# UNICORN fishing.....



## Ice Cream Man (Aug 10, 2013)

Caught my first ever Tarpon. Lost it after a 20 minute fight, saw the leader once.
Estimated weight about 80#'s. Thank you Harold for helping me check it off my bucket list ...... ICM


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## Blueshoes (Jan 24, 2013)

Every video ive seen (for lack of experience) the angler bows the rod all the way almost to the water when they jump. Thats pretty cool though. My first year in galveston , 2011, we saw tarpon blowing horse mullet out of the surf only about 300 yards out... little did i know how rare that was


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## salty_waders (Feb 13, 2006)

Very cool picture! What part of the coast?


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

Blueshoes said:


> *Every video ive seen (for lack of experience) the angler bows the rod all the way almost to the water when they jump. *Thats pretty cool though. My first year in galveston , 2011, we saw tarpon blowing horse mullet out of the surf only about 300 yards out... little did i know how rare that was


That's mostly when fly fishing and it is because the heavy shock leader is limited to 12 inches, followed by a length of class tippet which is usually only 15-20 lbs. So you have some pretty thin line, real close to the fish when he jumps and should he land on it on his way down, a failure is possible. 
But when bait fishing, usually a longer leader of 60-80-100 lb. test is used and there little danger of it breaking should the fish land on it, so bowing isn't necessary, even though some people still do it.

I've said this before here, that personally, I don't ever bow to tarpon and I have my reasons for that. Won't go into details. Nice catch. Too bad you couldn't get her to leader, but after 20 minutes, you did 99% of what is necessary and your fish is better off for having been given a Palm Beach release, earlier in the fight.

I'll admit that cameras and camera angles do funny things to pictures......but looking at your photo alone, that fish looks closer to 100 than 80. Just saying....


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

From the picture, I would guess 100 pound class fish.

That's a great picture of the jump. I'd rather have that any day than risk killing one of these special fish. 

Congrats! Now its in your blood....and bucket lists don't carry any weight compared to the memory of a jumping Tarpon.


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## Ice Cream Man (Aug 10, 2013)

salty_waders said:


> Very cool picture! What part of the coast?


 NC was hooked in 10' of water, could have caught her from the beach.
Locals that know Tarpon also said it was bigger than I estimated.

Rigged 3 spinning rods. Trying again in the morning.

These Tarpon are traveling north, busting bait balls of Pogies on their way to Pamlico Sound for spawning ........ ICM


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