By: Eric Henson
Iis starting to be that time of year again – TARPON TIME! And as the weather continues to get warmer and warmer, so will the tarpon bite and you better make sure that you are ready to go because they will put your heart and your tackle to the test. Tarpon are one of the only fish out there that can make even the best anglers cry out. In just one jump you can either become a hero or a zero, but I think that is part of the buzz that keeps us all coming back for more.
For Juvi Tarpon, my two favorite ways to target them are with artificial lures and flies. For spinning tackle, I generally use a 3-4000 FFP size reel with a 7 ft. Med.-Heavy Fast Action rod, spooled them with 15-20 lb. Yo-Zuri braided line accompanied by a 20-30 lb. fluorocarbon leader. Then, I like to use soft-plastics like the Monster 3 X and hard baits like the Yo-Zuri 3DS Minnow 70 SP. For fly fishing I like to use a 6-8 wt. 9 ft. rod with a 3-Tand T-Series reel to match the rod with a RIO WF Floating line accompanied by a tapered leader. Length changes depending on where and how I am targeting them but, I still use a 20-30 lb. tippet. And for flies, small minnow imitations and gurglers work great. And for Adult Poons, these fish will test you both mentally and physically and there is no mistaking when you hook one of these giants because you are about to be on the craziest sleigh ride of your life! You are at the complete mercy of the fish until it either comes off or you after you release it. When targeting these fish, I like to use a 6-8000 FFP size spinning reels with a 8 ft. Heavy Fast Action rod. I spool them with 40-60 lb. Yo-Zuri braided line accompanied by a 60-80 lb. Fluorocarbon leader. I use 2 or 3-X strong hooks with the right size to match your bait. Most of the time I use different live baits depending on what part of the season it is. Fly fishing-wise I beef up to 10-12 wt. set up with a WF Floating or slow sinking line. Also, beefing up the leader with a 40-50 lb. tippet. And for flies, different type bunny flies seem to work well. If you do decide to give this a go, know your physical endurance and ALWAYS wear a life vest and NEVER do it out of a kayak by yourself because it’s just not safe for you or the fish. You will be exhausted after fighting this fish, but always do your best to get a safe healthy release of the fish. They are the future of our fishery. Tight lines and Tight knots to everyone!