# Tarpon at POC



## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

When do the tarpon show up in descent numbers around POC? I have two 5 day trips planned, one in early July and one in early August. Will there be plenty of Tarpon around at those times? What are the best months to try and get a shot at catching one in POC?

Thanks in advance


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

You should be good


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## Ryan (Apr 30, 2011)

Would like to know myself was spooked by a tarpon bout 100 yards down from coast guard station about 3 weeks ago, really want to land one now, was huntin reds at the time.


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## Ryan (Apr 30, 2011)

Spooled not spooked sorry


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## rvd (Mar 30, 2006)

Ryan said:


> Spooled not spooked sorry


Did you get to see the tarpon?


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Was it on the flats, or in deep water?


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

cavallo pass is a good place to try.. when the winds die down and the surf turns to glass and clear water, you can run the shoreline toward the darlington spotting schools of them cruising over 2nd and 3rd gut sandbars.... I don't fish for them but did catch one in high school when I was running the surf one calm day... I am pretty sure it was on the way back in the afternoon and I had stopped pretty close to where you can walk from Sunday beach.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*A good greenwater evening*

With a tidal onshore push about 3PM will almost guarantee a few jumped in Pass Cavallo IF you are in the right spot - All of September, even caught kings/ling alongside of Decros when conditions are right --

As long as the mullet/spanish macs/ladyfish/candlefish are thick in the pass, its a slam dunk --

that is if you can keep the spinners,blacktip and jacks off


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

What depth of water do you favor for that action? We used to get 30 feet down the middle, that's probably history now.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Pretty sanded*

But there were pockets along Decros and just off J hook back toward CG station that had 25' deep water as recently as last September

However we have found over the years that staying on top of sharp slopes into 10-20' of water (sandbar contours) are travel lanes , those fish coming from offshore follow the ditches, if we fish deeper inshore, the sharks/southern stingrays are pests

We usually anchor on moving tides and chum, chum , chum, let em come to us - we actually set our watches , if in fifteen minutes after chum launch we aren't bowed we move, we stay outside Decros on outgoing, inside/along Decros on incoming --

From past years I remember a few fifty foot holes inshore the pass, looks like new hole developing just north of J hook, it seems to be a little deeper each trip and the flats north toward the lump are getting shallower by the day --

adjust and adapt, we like those washing machine green days, if we aren't slopping water over the bow its too calm.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Ten minutes into a 150# class fish in the pass*










and 45 minutes later


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## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

What or where is Decros havent heard of that before?


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*From Big jetties to Pass*

Decros Island


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## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks for the info trueblue.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Decros point looking north*

Pass Cavallo


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## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

I wish I could manage to get lucky and see the pass that calm. Been going down for several years and never catch it looking like that. Good looking pic trueblue. Fished the area but never knew that island was called Decros.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

There used to be a town at Decros in the 1800s, but it blew away. Imagine the fish they must have seen back then. Big ships passed through there, up to Indianola, to unload settlers. I'd like to catch the Pass looking that green, again. The only way that seems to happen, is if you live in POC. By the way, after dragging a tarpon into the boat there, back in 1988, and having it poop everywhere and maybe not survive when we tossed it overboard, we started taking jump pics or fish alongside the boat. The magazines today won't even use a picture of a dying tarpon in the boat.


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

Trouthappy said:


> There used to be a town at Decros in the 1800s, but it blew away. Imagine the fish they must have seen back then. Big ships passed through there, up to Indianola, to unload settlers. I'd like to catch the Pass looking that green, again. The only way that seems to happen, is if you live in POC. By the way, after dragging a tarpon into the boat there, back in 1988, and having it poop everywhere and maybe not survive when we tossed it overboard, we started taking jump pics or fish alongside the boat. The magazines today won't even use a picture of a dying tarpon in the boat.


Try it after July 4th, you'll find a lot of nice green days there.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*We work hard*



Trouthappy said:


> There used to be a town at Decros in the 1800s, but it blew away. Imagine the fish they must have seen back then. Big ships passed through there, up to Indianola, to unload settlers. I'd like to catch the Pass looking that green, again. The only way that seems to happen, is if you live in POC. By the way, after dragging a tarpon into the boat there, back in 1988, and having it poop everywhere and maybe not survive when we tossed it overboard, we started taking jump pics or fish alongside the boat. The magazines today won't even use a picture of a dying tarpon in the boat.


My uncle was stationed for years in POC before Carla cleaned his clock - he was a jib crane operator back when the town was booming

To take quick pics and release after reviving the fish, nearly broke an arm on that one when it slammed my arm against the gunnel when put back in -- anytime you have a prolonged battle with any fish odds ar 50/50 its crab food mainly due to lactic acid build-up in tissues, now if you could place fish in hyperbaric chambers for an hour or so you would see em all live, been a long time since I killed one for sure - but I won't lie and say some did not die days later.

We don't have near the problems Florida does on released fish, I've sen monster hammers attack almost every hooked fish more than a few time

Just big crappie minnows on the Florida coast in places --

Many fish we catch are too big to bring in the boat, especially those washing machine days we like to fish - they get a good pat and circle out, and pics if we have time.

All our fish are landed by hand, never in my life used a gaff , grip or hook.


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Pass Cavallo*

Was and has been a big part of Texas history, it was the deepest natural pass on the Texas coast at the turn of the century - I would have loved to see what it was then, I can remember back in 1965 when I was a kid - it held some REAL deep water even then, The Big jetty cuts and PA cuts , ICW just about killed the pass,

I wonder if tidal inflow restored at CB will have any effect on new scouring at Pass Cavallo, I would dearly like to see 50' deep water there again

I think if they dredged out the fish pond and restored the cut there to the Gulf it would make a danged interesting fishing hole

I figure if there is ever another big cane cleans off the jhook and boils the connection to the gulf open again Lafittes treasure will appear.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

One time we snagged anchor out there, it was on the right side in 14 feet of water, maybe 150 yards past the breaker line. Always wondered if it was a cannon. About 1990. Only time we ever snagged anchor. Caught a few big honker tarpon in the deep hole in front of the Coast Guard station, maybe 30 feet of water, maybe 250 yards towards the big jetties. Fished there only when the Gulf was terrible rough. Humongous stingrays in there, you don't want to hook.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I ain't going near Pass Cavallo until June is over. Been there, that's Charlie's surf. We're tarpon fishing POC about June 9-10, but it will be back in some whitecap bay in 7 feet of water.


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## rvd (Mar 30, 2006)

Trouthappy said:


> One time we snagged anchor out there, it was on the right side in 14 feet of water, maybe 150 yards past the breaker line. Always wondered if it was a cannon. About 1990. Only time we ever snagged anchor. Caught a few big honker tarpon in the deep hole in front of the Coast Guard station, maybe 30 feet of water, maybe 250 yards towards the big jetties. Fished there only when the Gulf was terrible rough. Humongous stingrays in there, you don't want to hook.


I would have had to dive down and check that snag out. Nice article on kings this month in Everett's mag ( that is your work isn't it?)


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Junk in channel*

About 1/2 way up the pass on Decros side there is some junk on bottom about 60 yards off the surf, hung it many times - sometimes its sanded over sometimes its clear, lost an anchor or two on it, pulled up a few chunks of rusting iron on the rope a time or two - always a good bet for some big bull reds if it isn't sanded in.

Sure didn't take long to submerge the old shrimper on the south point, I wish that gut was as deep as it was ten years ago -

Soon as I get this 512 miles of 20" NGL pipe in the ground , I'm goin fishin


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

TrueblueTexican said:


> Sure didn't take long to submerge the old shrimper on the south point, I wish that gut was as deep as it was ten years ago -


I remember that one.. fished all around it.. I loved wading the deep gut at the edge of the sand on the south corner surf just before day break... would park on the right hand side of the pass just before the surf then wade it all morning heading out deeper as the sun came up


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Guaranteed specs*

On topwater just as the sun colored the horizon, took many 25" spec stringers outta there

Good place to loose a lot of lures to the **** blacktips blastin them too --


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I pulled a couple of waders out of the water there, that were sucked offshore in the Pass. An old Latino grand dad and his skinny grandkid. They stepped into deeper water and were 300 yards offshore in 25 feet of water, going out fast with an outgoing tide. A flat calm day, though. I just happened to be coming in from offshore and used the Pass instead of the jetties. Saw this tiny spot of orange, it was the kid's little lifejacket. Grand pa was hanging on to that.

Yep that were my kingfish story. Trying to print my new king book in the USA, but printing costs are way high for color photos.


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## Ryan (Apr 30, 2011)

rvd said:


> Did you get to see the tarpon?


Ya he jumped four times


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## clint623 (Jan 31, 2012)

Nice, I caught one on the gulf side of the big jetties but it broke my line after 3 jumps


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

TrueblueTexican said:


> Sure didn't take long to submerge the old shrimper on the south point, I wish that gut was as deep as it was ten years ago -


That shrimp boat was grounded on September 12th, 1992 or 1993. I was out there the next day when they were salvaging the rigging. I told my buddies on board that it was the beginning of the end for that side of the pass. Didn't take long for that sandbar to shoal up.

About 300 yards east of the shrimp boat remains there is another wreck out between the bars in 8-10' of water. I first noticed it 5-years back when cruising the bars looking for schools of jacks or bull reds to sightcast. The colorization is much differant than anything else in the area in clear water and bright sun. We thought it was a tightly formed school of reds until our jigs hung up solid on it. I eased over it for a better look and poked it with my pushpole, definately steel.

You never know what may out there, running the bars could be deadly!


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