If you are fishing in the first light of the morning, the best bait to use is dead bait. You can use a paddle tail of 5 to 8 inches or live bait such as shrimp, pinfish, mullet, or white baits.
Tarpon is one of the most aggressive inshore fish. It should be on your bucket list if catching one of them isn’t already. This page will show you how to catch one the next time you go fishing in Florida.
Tarpon migrate mainly from the Caribbean, and other southern climates to Florida during early spring.
Around November, they turn back and head south again. Most of the year, tarpon can be found in places like Miami and the Florida Keys.
Start with these simple tips to catch more Tarpon.
Where Are the Best Places to Fish for Tarpons?
During the summer months, you can find tarpon almost anywhere in Florida. Tarpon is one of the fishes that can tolerate high temperatures. You can find them on the beach, around inlets, around deeper creek mouths and turn basins, in freshwater canals and rivers; spillways, and on grass flats.
How To Catch A Tarpon Fishing Florida Beaches
Tarpon are often seen running along the beach in search of food. When the tide is high, they can be found within a few inches of the shore. It is fun to catch them early in the morning and late at night using large paddle tails or large hard lures.
Cast out as far as possible and reel as hard as you can. When there are monster silver kings or black-tip sharks around, this will usually provoke an attack.
They can be seen crashing bait schools all day off the beach during the spring and fall mullet runs in Florida.
The Perfect Tackle Combo for Big Tarpon (Off the Beach)
I believe that the best rod and reel combination for large Tarpon (60 pounds and larger) off the beach is a 6500 Series reel with a 7-foot medium/heavy, or heavy-strength, fast-action rod.
Fill the spool up with a 50-pound braid, and then use a leader of 60-100 pounds depending on the size of the tarpon in that area. This is the best tackle to use for large tarpon near the beach.
Over the past years, I’ve had a variety of rods and reels. These include brands such as Diawa, Shimano, and Penn.
Penn Spinfisher reels are my favorite reels. The Penn Spinfisher series of reels are smooth and made from tough metals that resist corrosion. They have great drag systems, and they also have a sealed body to prevent sand or water from getting inside.
These are ideal for kayaking, surf fishing, and wade fishing. Any fishing technique where water or sand is likely to enter them.
How to Catch a Tarpon Fishing Florida (THE INLETS)
Tarpon are most active at night, and the best time to catch one is during the evening. You can catch them at the mouths of the inlets in the morning and evening, but the nighttime is the best.
Inlets are where the big tarpon live. I prefer to catch the smaller tarpon, less than 4 feet long. I don’t want to fight a tarpon for an hour. I am happy to fight for 10 minutes. When hooked, Inlet tarpon can weigh up to 100 pounds.
The Perfect Tackle Combo – Big Tarpon in the Inlets
I believe that the best rod and reel combination for large Tarpon in the Inlets is an 8500 series reel with a 7 1/2-foot medium/heavy strength fast action rod.
The size of the tarpon that you are targeting will determine the amount of braid to use and the leader’s weight. This is the best tackle to use for large tarpons in the inlets.
The outgoing tide is usually the best because the fish are waiting for the crabs, shrimps, and other prey to wash off the flats or sandbars into their mouths. The tarpon and other large predatory fish are more docile at night, which can help you catch them more easily than during the day.
The best lure for inlet Tarpon is the Mirro Lure Sliding Mullet. It is an excellent tarpon lure for any area where they may be hiding. The inlet tarpon will also be caught with a large spoon.
Live baits like ladyfish, crabs, or mullet are the best. Tarpons often target these species, as they wash into and out the inlets of Florida.
How To Catch A Tarpon Fishing Florida – CREEK MOUTHS
Around creek mouths and turn basins is where I like to fish for tarpon. Tarpons do not mind shallow water, but they prefer a deep channel. Tarpons have primitive lungs that allow them to gulp in air when the oxygen level of water is low.
They have an advantage over predators who must leave the water to get oxygen. (Hot water has less oxygen dissolved than cold water. It also helps tarpon fans like myself to know where the fish are.
The Perfect Tackle Combo for Tarpon in Creek Mouths
I believe that the best rod and reel combination for Creek Mouth Tarpon (less than 50 pounds) is a medium/heavy-strength, fast-action rod with a 4500 Series reel.
Fill the spool up with 30 30-pound braid, and use a leader of 30 to 50 pounds depending on the size of the tarpon that is in the area. This is the best tackle to use for tarpon near creek mouths.
Have you ever noticed that tarpon takes in more air first thing in the morning? They have to take in more air at dawn because photosynthesis does not happen during the night.
The marine plants and diatoms cannot produce oxygen without sunlight. All night, the dissolved oxygen is being consumed. Tarpon must gulp until morning so that the plants and animals produce enough oxygen.
The normal tarpon fight is 3-4 jumps that take the fish out of the water while it violently shakes its head to remove the hook from its mouth. The tarpon appears as a silver flash when the sun shines on it.
How to catch a Tarpon Fishing Florida – SPILLWAYS
Many spillways are great places to fish for tarpons in Florida. The rainy seasons last from May through September. Water management workers open the locks of the dams as the lakes in Florida, begin to fill up with water.
The sudden release of freshwater fish into the outflow attracts tarpons from their saltwater estuaries. The combination of a bluegill the size of a palm and a bobber is deadly for tarpon.
You can usually find tarpons fighting in the current if you just throw them into it and let it drift.
The white DOA Cal shads are great for fishing the spillways, but my favorite is the 1/8-ounce redhead with the white DOA. This lure is the one I use for almost every fish that lives inshore. This lure will catch snooks, tarpons, redfishes, flounders, speckled trouts, and more.
Tarpon also likes to hit a silver spoon that is well-presented in the water of a spillway. For best results, cast the spoon upstream and let it sink until it reaches the tarpon in the water column. Tarpons are most active in the first few days after spillways have been opened.
How to catch a Tarpon Fishing Florida — GRASS FLATS
Florida’s grass flats are the nursery of many fish. From bull sharks to goliath goliaths, all fish start as small fry trying to grow large enough to avoid being eaten.
Tarpon also hunts on these fertile flats. You can find them cruising grass flats, sometimes barely deep enough for their dorsal rays to be covered.
As the tide rises, they can be seen cruising the flats looking for prey. A pinfish under a bobber will work wonders in this environment to jump a few tarpons. I free line finger mullet in front of my kayak, and then troll slowly at a depth of about 4 feet.
The circle hook is the key to this technique, as the tarpon will automatically hook itself. You won’t need to set the hook.
Ready to Catch the Big Silver King?
If you’re looking to make the most of your inshore fishing adventures and tarpon fishing in Florida, don’t hesitate to reach out to us Copeland Outdoors. We have expert advice and local knowledge will help ensure that your fishing trips are successful and enjoyable. Contact now!
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