It's all about the Tarpon!

The Silver King is back. Boca Grande pass has fish dropping in it steady. Fairly good bite on jigs during the incoming tide. Green heads with Green Tiger bodies have been working well. The big afternoon outgoing tides now though are the most fun. Get a good heavy action spinning rod spooled with 50lb Power Pro, 6 feet of 60 – 100 lb fluorocarbon leader and a 5/0 hook. Get a good drift going and shut down your motor, when the Tarpon start to roll, pitch the crab free lined into them and get ready because odds are that crab is going to get eaten.

Tarpon are also on the beaches really well in the early morning. I like to fish crabs or big Thread fins underneath a cork for them, again with the heavy spinning tackle. I use Crowder rods with Shimano Stradic 5000's. Set up so the wind can push you toward the fish, if you try to run up on them with your gas motor you will only send them grey hounding up the beach at full steam.

The center of Charlotte Harbor is also seeing a good morning and late evening bite, again with the crabs or thread fins.

Snook-are heading for the beach, stacking up nicely on any structure near the passes. Free lined live baits work well. These fish will also quite often take a shad rap, or soft plastic jerk bait. The stronger the current the better the bite.

I am starting to find good schools of redfish as well, mostly down in Pine Island Sound. Though the mangrove lines in the Harbor are also producing. Sometimes the trick to getting these fish to eat is to just soak a bait. Throw it up under the bushes and just let it sit.

Summer is here, the sun is hot, so don't forget to put on the Bull Frog before you hit the water!

Captain Tim Mills
http://www.dhatldoit.com

941-270-6172