12/22/15 December backcountry tarpon fishing

Was out yesterday we came across a school of baby tarpon actively feeding on the hard incoming tide.  The weather has been very warm still, have yet to have any significant cool weather.  So there has been a few tarpon about.  I haven’t been focusing much on them but we did give it a try on this day.  We hooked two fish though unfortunately one jumped off right away, the other we fought for a minute but he got us broke off in some mangroves.  Anyways it was fun to see and good action on the light tackle rods with smaller 20 lb fish.  If the weather patterns stay like this we will likely have an early tarpon season.  Last year we had a window in January with some good fishing for larger ‘winter time’ fish, maybe that will be the case again this year.  0 for 2

Capt. Rick Stanczyk