Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continued to have decent action with tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers had lots of shots, several bites and one tarpon landed while anglers using spinning tackle jumped and landed several fish.
Fly anglers fishing with me during the week of June 24th had lots of shots at tarpon. If you've ever targeted tarpon with a fly, you know it's not easy. An accurate cast is required to even have a chance. The fly should be in about a 2 foot square area in front of the tarpon's nose. However the fly can't land in that zone or it will spook the fish, so you must lead the fish. Not only does the fly have to be in the right spot when the tarpon gets to it, but it must be moving in the right direction. Moving straight away, quartering away or perpendicular to the fish will all work, but if the fly moves toward the fish, it will spook. A good way to measure the success of a day of fly fishing for tarpon is in the number of shots that we get. Of course we want to catch them, but it usually requires numerous shots, to get everything just right.
My daughter and son-in-law, Andy and Dawn Cotton, and my wife Karen joined me for one of our annual family tarpon trips on June 30th. The action was early that day as Andy hooked up at first light using a live crab for bait and got a ½ dozen jumps out of a nice tarpon before the fish jumped off.
Fly angler Dennis Desmond, from NJ, fished with me last Monday. Dennis had done his home work and preparation well. He tarpon fished with me last season and had some nice shots, but no hook ups. This year he practiced casting with his 12-weight before arriving. Just to make sure he was ready, we did a fly casting lesson on Sunday morning before our trip on Monday. Not only did we practice casting, but we reviewed various scenarios, hook setting and fish fighting techniques. It all paid off for him on Monday morning when he hooked and landed an estimated 90-pound tarpon with his first cast off Siesta Key on Monday morning. Mission accomplished!
Terry Notari from Longboat Key, son Craig and grandsons, Josh and James from IL fished with me on Thursday and Friday. Josh went with his dad and grandfather on Thursday and we had lots of action. We jumped 3 tarpon and 12-year old Josh landed one of the 3, a feisty 70-pounder. It was his first tarpon! Josh cast his own bait, hooked the fish and landed it on his own. We had 3 other bites that day including 2 bites on a black Deceiver fly.
The following day 15-year old James carried on the tradition. Tarpon were showing less on the surface on Friday so we set up on the line they were traveling with a live crab under a float and cast to the few tarpon that were showing on the surface. Both techniques produced a hook up with James landing an 85-pound tarpon to finish the day. Congratulations James!
Although tarpon have thinned out a little on the beach, there are still plenty of fish left. Some tarpon have moved to the inside waters of Sarasota Bay, but there should be good action along the beaches this week as we head toward a new moon next weekend. July is one of my favorite months to fly fish for tarpon along the beaches. There is less fishing pressure and I think the smaller schools, doubles and singles that are more prevalent during July bite better.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
