When summer finds tarpon returning from their offshore spawning journey, the fish will start heading back into Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Clearwater Harbor. Some will remain along the gulf beaches, but the inside waters will host the majority of fish until early fall. Tarpon will eat live or dead baits, but my favorite option for late summer is an artificial lure. The trouble with natural baits is that they attract the catfish and small sharks inhabiting the bays this time of year. Their aggressive behavior makes me believe that they see you cast your bait and then run for it like a wide receiver in football running after a pass and as soon as your bait hits the water they are on it. This is very frustrating because you spend all of your fishing time dehooking the cats and sharks.
Artificials occasionally attract trash bites, but far less than bait. My favorite artificials are the MirrOlure 77, 72 and 65 twitchbaits and the DOA Bait Buster. The bigger and heavier MirrOlures are effective because you’ll often find summer tarpon in 10-20 feet and the extra weight lets you cover that water column more efficiently than with similar baits of smaller size. The same logic applies to the heavier Bait Busters designed for trolling – longer casts and faster fall through deeper water.
Top colors: It’s hard to beat the old standby red and white and baitfish colors like green and silver and black and gold.
Proper Tackle: I fish these summer tarpon baits on a 7-foot casting rod or a spinning rod and a 5000 series reel. The reason for the spinning rod and the casting rod duo is to minimize fatigue. After a lot of repetitions with a casting reel, my hands and arms get tired. Switching rod types uses a different type of cast and makes it easier to continue fishing.
Line It Up: My reels are loaded with 50-pound braid. I tie a 5-foot piece of 30-pound fluorocarbon to the braid and I connect 12 inches of 60-pound fluoro to the 30 as a bite tippet. I use a circle knot to tie on the lures.
The reason for the 30-pound fluoro is to camouflage the braid. Also, the smaller diameter mono makes a smaller connection knot that will slide through the guides easier.
Finding Fish: I prefer to fish with artificial on slick calm days because the high visibility makes it easier to see rolling tarpon. Another sign to look for is diving birds and bait schools. When I find areas of tarpon activity, I slowly drift or approach with the electric motor and look for the biggest concentrations. I try to cast about three to four feet in front of a rolling fish. Sometimes I cast right in the circle left by the tarpon roll.
Best Presentation: I do best by letting the lure sink and then slowly retrieving it with a small twitches. Even though you see a fish on top, most of the bites come from below the surface, usually near the bottom. Continuous blind casting – similar to drifting a flat for trout – is the way to go when the tarpon are not rolling much.
When tarpon hit an artificial, it’s usually on the lure drop and the bite is very subtle. I pay close attention for a tick on the line; something like a small pinfish bite on bait. When I feel that, I reel like crazy to get a tight line. When I feel good pressure, I find that a strong hook set or two is necessary to drive the hooks home.
Tip: Sharpening the hooks and pinching the barb closed slightly will help drive the hooks into the boney tarpon mouth.
For fishing videos, catch photos and lots of angling resources, visit www.fishingwithbillmiller.com. For fishing charters in the Tampa Bay area, call (813) 363-9927. By Capt. Bill Miller