Tarpon Rookie Contest

[Peterjay 0]

Rest easier. I had a 100lb tarpon on for about 20 minutes when it broke my 20lb class. This happened after he tightened the drag on my 12wt. Black Death toad. I really wanted a treppa fly. I did manage to scrounge out 2 permit later with one being 25lb+ (not on the fly). Peace out it is beer thirty!!!!

 

That was a tough break Kudu, but 20 minutes is a lot better than no minutes. I'd definitely have a talk with that guide about boundaries if you plan to use him again. This is no knock on guides - they have to deal with some unbelievable bozos on a regular basis - but not everybody wants or needs to have their hand held, and IMO, he shouldn't have touched your reel without asking first.

[Kudu 0]

Family vacation my two fishing days are up. PJ you are exactly right. This particular guide, who I liked and would use again, was all about the take and did not like the fight. He wanted to pop off all the tarpon. I don't think he should've touched the drag either and I would up the line class to atleast 30lb.. Key West has a marvelous tarpon fishery but there are too many people here for my taste. My guess is that during hemingways day it was fantastic. I hope one of you guys strike gold and I will gladly send my flies to the victor. I know they work. When I get back and if I can figure out how ill try and post a pic of my big permit.

[mikechell 0]

Rest easier. I had a 100lb tarpon on for about 20 minutes when it broke my 20lb class. This happened after he tightened the drag on my 12wt. Black Death toad. I really wanted a treppa fly. I did manage to scrounge out 2 permit later with one being 25lb+ (not on the fly). Peace out it is beer thirty!!!!

 

That was a tough break Kudu, but 20 minutes is a lot better than no minutes. I'd definitely have a talk with that guide about boundaries if you plan to use him again. This is no knock on guides - they have to deal with some unbelievable bozos on a regular basis - but not everybody wants or needs to have their hand held, and IMO, he shouldn't have touched your reel without asking first.

He's one of those guides that believes in early release, to not over tire the fish. But I think the guide should allow for "personal best" fish, and let the angler make the decision. Also, if the guide doesn't know how to revive a worn out fish, he shouldn't be guiding.

[Kudu 0]

Mike. You are right and he doesn't like the fight. He fishes 250 days a year and then that is what he does on his days off. 12wt and 400 grain line casts great but is a work out. I missed the other tarpon on a 10wt and floating line. I had a great time.

[Peterjay 0]

Guess there are two sides to it: my one and only trip with a guide was a miserable experience. It was obvious he considered us to be imbeciles before we'd even left the dock, and he spent the day screaming orders like a pre-mutiny Captain Bligh. (my partner held several world records at the time, and I'm not exactly a greenhorn - just to put it into perspective) I'm sure he cost me shots at fish - I was too busy trying to dream up ways to "accidentally" knock him off the platform to concentrate on the job at hand. On the other hand, I've met some of the stiffs my friends have guided, and I'd rather be hog-tied and locked in a room with my ex-wives than spend a minute on the water with them.

 

I suppose the lesson here is to go over the ground rules with the guide and get a read on him before you hand over the cash. It's his boat, but at the same time, he's working for you, not vice versa. He's probably gotten sick of watching morons play fish half to death, then finish them off by hauling them into the boat for a "grip & grin" shot. Still, if you have decent skills and you're using appropriate gear, you can apply enough pressure to subdue practically any fish without killing it. Considering your guide spends so much time on the water, he probably doesn't attach the same importance to an individual fish as you do. If I'd spent a fortune and traveled many miles to get a crack at a fish, I'd blow a cork if the guide put his hands on my reel or told me to prematurely break it off. Just my $.02 worth.

[ditz2 0]

I have never been fortunate enough to use a guide but would like to do it at least once while I am still able to fling a fly. I am sure that guides do get some real ringgers and it would be an unpleasant day to say the least. ....Kudu. you didn't indicate as to whether you gave the guide a tip. What kind of conversation occurred after the breakoff. If I was interested in bringing such a large fish to hand I think I would have been on the 'irate' side of civil depending on the guides attitude of the incident. I have never hooked into anything that large and at this point in my life I have no real desire to do so but I would like to get into some juvenile tarpon or even some babies. The question is ...does this guide deserve a tip?

[Kudu 0]

I considered myself lucky to hook a good fish. I have fished in many locations with guides (hunted as well) almost all my experiences have been good. Before you hire a guide do some research. Usually you want to get a guide that works for himself not a corporation. This guy was a good guy he just made a mistake and I would definitely use him again.

Pj I have had the guides you mentioned and my advice is to set them straight as you are the one paying. I went on a corporate retreat on a fishing trip with my business partners last summer I was not using a guide but my partners whose fishing skills are abominable were. I was catching more fish than the guide and he became very annoying and started lecturing me. I called him a few choice words and told them that if he was going to b..tch like my wife he needed to put on a skirt. The rest of our trip was enjoyable and at the end of the trip he asked if I had a "horseshoe up my arse". (He is British). In all I recommend hiring a guide. If anyone ever wants some suggestions on places to fish I'd be happy to share my experiences. I usually try and get in two days whenever we go on a family vacation.

[Kudu 0]

Ditz. I did tip him. I only stiffed one guide and he was in Georgetown, SC. He didn't do what I wanted to do after requesting nicely several times.

[BrookTroutAngler 0]

No posts in 3 months? Come one, someone has got to have caught a tarpon by now.

[Peterjay 0]

Believe me, if one of these jokers had scored, we'd know about it before his boat got back to the dock. Fortunately, most of the cheaters have already been exposed, so nobody's gonna believe them even if they do hook up. Hey, check out the Eastern Shore report in today's paper. Time for me to get out there and start looking, although if I don't do any better with tarpon than I've been doing with reds, I may have to start wearing a disguise to hide my shame. Either that or hire a guide. Now there's a thought.

 

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/07/fishing-forecast-july-1117

[ditz2 0]

A fine bunch of flyfishermen this crew is. A tarpon contest that have been running for months and not one of the contestants has even had the nerve to at least lie about catching one. I am ashamed of the whole lot of you. I bet Capt. Bob has caught some poons. Guess I will have to take up scrapbooking with my wife to read about some action.

[Peterjay 0]

A fine bunch of flyfishermen this crew is. A tarpon contest that have been running for months and not one of the contestants has even had the nerve to at least lie about catching one. I am ashamed of the whole lot of you. I bet Capt. Bob has caught some poons. Guess I will have to take up scrapbooking with my wife to read about some action.

 

Oh, ye of so little faith! I didn't come here to be insulted. (I don't need to go anywhere to be insulted - I get plenty of that right here) Sure Bob's been catching 'poons - all he has to work with are an intimate knowledge of the tarpon grounds, 40 years of experience, killer flies, and ten times the skill that the rest of us water-floggers have. Hell, I would have caught one myself with those kinds of credentials. Besides, I'll bet Bob dreams of catching the mighty tomcod, which I'm proud to say I've done. So there!

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://alaska.si.edu/media/Historical_Image/Inupiaq%2520fishing%2520gear%2520man%2520jigs%2520tomcod%2520SM06464.jpg&imgrefurl=http://alaska.si.edu/media.asp%3Fid%3D124%26objectid%3D104&usg=__EJuEcTOLdYz5YbxrF-fG7oToask=&h=629&w=629&sz=495&hl=en&start=18&sig2=mcj1DIC5Ai0bo8_5yAoJmQ&zoom=1&tbnid=rJ2akEfc4zCT4M:&tbnh=137&tbnw=137&ei=kMbeUc7yGM7C4AOE6YHgBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtomcod%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hl%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CE4QrQMwEQ

[Chefben4 0]

If I wouldve caught a tarpon by now, even juvenile I wouldve had pictures all over this thing lol. Those bastard fish have out smarted me for 4 years now..

[ditz2 0]

Bobble heads..?????

[AndrewP 0]

I'm not in the contest, but hope it's OK to share my story.

 

Got my first legit big(er) tarpon this May. No good pics, as I was by myself on my skiff and although I tried, all were too blurry or too far away (try holding your rod/line in one hand, focusing a camera in the other, and keeping it in the frame). Estimate around 60lbs, 5' or so.

 

Was the confluence of everything wrong going right. I was actually fishing the shoreline for snook/reds. Using an 8wt with 20lb tippet, throwing a #2 bendback minnow. Was throwing at a drum on the shoreline when I looked ahead of the boat and saw the tarpon suspended in the water. Thought "what the hell" and made the cast. Fly drifted down, and as I started the retrieve, I saw the fish "wake up", spot the fly, then accelerate forward and take it.

 

I was shocked! Didn't get much of a hook set, but tarpon bolted sideways and then did three magnificent jumps right next to the boat. "Can't believe I'm still buttoned!!!" I'm thinking. Somehow my line had cleared through the guides. "He's on the reel" I'm thinking, "but he probably won't stay on long with the light leader". After that, he tore off onto the flat, jumped again, then made a 90degree turn and tore off again. My line is pointing in the water one way and fish is way over another way. I'm into the backing .....

 

Anyway, I give chase (with troller motor) .......... after a few minutes I was thinking I might actually be able to fight fish to the leader. Doing the "down-and dirty" technique, I could tell I was tiring the fish. And ..... a few minutes later I did get it boatside.

 

As I was alone, I had to release the fish, and I have to say, if you have never done if before it is somewhat disconcerting to think about grabbing a big tarpon by the lip. In the end, I just used my pliers to retrieve the fly. The tarpon swam off fine. I screamed out loud!!!! And then my hands started shaking a bit. It was surreal, almost dream-like, but I did it!!!!

 

I got soooo lucky. The fly was buried in the side of the tarpon's mouth. However, the hook shank had been bent pretty good sideways. Being a bendback fly, I was so surprised I got such a good hookset (ask Capt. LeMay his thoughts on bendbacks and tarpon). Also the leader: 20lb, but not a nick on it anywhere. How the hell did that happen??

 

That has been my only shot at a big fish this summer. I'm tellin, you, I can still replay that cast and the take in my mind, and it brings a smile every time .................

 

 

AP