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We ran back into the backcountry everglades this morning for our tarpon fishing.  I was able to get around some islands and catch mullet with the last of the incoming tide.  This often is a good condition and the bait is relatively easy.  We got one good throw before the tide quit and boats raced through, ended up with about 30 baits.  This is why it is very important to be on time for charters – being even 20 minutes late sometimes can turn bait fishing from 1 throw and done in 5 minutes, to 20 throws and spending an hour or more.  This can have repercussions on your entire day of fishing so always better to be early than late!  Anyways we went out to fish some of the gulf channels.  Wind was out of the northwest but light.  The red grass was terrible almost making it unfishable, but we got lucky we hooked a tarpon with the first bait out in a few minutes.  Caught him and then caught a nice hammerhead shark.  A few more blacktip sharks and then finally another big tarpon of 100 lbs.  Went 2 for 2 the the wind kicked up more and everything seemed to shut down.  We tried around town on the way home for 45 minutes, saw half a dozen fish roll but no action out of them.

Well the front has came and gone.  This morning we still had northerly winds and it was a bit chilly and overcast.  The north wind is not great for the tarpon bite but we gave it a try anyhow.  We fished hard for about an hour or so and finally got a good bottom bite.  Nice ~100 lb fish came flying out of the water.  We chased him through 3 different crab pots, unwrapping the wind-on leader from each one.  Thankfully we did not lose him.  I had Steven, grandson of Vin Sparano, who is a long time editor of Outdoor Life and close personal friend of my family – specifically my father.  This was his first tarpon and he was very excited.  Later on we did some rod bending and dinner catching.  Tried the tarpon again in the afternoon.  We set up with the tide opposite and the wind had swung now to the east, much better.  However the tide was into the wind where I was fishing making things a little tougher.  We got a bite on the live mullet after 30 minutes or so, big busting fish that screamed drag for a second but then spit the bait unfortunately.  No other action and we called it a day after that.

Don’t be afraid to ask about tarpon fishing.. Though I am booked most every day the next couple months, I have several nights open.  I’m not planning as fishing as much as I have in the past couple years as the every day and night thing wears you down and burns you out.  But on evenings where I have plenty of bait and I think fishing will be good I may be able to be talked into it!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

The wind was blowing but fishing was red hot.  The incoming tide with the wind behind it plus powdery blue water being pushed in from offshore made for good fishing.  We caught bait early this morning, they weren’t easy but we finally got a good toss up on the flat in the dark and caught about 30 baits.  Most of our action was on dead bait today but we caught 4 out of 4 big tarpon 60 to 100 lbs.  The first one never jumped once and was a moose 100+ lbs.  The rest were much more acrobatic.  We had a couple other zip the baits that sounded like tarpon but can’t know for sure.  Afterwards we went snapper fishing and we even caught a baby tarpon while snapper fishing, they wouldn’t leave us alone today!  Great day 5 tarpon.  Taking a day off tomorrow suppose to be blowing hard from the west as we get another minor front.  Good day to get some rest!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk