Capt. Brian Boxx
Why do we love sport fishing? Why do we put so much effort into the hunt, ever striving for the knowledge and techniques to gain the edge? “The Charm of fishing is it is the pursuit of what is elusive yet attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope” – John Buchan. Well…that about sums it up. John was a Scottish novelist who lived a great majority of his life in Canada. I highly doubt he ever experienced the thrill of the Tarpon migration; The ups and downs of approaching opportunity and rejected offerings, boat side takes and shattered mirrors, falling to your knees empty handed or to grab a handful of Silver. Had he experienced the thrill for himself, John would have known just how true his words are…Well let’s face it, he probably would have never wrote it down. Tarpon fever would have set in and the world would have lost another.
So, what is the “March of the Silver King?” Every spring a biological need to reproduce triggers Tarpon to school up in pods and move to their spawning grounds. The migration route runs along Florida’s coastline and brings the best opportunity for an angler to land that fish of a lifetime. The timing of this migration is a closely guarded secret to many guides. Each has his own superstitions and tell tails. One tip I’ll share with you is to keep an eye out for the white Flutter bys, and an ear to the sea. Best advice I can give a newcomer, Hire a local pro. These fish are no joke! They are strong, unpredictable, and if handled improperly can cause serious injuries to themselves or the angler. They are a protected, delicate sport fish that require proper gear and technique to control.
The Tarpon is pound for pound the hardest fighting inshore fish. She will push any angler to their breaking point then circle back around to collect their salty tears as homage. An evolutionary Bullseye that has remained nearly unchanged for 120 million years, and the Virtuoso of the “Silent Note.” The “Silent Note” is the sound proceeding screaming drag and chaos, that second of sudden silence following a lost fish. The sound of heartbreak! Though this silence only last seconds, as a species Tarpon have racked up years’ worth of this sound byte. So if you’re running down the beach this spring and see a boat fishing please give them a wide berth. I can guarantee there are a lot of emotions surrounding that vessel.
Till next month -STAY SALTY MY FRIENDS.