Tarpon fishing is one of the most challenging yet rewarding types of fishing. These beasts will give you a run for your money and are known for thrashing and jumping out of the water to try to break you off. If you are determined and do your research, we hope you will be able to catch one of these Silver Kings!
How To Catch Tarpon
Tarpon are caught fishing shallow coastal waters using live bait, cut bait, & artificial lures on heavy tackle. Tarpon are most abundant in 10’ to 20’ of water where they are found traveling along grass flats, sand bars & other structures that are known to hold bait.
Finding Your Tarpon Hotspot
When it comes to fishing for Tarpon it is essential to find a fishing spot that is conducive to how they travel and feed. Tarpon is a highly migratory species of fish often traveling 100s of miles in a matter of weeks as they travel north and south throughout the season in search of ideal water temperatures. Tarpon prefer warmer water temperatures, with an ideal temperature ranging from 75’-88’ degrees Fahrenheit.
You can catch Tarpon in various locations such as inlets, grass flats, piers, and other areas, but Tarpon have a key pattern that will set you up for success as you hunt. That is, as Tarpon move during their seasonal migration, they prefer to travel along changes of elevation, whether that be the ledge between a grass flat and sand bar or a sudden drop off of the beach. Tarpon are known to patrol these structures because the Tarpon feed upon the various baitfish and crustaceans that inhabit these areas.
When looking to target Tarpon in a new area, I always start by surveying the area looking for topography changes, whether drop-offs just off the beach or moderate ledges where grass beds meet sand bars. It is important to mention that the area you are looking to target Tarpon is highly dependent on the fishing technique you are planning to target them.
Fly fishermen typically opt to target Tarpon on open grass flats and sand bars with minimal obstructive structures to limit break-offs.
Anglers interested in anchoring up and casting a mixture of live and cut bait often have the best success targeting Tarpon in channels, inlets, and passes.
And for the naturalist angler looking to hook up to a small or mid-sized Tarpon using artificial lures will often have the best success targeting them in inshore including; back bays, spillways, estuaries, and river mouths.
Tarpon Fishing Techniques
As mentioned earlier, many fishing techniques are employed by anglers in their pursuit of Tarpon. The three most popular methods of catching Tarpon include fishing live and cut bait (cast & wait), fishing artificial, and last but certainly not least, working a fly.
Fishing Live or Cut Bait
When targeting Tarpon, the easiest and most effective method is live and or cut bait on a heavy tackle. Presenting a couple of bait options in your fishing spread will give you the best chances of catching one of these Silver Kings. I always recommend fishing two dead baits on the bottom and two live baits suspended in the water column.
For my dead/cut baits, I have always had the best success fishing a 5” to 12” mullet, either butterflied or fished whole if using smaller mullet. If I am fishing the whole mullet, I still cut small slits in the fish to assist in dispersing the scent of the bait into the water.
For the two live baits, I suggest either finger mullet, pinfish, or bay crabs. When possible, I bring all three options, switching up different baits if any options are not getting hits. If other predator fish, like barracuda, are heavily present in the area and start to become nuances, I will switch my entire spread to bay crabs. Switching over to bay crabs is an instant solution to stop barracuda from stealing your bait or, worse, cutting you completely off with their sharp teeth.
Not only is fishing with live and cut bait the easiest method of catching Tarpon, but it is also the most effective way to catch trophy-sized Tarpon. Though large Tarpon can be caught on both fly and other artificial lures, live and cut bait consistently produces larger fish.
Because live and cut bait is extremely effective in luring in a large Tarpon, it is essential to use heavy fishing tackle.
Best Fishing Tackle For Catching Tarpon
Best Tarpon Spinning Rod
My favorite Tarpon Spinning Rod setup is a 6’6 to 7’6 medium to medium-heavy rod rated for a minimum of 65lb braid. A rod of this size is quite manageable to maneuver around the boat, necessary when fishing for Tarpon. When it comes to selecting the perfect rod size for your fishing application, you will want to keep in mind the location you will be fishing from and the size of Tarpon you are targeting.
If you are fishing from shore, you will want to look at fishing rods on the longer side, giving you the additional casting distance. Larger rods also increase leverage allowing the rod to do a little more work in the fighting process.
If specifically fishing from a boat, I love using a shorter rod ranging from 6’6 to 7’0, like the Shimano Trevala Px. The short nature of the Shimano Trevalla allows me to move around the boat effortlessly.
Best Tarpon Spinning Reel
When it comes to choosing a spinning reel for Tarpon, you will want a reel that has a reliable, heavy-duty drag system with at least 25lbs of drag and a large spool size carrying a minimum of 250 yards of braid. A spinning reel in the 5000 to 7500 will typically meet these requirements.
The Penn’s Spinfisher VI Live Liner reel is excellent. It has 30lb of drag and a braided line capacity of 485 yards when using 30lb braid.
Ideal Line Size For Tarpon
The ideal line for catching Tarpon on live or cut bait is a 50lb test braided line. I like fishing with Power Pro’s Super Slick V2 since it is designed with additional abrasion resistance, which is essential when fighting a Tarpon because they are constantly trying to break you off on anything and everything.
Best Leader Size For Tarpon
When fishing for Tarpon, I always use a 6’ to 9’ fluorocarbon leader that ranges from 60lb to 80lb test depending on where I am targeting them.
If I am fishing near any structures (docks, piers, or rock ledges), I always lean towards a heavier leader, whereas fishing a wide-open grass flat or sand bar 60lb leader is more than enough.
As with any type of fishing lighter tackle typically equals more bites.
Best Fishing Hook Size For Tarpon
Choosing the right hook size can be quite tricky when fishing for Tarpon because different hooks work best with different baits. With that said, a 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook is optimal for most baits used for targeting Tarpon.
When using bay crabs or pinfish, I always use a 6/0 circle hook which is slightly lighter and smaller than an 8/0 circle hook giving the bait the ability to swim naturally in the water.
If I am fishing with a large butterflied mullet, I will tie on an 8/0 circle hook giving me the added strength a larger hook provides.
Fishing Artificial Lures For Tarpon
Fishing for Tarpon using Artificial lures looks slightly different from the techniques employed when fishing for them using live or cut bait. When fishing artificial, you are more on the search for Tarpon than passively waiting for them to stumble across your baits.
Most Tarpon caught using artificial lures are actually site fished, which is when you try to locate a tarpon visually in the water and cast to them.
Tarpon are known to spook if they are directly cast on so, it is best to cast 20’ to 30’ in front of them and slowly retrieve your lure, allowing it to cross directly in front of them. It is important to mention that most anglers feel the urge to pause their bait directly above the fish, but this is a mistake. You will want to continue the retrieval even when directly over the fish. Many times Tarpon will hesitate to strike a lune until the lure is “escaping” their grasp. It seems Tarpon have a moment of FOMO (fear of missing out) as the lure swims away.
Most anglers fishing for Tarpon using artificial lures target them in the back bay, estuaries, and spillways where they congregate in large schools.
Since fishing with artificial lures requires the constant casting and retrieval of your lures, it is recommended to decrease your fishing tackle size.
In most cases, a 4000 to 5000 size reel on a medium weight rod will have enough backbone and drag to turn a mid-sized Tarpon while also being light enough to cast all day without completely fatiguing the angler.
Here are My Top Five Artificial Lures For Catching Tarpon
- MirrOlure 52 MR Purple Demon
- DOA Baitbuster Trolling
- Spooltek 4” Fatty
- Heddon Super Spool
- Badonk-A-Donk Topwater
Fly Fishing For Tarpon
If you are a complete naturalist and are interested in catching Tarpon on fly, you are in for a challenging yet rewarding experience.
Anglers targeting Tarpon on fly have best results fishing open grass flats and sand bars that are conducive to the space needed to make cast while also minimizing adjacent structures that may become an issue when a large fish is hooked.
Since many Tarpon hooked while fly fishing exceeds 100lbs, it is best to lean on the heavier end of things and use a 12 weight rod and an 11 or12 reel.
Expert Tips On Catching Tarpon
- A quick-release anchor is a must: Once a Tarpon is hooked up, there is no time to begin to pull in the anchor. Tarpon are most aggressive in their fight within the first couple of minutes they are hooked, making it essential that you stay on top of the fish during the early parts of the fight. A shallow water anchoring system like Talon or Power-Pole is great when conditions are shallow enough for their use. Another simple, quick-release anchoring tool that can be constructed is an anchor line outfitted with a carabiner and float that allows you to quickly disconnect the moment a fish is hooked.
- Fishing low light conditions: Though Tarpon can be caught throughout the day, they are typically most actively feeding during low-light conditions. That is why the Tarpon bite is most active first thing in the morning and about half an hour before sunset.Tarpon take advantage of these times of the day because the morning is the first time since sunset they can efficiently and effectively hunt bait.
- Fish the deep channels in winter: Many anglers think of Tarpon as only a fish that can be caught in summer, which is far from the truth. One of the most successful Tarpon trips I have had was during a cold snap in South Florida, where air temperatures dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It is during these cold fronts that Tarpon congregate heavily in deep channels. These channels are best fished using an artificial lure that is slowly retrieved along the bottom where they are congregating. If the Tarpon are hungry, you can sit there and catch one fish after another.
- Fish the falling tide: Though Tarpon can be caught during all phases of tidal flow, they are most actively feeding on a falling high tide.
- Bring some bay crabs: I have fished many fishing baits when targeting Tarpon, but no live bait has consistently caught more Tarpon than a live bay crab. Now it is important to mention that not all bay crabs will do the trick. You will need to be selective with your local bait shop, and select silver dollar-sized bay crabs. When you can load up your livewell with a dozen or so, you will be well on your way to a successful day on the water. Also, just before casting these guys out into the water, remove their claws. This will make them just slightly more enticing.
- Switch up your fishing technique throughout the day: Tarpon are known to switch up their feeding habits throughout the day, so keep the time of day in mind when you target them. Live bait works best during times of low light conditions, including dawn, dusk, and heavy overcast. Tarpon are typically feeding on the bottom at the heat of the day, so fishing cut bait at the bottom works best.
- Monitor wind conditions: When it comes to catching Tarpon, you will want to monitor the marine forecast for the day. Tarpon have been known to disappear when sea conditions become rough. If possible, choosing a day with light winds is optimal for a successful day on the water.
Best Baits For Catching Tarpon
- Mullet (butterflied)
- Finger Mullet
- Bay Crab
- Pinfish
- Ladyfish
- Baitfish (Various species)
- Large Shrimp
When You Can Catch Tarpon
Tarpon can be caught year-round but are most actively feeding during spring and summer months when water temperatures are between 75’ to 88’ degrees Fahrenheit.
Best Time Of Day To Catch Tarpon
The best time of day to catch Tarpon is first thing in the morning or about half an hour before sunset. Tarpon are the most actively feeding during low light conditions.
Where Do You Catch Tarpon?
Tarpon can be caught in coastal waters from Virginia all the way south to Brazil, with the Florida Keys being the most productive fishing grounds in the world to catch them.
Best Fishing Spots for Tarpon
- Grass Flats
- Sand Bars with ledges and contour lines
- Deep Channels
- Estuaries
- Spillways
Let’s take a deeper look at how to catch Tarpon by learning more about the species as a whole.
What are Tarpon?
Megalops, commonly referred to by anglers as Tarpon, Silver King, Abalitsa, and Big Scale is a predator fish that can live in both saltwater and freshwater environments. Tarpon live in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, with tropical waters holding the majority of the overall population. Tarpon are characterized by their long silver bodies that slowly fade to a darker blueish-green towards the top of their dorsal fins.
Natural Tarpon Diet
- Mullet
- Pinfish
- Catfish
- Sardines
- Shrimp
- Crabs
Are Tarpon Good To Eat?
Tarpon are not prized for their food quality. They are predominantly targeted as a sport where they are quickly released after landing. Those that have decided to consume Tarpon describe the flesh of the fish as bony, oily, and fishy.
Is Tarpon Poisonous?
Because Anglers rarely harvest Tarpon, there has been a misconception that they are poisonous. Tarpon are not poisonous but are not typically harvested because of how bony and fishey they are.
Are Tarpon In The Carp Family?
Tarpon are not in the Carp Family. Tarpon are in the Megalopidae family whereas Carp are in the Cyrpinidae Family.
Do Tarpon Have Scales?
Tarpon have large scales that start at just past their gill plate and end at the base of their tails. Tarpon scales can measure up to 3” in diameter in mature Tarpon.
Do Tarpon Have Teeth?
Tarpon have extremely small villiform teeth that are often described as having sandpaper-like texture. Their teeth are so small that anglers can lip the fish, which is a handling practice that allows the angel to hold or maneuver the Tarpon around by holding on to the fish’s mouth using just a thumb and pointer finger.