3/21/17 March Tarpon Islamorada

Well I’ve been back on the water for a few days after celebrating the birth of my son, Felix!  Today we finally gave tarpon a try again.  Fishing had been a little tough since I’ve been back – the late cold front we got while I was away really cooled off the water, and it’s stayed in the low 60s at night so it hasn’t had a chance to warm up.  The water today finally got up to around 72 degrees or so ‘around town.’  Still on the chilly side for tarpon, they really became a solid option in my eyes when the water is a steady 75 degrees.  Anyways we didn’t make tarpon the priority and spent the morning catching plenty of nice sea trout, ladyfish, snappers, and jacks.  We gave the last hour or so a shot for tarpon around the local channels.  We did find some fish, not many rolling but was able to mark them on my bottom machine.  Unfortunately we were in a very weak tide cycle, and we had hardly any moving water for the first 45 minutes or so that we sat there.  Eventually the tide started coming in and did move a bit for the last 20 minutes or so, though I was not seeing the tarpon like I had when we arrived.  We had a couple shark bites and that was it.  Anyways hopefully things will warm up a bit more, though I don’t know we are suppose to get heavy winds on Friday… may keep the water from getting back into the ideal range.  Though it’s getting to be the time of year when tarpon are the priority most days so may be giving it a go regardless.  0 for 0

Capt. Rick Stanczyk