# Goal is to catch first tarpon this year.....



## No wake (Jun 14, 2014)

Planning on port mansfield jetties to start with......
Good idea?


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## surfsideperson (Aug 22, 2005)

That prolly depends on where you are driving from?


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## No wake (Jun 14, 2014)

Conroe


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## No wake (Jun 14, 2014)

Two goals this year;
Tarpon and a tiger
Figure I stand a good chance of two for one at PM jetties
I have seen tarpon there many times, but never hooked one


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## seadave (Feb 7, 2005)

If you want to use a guide, I suggest calling Mike Sutton, the new owner of Getaway Adventures lodge. He has done a fantastic job with the place and he will have guides that can put you on Tarpon. 

I was lucky enough to be one of the first after he remodeled and opened it. Ill be going again this year....

Dave


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Big Big sharks up in PM. We have a ton of tarpon down in South Padre.


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## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

PM jetties are my favorite place for tarpon. Free lined 5-6 inch mullet is a short answer to catching tarpon.


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## surfsideperson (Aug 22, 2005)

No question , you prolly have a better shot at tarpon farther south- however tarpon are caught in surfside and freeport as well- just an FYI - so are very big tiger sharks


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I am going to be straight up and honest with you! Catching tarpon is not easy. I have been fishing the coast all of my life. I have hired a guide once on the upper coast, and gone to boca grande to catch tarpon. And have still never landed one. I have jumped them, but haven't landed one. I probably would have caught several by now if I fished the lower coast more.

However, I do know one guy who has caught 3 or 4 of them out of the San Luis Pass surf and Galveston Piers. Bob Hall Pier would be a good place to go. You have a chance of seeing someone else catch one if you don't which is just as exciting. They don't catch a ton of tarpon there but enough of them to keep people interested in fishing for them.

BTW, that big tiger might be a bigger challenge. I do believe that if you keep going and trying, you will eventually catch both! But, make it a lifetime goal instead of a within the year goal. Someday I will get mine!

Hiring a guide will definitely increase your chances. Or, using your own boat, but even then, you will probably put some time in learning it before you connect and become consistent.


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## AguaMala (Feb 28, 2012)

*Port Mansfield jetties*

Fished the Port Mansfield north jetty Friday morning. Seen about 20 or so tarpon down there. Two of them I seen on the surf side, rest were In channel. They were all 3-1/2 to 4 footers. Seaweed wasn't bad down there either. Driving conditions weren't bad. Didn't use the 4x4 much getting down there.


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## No wake (Jun 14, 2014)

First year to have a boat, so this year I do not have to camp out in PINS
Getting to old for that


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## GeeTee (Aug 8, 2014)

No Wake - if you need a +1 on your boat someone to help with gas/bait i stay in Magnolia down the road from you, ready to fish anytime even during the week ;-) I too am after my first tarpon - that and a monster GT - is what i want!!!


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I can't imagine not hooking a few tarpon around the jetties at POC or Mansfield in the next four weeks, if you have live mullet and those Gamakatsu red circle hooks. The mullet will start migrating in a couple of weeks, millions of 6-inch mullet on the surface. It's about the easiest time to catch them all year. Just hook one through the nose and cast him at the rocks. Tarpon fishermen do need to be proficient with a castnet, but these migrating schools are sitting ducks. We like the Ambassadeur 6500 reel for this work. The bigger tarpon offshore are a different matter entirely.


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## B2 (Jun 11, 2004)

Free lined live mullet? Weight or no? Balloon? What size circle? Thx


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## double play (Jun 9, 2010)

I've had decent success out of Port OC between the jetties and the pass. I would say 1/2 of them came from sight casting to rolling fish and the other 1/2 drifting **** pops. Some friends of mine have had success at the PM jetties as well. Honestly, when they're feeding, it's like anything else and you just have to get it close to them. Last year we got word that the Tarpon were "everywhere" at the PM jetties late one evening. They were catching/hooking them on light tackle with Croaker with tremendous consistency. One guy had a trout ripped away from him at the boat by a Silver King. We dropped everything and drove down that night. We were there the next morning at daylight during a weekday (no other boats). They were nowhere to be found. We fished hard all day, running the beach, gulf, jetties, etc. They are definitely finicky eaters but can also disappear like no other fish. I've never caught one on live bait. All of them on artificial. Just as a side note, the evenings seem to be the best at the jetties. My theory is the lack of boat traffic from about 4 p.m. till dark but that's just a guess.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Several feet of 40-50 pound mono leader, no swivel or weight. No balloon. Just let the mullet do his thing out there. Hook him through the lips in a current. In a slow or dead current, maybe hook him in the tail on the belly side, he will wiggle a lot harder. We like these red circle hooks for smaller tarpon.

Here's a pic of those 6-inch mullet approaching, around Labor Day. Second picture of big mullet is definitely for bigger tarpon. I got a bunch of tarpon pics on my web site, if anyone wants to get fired up on these fish. The very first photo, Tarpon-97, was caught at the POC jetties with these 6-inch mullet. No problem. Photos at:

http://seafavorites.com/tarpon



B2 said:


> Free lined live mullet? Weight or no? Balloon? What size circle? Thx


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## B2 (Jun 11, 2004)

Thank you gentlemen


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