# Year around tarpon in Texas



## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

Guys, 

My favorite guide is Totsy Belcher of Port Aransas. He was born and raised there and done nothing but fish the area for seventy years. He worked as a deck hand for Florida Roberts.

He tells me that there are tarpon at the jetties year around. He calls them "rock tarpon". They are the ones that we see all Summer and Fall and are usually 15 to 30 pounds. 

This conflicts with Dr. Aults theory of temperture and migration. However; last year I heard that they had discovered that small tarpon have much tolerence to cold than previously thought.

Is it possible that they go deep and become very sluggish and only reappear as the water warms.

I had a report of small tarpon at the Mansfield cut several weeks ago... the water is in the low 70's.... not 76 or 80.

My biggest quandry is the very small tarpon... 18 - 24" that are in some small creeks in the early Spring and Summer in the Corpus area.

Dr. Ault thinks that they moved up from the Mexico area. I have trouble seeing such a small fish migrating that far and getting there before the large tarpon arrive at our jetties.

Back in the day at P.A. they had a prize for the first tarpon caught each year. According to the book, "The Stubborn Fisherman", Florida Roberts won the contest by catching a tarpon on January 1 of several years. Have we been suffering form the effects of un global warming?

Also interesting is the picture on this bolg of lots of tarpon in the Gulf on a rig damaged by Katrina as I remember the date of the picture was in February... off Lousiana in 100 feet of water... wonder what the temp was?

Any thoughts?

TarponChaser


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## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

I spent one year focusing on Port A tarpon. I started in March and fished about every two weeks through November and encountered tarpon in all the months I fished.

It doesn't surprise me to hear that they are there year round.

I wonder how much fluctuation there is in the number of tarpon over the course of the year.


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## Catch 22 (Jul 5, 2005)

*Robbies*

In the Florida Keys there is a place called Robbies. At the end of the dock there is a school of tarpon. Closer to the shore the small ones hang out together. Believe they are there all year waiting to be fed by tourists.

This is what does not make sense. What in the world would start a school of tarpon to stop migrating and take up residence at Robbies? Know the water is warmer in Florida but............


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

In Tampa you could catch tarpon in teh winter at nighttime under the main bridges. I personally never targeted them in teh winter but the reports were real and there are definitely resident fish in Tampa bay that do not migrate. The water temps are very similar in texas so water temps are not a factor. Pollution is definitely a factor in my opinion. When I talk to old salts they say that tarpon were everywhere in Galveston Bay 70-100 years ago. Overfishing and pollution I would think are main factors but that is just my opinion.


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## RGV AG (Aug 15, 2005)

I don't know much about tarpon and the one thing I do know is that I can't catch them. Well, I really have only fished for them a handful of times, but I am still big O'fer. 

Anyway, in the days of my youth we would do a lot of diving on the rigs out of Mansfield. I have seen schools, as in large schools say 50-100, of tarpon there in November, December and February and March. One particular November or it might have been early December we were diving some rigs about 12 miles offshore of Mansfield and what must have been a school of about 150-200 tarpon came through and started circling that rig. 

I have also seen large Tarpon at the Little Adam Rig, which is about 40 miles offshore of Mansfield before. 

I know the guys that still dive those rigs also regularly see them. Anyway, thought I would chime in on this FWIW.


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

Nice! That would be awesome to be diving around 200 tarpon. What a cool story!


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Actually, you got it a little wrong Doug - Jerry knows and believes the little guys can tolerate cold better. It depends on how cold. Trout they have found migrate from as far south as Laguna Madre all the way up to north Matagorda Bay. Not a stretch to think a 30 pound tarpon will travel down the beach toward northern mexico if the water gets cold enough. But we've caught little ten pound trout at the Galveston Jetties in February - so, yes, some of these fish are residents and hang out but probably don't roll much in that kind of cool water.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

The Louisiana fish are very consistent with the loop current on the Missipp. which can be strong all winter. The water temp those fish were in at the rig was not below 70 degrees despite the time of year.


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

Every time I mention Tarpon to a louisianan he thinks of them as a trash fish or as a fish the he doesnt care to catch. What is up with that? They have tens if not hundreds of thousands of tarpon parked there in summer and I am guessing that not many anglers target them there. Does anyone know why? Do they think if you cant eat it they dont wantto catch it?????? When it comes to exciting gamefish you cant get any better. What else pulls, jumps and fights as hard as a tarpon? I just dont understand those boys over there!!


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## Ricky T (Aug 4, 2007)

Can't cook 'em in a gumbo and they pull too much string.


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

I have heard many reports of divers seeing tarpon around the rigs at Port A and Mansfield.

The strange thing is I have never heard of tarpon being seen rolling at these locations. Once in a great while one caught there. I think some may be hooked but run under the rig and are broken off.

TC


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

There are reports of Tarpon in the Dow chemical outflows now that have been there through the winter.


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## CaptBrad (Dec 29, 2007)

I saw a couple small ones rolling near a rig on a state water snapper trip just last weekend.

They weren't but maybe 15pounds at the most, but one nailed a freelined live shrimp and spit the hook almost immediately.


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## Power Fisherman (May 23, 2007)

I have seen tarpon on the south side of the port mansfield channel when the water temp is in the 60's in mid December. 

Deaver


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## Captain Stansel (Jul 8, 2008)

I agree with Tarponchaser. Tarpon migrate, no question. Some of the juvi's stay. Usually no larger than 30 lbs. You can find them from Port O in limited numbers and as you go down the coast to South Padre they get numerous. The rocks at the jetties retain heat from the sun so the water is usually little warmer there. I have friends that fish Port A in the winter dropping live mullet to the bottom in the middle of the jetties. Also, look at Arroyo City. They have Tarpon year round in numbers. Snook too. Just my 2cnts.


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## RGV AG (Aug 15, 2005)

I have seen large tarpon on the Little Adam rig out of Mansfield in Dec. with water temp hovering between 69-74 degrees.


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