Capt. Rick Stanczyk's Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out for a full day today with tarpon on the list.  We headed out early and looked around in a couple of the spots where I had seen fish yesterday.  Yesterday of course things had gotten tough after being so good for a stretch.  South wind had kicked up and coming off the full moon and many of the fish had just split.  Anyways we did not see much in the first couple stops, caught a few sharks.  We then tried a spot where we didn’t see much at all.  But after 30 minutes or so and a few sharks, we hooked a nice 75 lb tarpon!  Great fight and jumps, quite the acrobat.  We got her boatside but she darted under the boat and cut us off before we could get good pictures, but a legal catch none the less on the leader.  After that we saw a few more fish at the channel mouth where a few guys were fly fishing.  We tried to sneak in as politely as possible, and were able to but we did not get a bite and then we left.  We mixed it up after that catching a few snapper and trout.  We then caught some pilchards and caught a nice snook and missed a couple more.  Then we hit a gulf spot and got some nice trout, jacks, a few small cobias, and saw a ton of permit but unfortunately we didn’t have any live bait for them!  Tried throwing some artificials which they looked at but didn’t bite.  Anyways that was awesome to see and I’m definitely keeping a handful of crabs in the live well now again if we happen across the bad boys.  1 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out with Chris and Davis today for a full day charter for tarpon fishing.  The guys had been following me online and were excited about fishing.  Unfortunately the fish didn’t cooperate very well today.  We had the winds kick up a bit out of the south south/west, not a great direction.  Not crazy wind but blowing a solid 15 mph in the morning.  Also we are near the full moon which so far hadn’t seemed to bother the daytime bite too much.  Anyways we got back to the fishing grounds and caught some bait.  Bait was very easy we got a big load of it, the easiest it’s been in a while for me.  We then ran to check out some of the channels.  I looked in the areas where we’d been fishing the last several days.  Today though there just wasn’t anything there…  We looked and fished and did eventually see one tarpon roll, but no bite.  We did get a big old triple tail though which was cool and a few sharks.  We left out of there and tried some other channels where some fish had been a week ago.  Not much there today though just some more sharks.  We looked in some areas and fished in few, and nothing.  We kept moving and got into another area where we finally did see a handful of tarpon.  But we had some weak tides and the tide was already starting to die out on us.  The sharks ate us up and then I gave the boys an option of trying some other fishing since it didnt’ seem to be working out.  Davis said he wanted to stick it out though since they got to catch trout and such at home.  I said OK and we decided to look back where we had been earlier.  The winds had laid out somewhat and the tide was starting to change again.  We saw a tarpon roll in one of the channels, and then set up and saw several more!  I was excited it was what we’d been waiting for all day.  However it just didn’t happen.  We moved around several times, and definitely were in some fish.  I even stayed an extra 30 minutes to try and make it happen but the fish were just not into it.  Anyways we caught a few more sharks and a sting ray and that was it for the day.  I talked to several other guides who fished locally and in the backcountry and they all had tough days with the tarpon, nobody I talked to had caught one.  Anyways it can change in a hurry sometimes.  The guys still had a great time and were a pleasure to fish with and said they’d be coming back.  Hopefully things get easier I think the winds suppose to lay off again and get nice and calm like it had been so that should help.  0 for 0

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Got out with Brian and his sons Drew and Carter for a full day trip today.  Tarpon were the main desired target so we set out after them.  I’d had the last couple of days off, I did go fun fishing with my dad yesterday and we caught some snook and redfish.  Though I was also able to catch a little bit of bait for today as well.  That was a good thing because bait was pretty difficult.  There has been a lot back there but it’s all staying up very shallow, and very spooky every time you try to get near it they run.  Being their before the sun comes up has been critical as of late.  Anyways we were able to catch a little bit plus what i had we were good.  We found some tarpon where they had been a few days ago.  A little more spread out in the first stop.  But we jumped around and we were able to get one.  After that they thinned out again and I decided to run and look in another close by spot.  Here the tarpon were thick.  The sharks ate us up early but we moved and then got a tarpon pretty quickly.  A little later we got another one and then dad and the boys had all caught one – great!  We made one last move before it was time to go and ended up getting a final tarpon.  All of them stayed on the hook which was lovely.  We tried for snook for the last couple hours of the day, unfortunately where the snook fishing has been good it’s another 20 miles from where we were, and there was some weather back there so we couldn’t really make that trip.  We tried some other spots that were closer but just a lot of nasty water.  Nothing in the first couple stops, then we did get a couple bites in the last stop, but unfortunately the one snook jumped off the hook, and the other got buried in some fallen debris.  Oh well anyways still a great day with four tarpon!  4 for 4

P.S. Again tarpon under 40 inches we are allowed to pick up for photos.  We take them out of the water carefully, trying not to drop them or wipe off any slime, then do a quick picture and release right back into the water.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
Instagram: @richardstanczyk
Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing