# Surprise Matagorda Tarpon



## sferg (May 26, 2004)

Hammertime and myself went to Palacios to fish the west matagorda bay wells this evening but a storm blew up and after making a few calls, determined the Matagorda surf was the ticket if we were going to use the bait in the live well. Made it out the jetties toward the east to my spot about 5:30 pm.Trout fishing was slow and we moved several times. About 7:30 we started catching sand trout fairly steadily on the 3-4 inch shrimp. At 7:45 Hammer said something swirled near his bait, then the next thing I saw was a 6' tarpon tail walking 20 yards off the stern. Hammer was using a spinning reel with 15 lb mono. The fish started to spool him and I manages to get started and pull the anchor. We managed to fight the fish for 55 minutes during which he tail walk 2 more time. We had him within gaff range several times (we had no intention of gaffing or killing this fish) but we wanted hand land him pop a scale, shoot a photo and release him. HAmmer just could not control the fish enough with a trout rod to bring him along side of the boat and there is only so much pressure you can put on on of these monsters with a medium light rod. SOOOO he managed to break off. We did not land the fish but you can't take away the memory.. Anyone know what a 6' tarpon that was 14" back to belly might weigh? I say 75-80 but this was both our first look at a tarpon up close. So we ended our day with 7 trout and a ton of high fives..


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## AlanKulcak (Aug 24, 2007)

sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was this at the POC jetties or maty jetties?


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## sferg (May 26, 2004)

Matagorda Jetties


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## Pktdeace (Apr 13, 2006)

Here is the formula, you need a girth measurement and a fork length. 

Girth squared * fork length / 800 = Wieght


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## squidmotion (Apr 5, 2007)

hmmmm.... doing the math, i come up with 17.64

14" girth X 72" fork length / 800 = 17.64lbs.... now that sounds fishy (hehehe)... 

i bet the fish actually had closer to a 30" girth, which would be the length of the BOTH sides plus a bit for thickness.....

let see.... plug into tarpon spreadsheet.... click click buzzzzzzz. .... DING. 

81lbs!!!

you are right on the money!!!


oh, and by the way.... a tarpon just brought up beside the boat is a thing to be super proud of!!! good job! i've been looking for them around san luis pass the last few years, but haven't had the luck of finding them yet....

i have a dream of tossing a big merkin or toad fly to one with my 10wt... a man can dream, right?


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## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

I guess I am bragging but a few years ago we where tarpon fishing in Venice La. Started at 6:00 am did not see a fish or get a bite until 5:30Pm. We found a good number of them and hooked up on a **** pop. Fish was huge and fight was on, This was a monster fish. She could only come half way out of the water she was so big. All the sudden no more jumps and here fighting changed and we could hardly control her. She would roll and go down, roll and go down, speed from the boat and go down. No more trying to jump. We finally got her to the boat. She had thrown the **** pop and it wrapped around her tail one time and the hook was over the line. New meaning of tail roping a fish. 

P.S. We rested the fair lady, never even tried to lift her out of the water. Took some fishing line and measured her length and cut the line and did the same for girth. 

She was 78 inches long and had a 42 inch girth only two inches less round than me. Thats three and one half feet around. She was a monster, we where so proud to watch her swim away. I think about watching her swimming away more than if she was hanging at the dock. Was she a record fish? maybe but I can say one thing for sure, she was a live fish! God Bless **** fisherman!


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## squidmotion (Apr 5, 2007)

lets see....

42 x 42 = 1,764

1764 x 78 = 137,592

137,592 / 800 = 172lbs 172lbs!!!!!

i would brag about that as well.... monstrous!!!


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## sferg (May 26, 2004)

I guess we have the fever now and need to go to bass pro or cut rate and get some 150# leader material, swivels and circle hooks. What is you favorite bait here on the gulf coast? I have heard live sand trout, pogies and 6" crabs. Anything else?


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

congrats on the catch, hopefully you'll get a scale next time


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