Scott
08-08-2004, 09:50 AM
The Texas Tarpon Pro/Am was held yesterday. After a busy day on Friday with lots of fish caught, the wind shift mixed things up for the tournament. The morning broke with lots of wind and waves from the Northeast. Dana Bailey (fishing in the pro division) caught a fish around 11:00 a.m. A fleet of about twenty boats was in the area and no other hook-ups.
The wind finally laid down about 2:00. Pursuant to the rules, all boats must be back at the dock by 4:00 p.m. We had run offshore into deeper water with hopes that maybe the weather change had pushed fish out. We found lots of bait but no tarpon. At 2:30 p.m., we decided to make one more run back into shallower water where we had caught the fish the day before. After hitting the desired water depth and turning along the beach to head home, about one minute later, a fish rolled in front of the boat. I pulled the motors back and another fish rolled. At that point, I killed the motors and the bottom literally came up. Tarpon rolling in about a fifty yard circle all in front of the boat. Jim Farley cast first and hooked a jack. His wife Sally cast next and found a tarpon. Immediately after her cast, I cast and also found a tarpon. Sally whipped her fish in ten minutes (at 2:55). She caught about a 100 lb fish on a casting rod. Photo taken for the tournament. About five minutes later, at 3:00 p.m., I landed my fish. 110lbs. Photo taken, fish released and hammer down. We pushed the diesels almost to their limit. At one point going 33 knots. We got back to Teakwood marina and to the dock at 3:59 p.m. One minute to spare.
There were no other fish caught during the tournament. We took home four trophies. The most tarpon caught by an amateur, most tarpon caught by amateur angler, first tarpon caught by an amateur and the overall amateur trophy. We couldn't have done it without the great team work and skill of Sally and Jim. Jim drove the boat while landing the fish and Sally really fought her fish like a pro.
The wind finally laid down about 2:00. Pursuant to the rules, all boats must be back at the dock by 4:00 p.m. We had run offshore into deeper water with hopes that maybe the weather change had pushed fish out. We found lots of bait but no tarpon. At 2:30 p.m., we decided to make one more run back into shallower water where we had caught the fish the day before. After hitting the desired water depth and turning along the beach to head home, about one minute later, a fish rolled in front of the boat. I pulled the motors back and another fish rolled. At that point, I killed the motors and the bottom literally came up. Tarpon rolling in about a fifty yard circle all in front of the boat. Jim Farley cast first and hooked a jack. His wife Sally cast next and found a tarpon. Immediately after her cast, I cast and also found a tarpon. Sally whipped her fish in ten minutes (at 2:55). She caught about a 100 lb fish on a casting rod. Photo taken for the tournament. About five minutes later, at 3:00 p.m., I landed my fish. 110lbs. Photo taken, fish released and hammer down. We pushed the diesels almost to their limit. At one point going 33 knots. We got back to Teakwood marina and to the dock at 3:59 p.m. One minute to spare.
There were no other fish caught during the tournament. We took home four trophies. The most tarpon caught by an amateur, most tarpon caught by amateur angler, first tarpon caught by an amateur and the overall amateur trophy. We couldn't have done it without the great team work and skill of Sally and Jim. Jim drove the boat while landing the fish and Sally really fought her fish like a pro.