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 | Tampa Bay To Sarasota
06/14/10 9:25 AM
anna maria island fishing | Tarpon Fever is what they should call it when you’re hooked up to a 200 pounder, it’s 90 plus degrees out and that fish has no plans of giving up anytime soon. I’m pretty efficient at bringing the fight to a close in less than 30 minutes, but sometimes a few of those big nasty Tarpon just take longer than that. We had a monster on a few days ago that was at least 220 pounds, possibly bigger. I have caught plenty of fish over 200lbs, but this guy was a monster, easily the biggest this year. He got away after a 30 minute battle that had just started. We just couldn’t move him. Actually a lot of the fish have been quite big in a few areas I have been fishing. It seems like there is a lot of fish over 125lbs this past week. A month ago we were getting a lot smaller 50 to 90 pounders. Now it seems like the majority are over 90 pounds. I landed 2 this week that would have approached 200 pounds and lost several others. It was a good week all in all. A lot of hook ups and a lot of landing. I had one fisherman Tuesday who hooked 6 Tarpon and land 5 before noon. The very next day he went out with me and hooked 12 Tarpon and landed 3 or 4. We only had one rod out, if I would have been fishing 3 guys that day we would have hooked 25 Tarpon. They were really on fire. One morning this week we actually made only 4 casts and landed 3. It’s been good, like I said it might be on my last report, a banner year for Tarpon. Full day charters are averaging 10 to 12 hookups a day, the biggest factors are the light winds, the number of fish that have showed this year and their willingness to eat. I love it when everything comes together like this, it just makes my job so much fun and the light chop is so much more forgiving on my body after 9 hours up in the tower rocking around.
As for other fish, most days are spent chasing Tarpon but I have done a little backwater fishing. The Reds are biting really well. Most of them are over sized 28 to 33 inches but I have had a few slot size fish. The Trout are small but there is a ton of 16 to 18 inch keepers for dinner. Though I haven’t been fishing for them, while Tarpon fishing I have been seeing schools of Mackerel everywhere.
Offshore fishing has been good from what my associate captains are saying. I’m too busy Tarpon fishing myself to get out there. The best fishing is way out 30 to 40 miles but it’s worth the run, lots of American Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Gag Grouper and Red Grouper.
Well I hope you have enjoyed my report. If Tarpon sounds exciting to you I have a cancelation for the 14th and 17th of June, a couple of half days remaining in June and a few days scattered out in July for Tarpon. Tarpon fishing should run strong to about the end of July this year. If I can’t get you out there I am sure one of my associate captains can. This season’s Tarpon fishing is something not to miss. Until next time, keep those drags screaming.
Captain Matt Ercoli
941-447-9888 cell
800-521-2872
www.captainmatt.com
www.tarponfish.com |
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