# Port A Tarpon Guide



## adamcox (Apr 24, 2005)

Anyone know of a good guide in Port A who would be willing to focus on tarpon for a day? I'll be down there the 17th of Sept through the 24th. I've fished with a couple of excellent guides down there that mostly fish the bays for Reds and Trout, but they did not seeem to spend any time targeting tarpon.


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## Mizpah (Aug 27, 2004)

Try Alex Porter or Gary Cooper....possibly Totsy Belcher


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

There is only one guide that I would ever hire. Totsy Belcher. (361)-727-1512
He is the only guide I ever hired in Texas (5 times). He has taught me much.
He is my idol... saw him catch a 100#er on 10# mono last year. Wear you tough skin as his instructions can be a little sharp if you lose a fish. 

Tell him that you want only tarpon... he will be thrilled.. he usually put 3 limits of trout & redfish with a few other species in the boat each day. 

Send me a private e-mail, I will be down some in Sept. Perhaps you can go out with me. However most only go once. I get lots praise adjectives like insane, finatical, too stubborn to quit, ect.

TC


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## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

*all good adjectives...*

for a Texas tarpon fisherman.


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

I was fishing with Tarponchaser and Totsy Belcher a number of years ago and as I was in my backcast, I hooked the anchor line and broke off my rig. This type of thing is habit for me, but Totsy wasn't having it.

Totsy--not moving to help me re-rig, said, "That anchor's a heavy SOB, ain't it? And the other end of that rope's tied to the boat--which is heavier yet."

He sat, popping his bait occasionally, and then said, "If you want to use a bigger bait, just say so. There's no call to go breakin' stuff."

He waited a couple of minutes to let it sink in and then re-rigged my rod.

Totsy just catches fish, and probably hooks and catches as many tarpon as anyone down there. As TC says above, his boatside manner is a little coarse, but he is a wealth of knowledge. One time I asked him if he knew Florida Roberts as I had just read Elda Mae's book. 

He said, "Hell, yes I knew that crazy SOB." I asked if he disliked him, and he told me this story: 

"I was about ten or twelve years old and I saw Florida rigging up to go offshore. He hired me on for the afternoon, and we took off, telling my mom we'd be back late in the evening.

We went out a good ways looking for a snapper bite, and we lost the rudder on his big boat. We got back in to Port Isabel two weeks later, and my mom didn't allow me to fish with Florida for a while after that I can tell you."

He said they just about dehydrated themselves to death before getting in, and eating fish got pretty old--especially as undercooked as it must have been.

It's worth paying Totsy his fee just to ask him about how things used to be. He's been around--traveled all over catching marlin, etc., and though he's not super talkative, you can ask him about the Farleys, old tarpon times, Port Aransas in the early days, etc. 

He's an old man, but I wouldn't bet on anyone to beat him in an arm wrestle. 50 years off pulling up anchors and pulling on fish have put forearms on him like Popeye.


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## adamcox (Apr 24, 2005)

*Thanks*

I booked Totsy for Sept 20th and am really looking forward to it. I dug up some old articles where he was mentioned and the theme was pretty consistent; incredible guide, but wear your teflon underwear.

I've done plenty of Tarpon fishing in Key West and am really looking forward to learning about Tarpon fishing in Port A. My wife and I built a house on the island last year and we visit about once a month.


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## miguel4 (Aug 12, 2005)

Alex Porter can catch fish sometimes, but he's a jerk...


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