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Tarpon Fishing in Boca Grande Florida
By Kris W. Thoemke Tarpon fishing is addicting. Just ask Capt. Jim Lemke. He spends several months of each year 100 miles south of his Tampa home fishing the tarpon-saturated waters of Boca Grande Pass. "If I wasn't married I'd be chasing them all over; it's a privilege to catch tarpon." Please, don't tell his wife. From April through June thousands of these fish, most in the 100 to 200 pound class, congregate in the deep waters of Boca Grande Pass and the nearby nearshore areas. The rich waters of the pass provide a smorgasbord of crabs and smaller fish the perpetually hungry predators eagerly consume as they prepare for the annual spawn, a poorly understood, mysterious event that takes place someplace offshore and under the darkness of night. Seeing a five to eight feet long fish roll on the surface or swim by your boat, it is a no-brainer to imagine the power of this impressive fish. They are among the strongest and most aerobatic fish swimming in any water, fresh or salt. Capt. Van Hubbard says he still gets excited when he sees an angler hook up with a silver king, the popular name for this silvery-sided giant. "Seeing a tarpon launch itself into the air and totally clear the water really gets the adrenaline pumping," he says. "Even after catching thousands of fish, I still feel this way." Tarpon fishing in the pass, using the tide and currents to push the boat, is the traditional method for catching big tarpon. "We fish with jigs," says Lemke. "All you have to do is drop the jig to the bottom and reel up or let it down as we drift and the water depth changes." Even with stout tackle and 40-pound test line when a big fish takes the bait, anglers feel the sizzling power of the fish as it radiates up the line and into their body. Frequently, hookups only last a few minutes with the fish making one or two rocket-launching leaps of the water before dislodging the hook from the tarpon's hard-plated mouth. "Even that is plenty exciting," acknowledges Lemke. "But, we know a more solid hookup will come and when we get that, the plan is to get the fish to the boat as soon as possible." Soon is at least 20 and maybe as much as 45 minutes - more than enough time to gain an energy-draining appreciation for the power of these graceful fish. Hubbard and other guides avoid the frequently crowded pass and fish the adjacent nearshore waters. "I sight fish for schools of 50-100 fish," he says. "They are usually slowly milling near the surface and you can see them from a distance. The key to getting to the fish is to get close enough to cast to them but no so close that you scare them away." Hubbard uses a lighter class of tackle than Lemke because he's not as concerned with hooking a fish with a crowd of boats around. This technique is just as effective as jig fishing in the pass but there requires angler remember one important fact. "You must bow to the fish when it jumps," Hubbard explains. Bowing, in this instance does not mean you paying your respect to the fish. "You must lower the tip of the rod when the fish jumps out of the water. This puts enough slack in the line to keep the fish from breaking off." The technique is effective and Hubbard claims anglers on his boat average catching three fish plus many more brief hookups each day. If you have caught a hundred of these fish or have yet to experience the thrill of your first hook-up, there is no more exciting saltwater fishing that tackling and taming a silver queen.
