# Was this a Tarpon?



## jtn379 (Jan 7, 2014)

I was fishing yesterday with my dad out by the concrete ship by Seawolf, needless to say with the wind it was a little sporty and we didn't catch much. So before we went back to the ramp we figured we would just anchor behind a piling under the 45 bridge going to Galveston island. We were fishing about 100 yards from the ship channel using live 5" mullet on the bottom. My dad was fishing with a medium/heavy action rod with 20lb test and a 40lb leader. He hooked into something big that doubled over his rod, pulled for about 5-10 seconds and snapped his line. The fish hit so hard that he almost fell over board. Now I don't think this was a bull red because of the way it bent over his pole and the leader. Do y'all think it was a tarpon? And if so, I wouldn't figure that they would be in G-bay like that.

-Blake


----------



## GulfCoast1102 (Dec 30, 2013)

jtn379 said:


> I was fishing yesterday with my dad out by the concrete ship by Seawolf, needless to say with the wind it was a little sporty and we didn't catch much. So before we went back to the ramp we figured we would just anchor behind a piling under the 45 bridge going to Galveston island. We were fishing about 100 yards from the ship channel using live 5" mullet on the bottom. My dad was fishing with a medium/heavy action rod with 20lb test and a 40lb leader. He hooked into something big that doubled over his rod, pulled for about 5-10 seconds and snapped his line. The fish hit so hard that he almost fell over board. Now I don't think this was a bull red because of the way it bent over his pole and the leader. Do y'all think it was a tarpon? And if so, I wouldn't figure that they would be in G-bay like that.
> 
> -Blake


Honestly it could have been darn near anything. I've had LOTS of sharks hit a bait on the bottom like that while fishing in/around Galv Bay. As the water warms up, you'll see all sorts of interesting critters come wandering through the bay. No reason why a tarpon wouldn't be among them. On Wednesday the 4th of June, i was fishing at the 1st rig out of Galv (about 13 miles from the jetties). I saw what i'm pretty sure was a tarpon about 4' long go airborne. Silvery color, and looked too heavy/broad to be a king mackerel. It was about 200-300' away from my boat. Came WAY outta the water. Cool sight to see.


----------



## lapesca67 (Apr 9, 2008)

If it did not jump after it broke off, probably not a tarpon......big drum or shark given the time of year would be my guess at that location.


----------



## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Southern Stingray*

More likely


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I think it is a good chance it was a tarpon, but it could have been anything!


----------



## Sawemoff258 (Jun 18, 2006)

Prolly a lady fish


----------



## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

yellowfin jetty tuna


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Yep, a jack crevalle.


----------



## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

spinner sharks will fool you into thinking you just hooked a trapon, especially when they come flying out of the water


----------



## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Whatever it was I bet it was a rush!


----------



## jtn379 (Jan 7, 2014)

Yupp, y'all had me doubting it for a while that it was a tarpon. But I will probably never hook into one so I am just going to tell people that it was, and that it was 5 feet long and jumped 10 feet out of the water.
you know just a classic fish story lol


----------



## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

jtn379 said:


> Yupp, y'all had me doubting it for a while that it was a tarpon. But I will probably never hook into one so I am just going to tell people that it was, and that it was 5 feet long and jumped 10 feet out of the water.
> you know just a classic fish story lol


That was right before your dad's reel blew up when you were pouring a cold Keystone on it to cool it off, right?


----------



## ethan (Aug 3, 2006)

hey buddy it was 100% a tarpon.... why not right, or hell it could have even been a swordfish apparently they are swimming in shallow right now lol.


----------



## gater (May 25, 2004)

*Tarpon*

At the causeway very good possibility it could have been a Tarpon. They are not uncommon there at all. Prior to Ike we seen or there were Tarpon jumped there the 6 years prior to the storm. There are Tarpon in a West Bay so again very possible.


----------



## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Pretty sure this is what it was since they hang around the concrete ship a lot...


----------

