Tarpon Fishing Charters

A tarpon has a hard, bony mouth that is difficult to set a hook in and a swim bladder it can fill with air, so it rolls at the surface and copes with warm, low oxygen water. Young tarpon grow up in backwaters, canals and mangrove ponds, and the big adults roam the coast. Plenty of strikes end with the hook thrown in the first jumps, which is part of the game. They are not eaten, and in Florida tarpon are a release fish.

Our tarpon boat is Swampdog Tours, out of Weston on the edge of the Everglades. Capt. Jonathan names tarpon among the fish his trips go for, and he offers fly fishing as well as spinning and popping, which suits a fish that will eat a well placed fly. You fish from a 22 foot Carolina Skiff with a centre console, with a first mate on board, for up to 6. Rods, reels, lures and live bait are supplied.

Tarpon fishing is mostly watching the water for rolling fish, then a quick, accurate cast. The six hour trip from 06:30 gives the most time for that; there are also two and four hour mornings from 07:00 and a two hour trip at 19:30. If you want to fish the fly, say so when you book. Bring polarised sunglasses and non spray sunblock, and buy your Florida fishing licence beforehand.