Capt. Rick Stanczyk's Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Another fabulous day tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys. Bart was down with his crew who also fished with Capt Bill Bassett. We stuck around local and fished for the silver king. Little slow early on we had very weak tide. But after a bit it started to move. We had one good bite we missed on a drift. Then we got in the right spot a little later and had a lot of activity. Several cheap shots and missed a few more good bites just not staying on the hook. Live mullet fishing can be like that, they are big baits and very acrobatic so often the hooks get twisted around and fouled up. But there is nothing as exciting as watching a big tarpon try to eat them it’s all part of the experience. We drifted out and then hooked a nice fish we landed and were able to jump in the water with for a cool picture. After that things slowed down we had one more blow up on a bait but no strike. We moved areas and fished another bridge. Within 15 minutes or so, we hooked up and got the leader quickly on a big fish, but he then swam under the bridge pilings where we couldn’t get him out. We had one more good bite that jumped and spit the hook after 30 seconds or so. We caught a few nurse sharks and that seemed to be it as the tide was slowing down again. We changed areas again and found a nice school of tarpon again all to ourselves. We jumped one right away and then I thought we’d quickly get another but we had to really work at it. We moved a few times and eventually hooked a nice 100 lb fish! Landed her and got her boatside but she didn’t want to roll over and pulled the hook while leadering the fish. But we got some sick air shots! After that we called it a day. But another great day and good bite I think we had 10 fish pulling drag and got 2 to the boat and technical catch on a 3rd. Lots of fun and love it when they keep ya busy all day. I’m off the next two days but hopefully getting my new boat soon so very exciting about that!  3 for 10

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

4/23/19 – Nice day with Chris, Scott, and Ray. We focused on tarpon and started early. No early action for us so we ran and fished our other live mullets. Lots of activity near day break. We had a few bites and a bunch of cheap shots, but just couldn’t get one stuck. Cudas kept eating them off too after the tarpon swatted them around. We kept with it and soon the fleet arrived. The action slowed down and a few boats hooked a fish then we got our turn landing a 50 lber. Also got a big nurse shark. After that we fished a bit more until the tide quit. We decided to go snapper fishing after that. Had to work at it but we got our limit of snappers and a few other things including a juvenile goliath grouper, redfish, and 4 juvenile cubera snappers. All in all not too shabby. Back after the silver Kings tomorrow! 1 for 3

4/24/19 – Awesome morning with return clients Todd, Farrah, Gray and Faith. We left early in search of tarpon. We tried nearby fishing some crabs early on but no luck again. We hit the bridges and first bait out it was game on before I could even close the bail! We hooked a nice 30 lber Gray landed. After that we got blown up several more times and missed a few more bites. Moved around and got into more fish. Steady action with lots of cheap shots and several more bites pulling drag, but just hard to hook ’em on the live mullets. Finally Gray got another one about an 80.lber on a sick surface bite grey hounding towards the boat! Landed that one, and then the fleet had shown up and things quietted down. We had a few more good bites, and hooked one fish we chased but lost after a few minutes. Eventually the tide quit and we decided to make a move. Found more happy fish and Faith got to catch her tarpon a nice little 40 lber. Back at the dock by 11, just an awesome morning I think we had over a dozen bites! When the weather gets nice seems like it’s game on! Back at it tomorrow.  3 for 12

Got out with Steven and Keegan today.  Yesterday we fished out in the backcountry and never really even put the baits out for tarpon as we didn’t see any.  Ended up having a tough day but we did manage a few redfish, a snook, some trout, snappers, and a big shark.  But overall not an easy one and was very muddy/nasty water from the weak cold front a day or two prior.  But today we decided to stay local and tarpon fish.  It was flat calm to start and then back to east later in the morning.  We went early in the dark as I wanted to do everything I could to get these guys a fish since we had a tougher day yesterday.  We got a nice one early on fishing our crabs in the dark, about a 75 lb fish for Keegan.  After that it started to get light and seemed like the early morning thing was over.  We saw a few fish out on the ocean that we casted a bait into but they spooked as it was so calm.  But cool to see.  We made our way to the bridges and had a great bite down there.  Through the last of the falling tide and then even on slack tide we had a handful of bites but broke the fish off or jumped them off.  Once the tide started rolling in, we moved around and then caught 4 more.  It was consistent action all through the trip and great to see!  April overall has been tougher fishing when I’ve been going, there seems to have been better night fishing but a little harder during the day.  But nice to see such a good bite.  Should be back at it tomorrow. Looks like we have some stable weather finally if the forecasts are correct, nice 10 to 15 mph out of the east for the week which should be ideal for tarpon fishing, maybe going a little south over the weekend but not cranking so it shouldn’t hurt things too much but that is still a little ways off so it may just stay nice, light, and out of the east like we like!

Good news too I think my new boat is done and should have it by weeks end and hopefully in service next week!  5 for 9

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