# Sunday 1 for 2...



## Lovett (Sep 20, 2005)

We took a tour along the beachfront Sunday and found a fish or two amongst the surprisingly sparse fleet. We noted a number of pods, close in, throughout the morning, but the bite was off&#8230; Most of the fish we spotted were simply frolicking or traveling. As per custom, attempts to bust these fast rollers to promote a bite produced nada. There were a number of good bait balls stacked up below the surface but little visible on top. We marked several fish cruising these balls on the Fish-O-Meter. Viewing the pods roaming about, and the number of visible fish, was a world class experience in spite of the lackluster morning bite. 

A bit after Scott and crew jumped their fish my fifteen year old tossed a CoastHawk onto the head of a nearby slow roller and hooked up for the first jump of the day. The solid fish slung the lure in a gill slapping staccato of aerial fury. After this day making experience, we relaxed, did a bit of grazing and prepared for the afternoon endure-o. Naturally, just as our noonday repast was declared ready, a drift pop fired, the line started singing and an explosive whoosh announced another opportunity at hand. Whoops and hollers of fish on began a give and take battle with a BAD fish estimated at boat side to go 170-180&#8230;? My fifteen year old hung tough, caught it clean and quick and the fish enjoyed a text book release. A nasty Boomer bounding down the beach threatened our RTP so we pulled lines, secured the deck and made a wet and breezy but otherwise unremarkable return to Seakwood. My partner is an experienced Tarpon angler with many successful campaigns, far beyond his years. The fish caught and released, Sunday, had the most heart of any he has battled. Texas Tarpon - A Passion!


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Hey - didn't realize that was yall out there. I assume that was your son on the radio yesterday. Glad yall made it in okay. We ran toward the pass for awhile, let it blow out some and then came in through the jetties. Didn't even get rained on worth talking about. congrats on the fish.


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## Lovett (Sep 20, 2005)

*No Radio Chatter*

Scott, We weren't too busy on the radio yesterday. I'm in the 25' Outrage with blue T-Top trying to look like a Russian trawler with too many antennas poking about... We waved as you trolled South inside of us early am... I think the youngsters out there included a Plaag and a little Schultz but I'm not certain....?

Here is the fish....!


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## mr sharkey (Aug 5, 2004)

Very nice report. We fished Friday and at one time I counted 10 boats in the general vicinity. Maybe one hookup noted on the radio...saw fair number of fish but no takers on my lines. At one point there was a relaxed school on top between me and another boat - the drift was taking us right into them. Then big fat sharks #X and #Y hit, and that was that. Probably our best shot of the day. I'll bet the weekend was NICE. How great is it to see kids poised in front of a Whaler looking for tarpon, rather than in front of the TV looking at trash??!

Wish I was out there today.


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## lunkerbrad (Feb 17, 2007)

nice to sea them back great catch . 
lucky kid.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

lunkerbrad said:


> nice to sea them back great catch .
> lucky kid.


"Back" - where did they go? I've been doing this for twenty years and we've had tarpon out there the whole time... some years better than others but they are always there??


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Lovett said:


> Scott, We weren't too busy on the radio yesterday. I'm in the 25' Outrage with blue T-Top trying to look like a Russian trawler with too many antennas poking about... We waved as you trolled South inside of us early am... I think the youngsters out there included a Plaag and a little Schultz but I'm not certain....?
> 
> Here is the fish....!


Oh, okay. I had yall confused with another boat then. I didn't recognize that was yall. Glad yall had some luck back in there with the other boats. It was pretty good. The fish didn't have lockjaw too bad. Everybody left probably before it got good. That storm rolled through and then it got flat again. I wanted to stay but my partner said hook home. I was convinced the fish would turn on bigtime after that squal. Saturday, we got all our bites between 3:30 and 4:45 p.m.


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## jodybo (May 26, 2006)

Don't know where you guys fish but I saw more Tarpon on saturday than I knew existed on the entire Texas coast. Unfortunately I could only drift dead baits for them which only produced 3 jumped fish.

Are these fish making a dramatic comeback or did I just luck out and find 50% of the fish on the Gulf Coast in one area? I bet I saw 5,000 Tarpon saturday.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

There are a lot more fish in Texas than folks think... or know. We just don't talk about it a ton. It is more weather dependent than anything. If we can't get out and can't see them, its hard to fish for them because they can literally be anywhere. We don't hold fish in the same way they do in Florida, Mexico and Louisiana... our fish are generally passing through... holding only for a short time and then moving on. It's just a different fishery but when its good, its as good as it gets. 3 jumped fish is pretty good by anybody's book.


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## jodybo (May 26, 2006)

There was a fly fishing boat about 300 yards from me at one point, we watched them jump 4 on flies in about 30 minutes. I'm guessing they jumped 15-20 throughout the day. Tarpon were everywhere podded up, rolling, and free jumping. Probably 6-8 times over a 5 hour period I had pods of 8-10 roll within 25 feet of my boat while I was drifting. Sadly, my 11 wt that I took blew out of my boat as I was cruising across the bay.  Go figure, the one day of my life when I actually could have hooked multiple tarpon - karma I guess.


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## Mogununker (Apr 21, 2006)

*11 wt fly rod*



jodybo said:


> There was a fly fishing boat about 300 yards from me at one point, we watched them jump 4 on flies in about 30 minutes. I'm guessing they jumped 15-20 throughout the day. Tarpon were everywhere podded up, rolling, and free jumping. Probably 6-8 times over a 5 hour period I had pods of 8-10 roll within 25 feet of my boat while I was drifting. Sadly, my 11 wt that I took blew out of my boat as I was cruising across the bay.  Go figure, the one day of my life when I actually could have hooked multiple tarpon - karma I guess.


Jody Bo - Not sure where you lost it but a buddy of mine found an 11 wt near Port O ' Connor washed up on the shore on Sunday. Not sure what kind yours was but he said it was for sale. I think he wants around $375 for it. PM me.


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## jodybo (May 26, 2006)

Are you sh*tting me?


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## haparks (Apr 12, 2006)

very nice post and pice ur livin my dream i hope to hook up with one in a week


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

jodybo said:


> There was a fly fishing boat about 300 yards from me at one point, we watched them jump 4 on flies in about 30 minutes. I'm guessing they jumped 15-20 throughout the day. Tarpon were everywhere podded up, rolling, and free jumping. Probably 6-8 times over a 5 hour period I had pods of 8-10 roll within 25 feet of my boat while I was drifting. Sadly, my 11 wt that I took blew out of my boat as I was cruising across the bay.  Go figure, the one day of my life when I actually could have hooked multiple tarpon - karma I guess.


If you heard a lot of cussing, that would have been my boat.
4 landed for seventeen hooked, all sight cast (Friday)...they like those little flies better than dead meat!
Saturday we went one landed for four jumped, but my buddy's boat hooked nine...who by the way had a client drop one of his rods off the boat on friday...and his stripping basket..he'll be in touch w/ you as well Mogununker.

I'll post some photos later, see what I've got...shot four hours of video in two days, plus got a little underwater action....
S

PS.

What you saw this weekend was a once in a lifetime thing...Hope you can see it twice...I know guys who have done this for eight to ten years and have never seen it. We went 0 for 2 yesterday and 0 for 0 today. I do it for a living and have seen it maybe ten times in as many years. I sure hope you took pictures!

A buddy ran across a school on Saturday 36 miles out that was 30 ACRES thick..got one bite...that's it.
Be glad you at least got to witness it...


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## seeingred (Jul 24, 2005)

Scott G said:


> If you heard a lot of cussing, that would have been my boat.
> 4 landed for seventeen hooked, all sight cast (Friday)...they like those little flies better than dead meat!
> Saturday we went one landed for four jumped, but my buddy's boat hooked nine...who by the way had a client drop one of his rods off the boat on friday...and his stripping basket..he'll be in touch w/ you as well Mogununker.
> 
> ...


Once in a lifetime.....That is what I was afraid of....i was out there as well and jumped one, but was not targeting them and didn't have the right bait and gear. I saw 2 skiffs within 50 yards of me hooked up with tarpon on a flyrod, while I was busy with a shark. It was pretty cool to see these guides flying around and powering down right in the school and immediately hook up...should have just cut the leader and gone after the silver kings.


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## jodybo (May 26, 2006)

Interesting comments Scott. I believe you too. I was basically in shock all day long at what I was seeing. Blew my mind. Like SeeingRed, all of my gear was rigged for shark which meant I didn't even have anything I could cast. I'm glad I saw it, but at the same time I'm bummed that I wasn't correctly outfitted. 

Essentially I had my fly rod rigged for Tarpon on a just in case basis. What a mind blower that I lost it on the way to a once a year day where Tarpon were swimming around my boat inside of 150 feet all day long. Just unbelievable. At least I caught a big shark.


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

seeingred said:


> It was pretty cool to see these guides flying around and powering down right in the school and immediately hook up...should have just cut the leader and gone after the silver kings.


That was us...we work together and keep the boats in line to try to corral the fish...most of the time it doesn't work...sometimes it does.
Those fish greyhounding usually won't eat, we'll chase to about 4 or 5 miles and swing back in to look for more. The happy fish are close.

Here's one from Friday:


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## wcvickers (Aug 26, 2005)

I had my once in a lifetime sighting back in the Summer of '73 when I was 12 years old. Acres of tarpon rolling inside Pass Cavallo, generally in 5-6 feet of water. We'd been kingfishing and had mostly trolling rods and ribbonfish on board. An hour of drifting/trolling produced no bites. Finally my dad, in frustration, picked up a trout rod with a mirrorlure and immediately hooked up. An hour and a half later we convinced the captain that the fish had not even acted like it felt the hook yet, and we stopped chasing it. 

It was many years ago, but I remember it like it was last month. Awesome sight.


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## kenny (May 21, 2004)

Lovett said:


> Scott, We weren't too busy on the radio yesterday. I'm in the 25' Outrage with blue T-Top trying to look like a Russian trawler with too many antennas poking about... We waved as you trolled South inside of us early am... I think the youngsters out there included a Plaag and a little Schultz but I'm not certain....?
> 
> Here is the fish....!


Congratulations BigTunaEd!
That's a fine fish for your son and you have a very good fishing partner.


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