wt you see in the picture the water temp was a balmy 34 degrees its weight was estimated at 135lbs as you can see in the water mark took me 20 minutes to bring to hand but I let it go to swim back to the ocean in which it came that day was a great day also landed 3 sharks and a blue fin tuna off the same pier

tarpon.jpg

 

OK, I'll buy the shark and BFT part of the story, (hey, it COULD happen) but your attempt to pass off a juiced-up hickory shad as a tarpon has brought the saltwater section of this forum to a new low, which, considering its lack of respectability to begin with, was no easy task. (and don't even get me started on the obvious abuse of Photoshop tools) Looks like yet another name to pass along to the tournament bunco squad. At this rate, the DISQUALIFIED list should weigh about 13 pounds by the time this sordid affair comes to a conclusion.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

oh dang I got DQed without ever seeing saltwater

[Chefben4 0]

PJ. Well done lol. Im going to win this contest. After 4 straight years of trying this will be my year!

 

Im hoping people can be honest with this one!

 

Paul you were DQ'd before you ever knew it!

[Chefben4 0]

By the way, im in.

 

PJ make a list on your initial post!

[terrymiller1973 0]

I would like to join in if accepted. I have a couple trips coming up in the next couple months to some pretty productive Tarpon areas may be able to get in a little fishing time also. May have to cheat and try to make time with one of our resident experts for an advantage though.

 

Ben good luck with the Tarpon this year I lived in Key West for 6 years fishing 4-5 times a week and only hooked 1 on spinning gear.

[mikechell 0]

I've been trying to catch some small trout or bream, maybe a small mouth bass here in the freezing waste land south of Boston.

Then I see this thread about catching a tarpon. I see someone else already caught one up this way, so I think to myself, "Hey, maybe I should try THAT!"

I don't know what tarpon eat, so I grab one of my favorite flies ... one of my versions of the panfish charlie.

 

And I head down to Cape Cod. It was in the low 20's this morning, but I did manage to find some protected water, out of the wind and the water wasn't frozen ... my luck was holding so far !!!

I've got my 7 foot travel spin/fly rod with 5 weight line and my usual 8# test mono for a leader.

Wouldn't you know it, on my first cast, I get about 200 yards out and BOOM ... fish one. After an epic few minutes battle, I bring in this monster Tarpon. I guessed it's weight, since I couldn't get it all the way out of the water to out on a scale, at around 800 pounds. I am glad I've been working out over the past couple of weeks, or I wouldn't have been able to lift it this far for the photo.

 

Do I win?