TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The infamous “Silver King” has returned to the Tampa Bay Area.
Tarpons are migratory birds that appear only for three months a year between May and July. They warm up at the end of spring and arrive when anglers come from all over the world and catch them.
but why? You can’t even eat them or take them out of the water! Captain Brett Norris with rock bottom sport fishing in St. Petersburg says it’s easy, people love a good fight. Norris has been fishing the area for over 30 years and is unable to get enough to try and catch these fish.
Tarpons are fish that cannot be removed from the water because their internal anatomy is not strong enough to support their weight from the water.
They had a great fight. A weight of up to 200 pounds in a group in dozens is a passing ritual for anglers. They can fight for a long time, in some cases up to an hour. However, it is ideal to arrive at the boat as soon as possible. The ultimate goal? Money shot!
Norris took the test of Amanda Holly’s strength to put her in a tarpon just before sunset. She was able to get to the boat in about 20 minutes with plenty of light for a photo of its spectacular beach.
Tips for catching tarpons
Norris has many tips for catching these popular fish, but he says he has to be patient and spend time. He calls it “hunting.” Because one day is great and others can make you irritate.
Norris says the tide is extremely important. Moving water is important and he likes to fish at the beginning of a good tide and the edge. The four tide days are great as the water is constantly moving. Moving water is tortuous to the fish and helps you track where they are.
“Hill Tide” is the day near the perfect moon and new moon where the water movement occurs most, and the tarpons take more food.
feed: Norris says they’re not overly loud, they’re bottom feeders, and when you eat live thread fins, the lighter the better, but dead cut baits and small crabs work well too. He likes to use crabs that are close to sunrise and sunset. Fun tip, you can scooped up the tide crabs outside while they float from the grass flats and outside the bay! Norris prefers small pass crabs that are less than 2 inches. If you want to catch live thread fins, it is best to use sabiki to not use castnets or handle them too much with your hands.
work on: Norris can hold at least 300 yards of line with a 50-pound test line, a 50-60 pound leader and a reel. I want to use it like the light of tackle as much as I can, but as they do, they are smart.
You’ll want to mix and match like that. Try feeding with different levels of water column. You can use corks with long leaders, or bait can be freely lined or submerged at the top.
where: It’s best to find them on the beach. They are gathered in groups preparing to spawn.
Norris’s best tip:Shut up and stay calm. Place the food in front of 20-30 feet of fish. Come and feed the fish!
