# New Louisiana State Record Tarpon



## barrymathieu

Caught by David Prevost and Jeff DeBlieux off Grand Isle, Louisiana, on Thursday, October 15th. Fish weighed 246 lbs 10 oz!


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## Castaway2

does tarpon eat good... does size matter if so ?


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## Fishtexx

I have not heard of anybody ever eating a Tarpon. Catch and release/trophy only


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## sotexhookset

^^^ should be but it's not as one over 84" long can be taken to the dock, here in Texas anyway. Being Lousiana they've probably got a 16" minimum. 30 a day.


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## tpool

I thought we had a tarpon trophy tag here in Texas

T-BONE


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## Castaway2

Fishtexx said:


> I have not heard of anybody ever eating a Tarpon. Catch and release/trophy only


so what are they doing with this fish? crab bait now.. it sure appears to be dead not still alive in a live well.... I only ask I have not seen any comments on it and I have seen them released all of them durning that BOCA tournament.. they drag them beside the boat and weigh them then drag them back out to deeper water to release.... I would just hate to see that fish wasted to so a couple guys can get in a book or a plaque that maybe .2% of the world will read about or see.

not to high jack but
so anyone else ever tried tarpon?


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## Castaway2

tpool said:


> I thought we had a tarpon trophy tag here in Texas
> 
> T-BONE


here's what I found 
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/...water-fishing/saltwater-bag-and-length-limits

*Tarpon*

Daily Bag:1Length in Inches (Minimum - Maximum)85 - No limit


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## Dick Hanks

I think that it would be pretty hard to get a official, registered weigh for a state or world record without killing the fish. (V-Bottom would need to be on the boat). I guess that we would either need to be OK with doing that, or accept that all fish records needed to be prior to 2015 and any big fish after that date cannot be registered. It probably is our choice, but you need to get on one side of the fence or the other. You cannot have both. Especially at that size of a fish. They don't fit in live wells unless you have a really, really big boat. Not likely that there was a tournament weigh station near by either. Personally, I'm OK with that. Most species of fish have a dramatic decline in viability of their eggs as they reach record sizes. I don't see it as an issue to whine over.


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## PhotoFish

Being a State Record, I'm sure its going to be mounted and displayed either in their home, or some cajun food restaurant.


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## Nwilkins

That fish is gonna take up a lot of wall space


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## JFolm

The food chain probably takes more tarpon a day now that fisherman.


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## gater

*Boca*



Castaway2 said:


> so what are they doing with this fish? crab bait now.. it sure appears to be dead not still alive in a live well.... I only ask I have not seen any comments on it and I have seen them released all of them durning that BOCA tournament.. they drag them beside the boat and weigh them then drag them back out to deeper water to release.... I would just hate to see that fish wasted to so a couple guys can get in a book or a plaque that maybe .2% of the world will read about or see.
> 
> not to high jack but
> so anyone else ever tried tarpon?


You might want to do a little research on the Boca Tournament to see just how many fish they kill.

It doesn't really matter what they do with the fish. That group of has done more for Tarpon fishing than you ever thought about. Why bring up this **** everytime someone legally catches a trophy fish.


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## Castaway2

Lol.....lol.....you guys kill me i can careless with what they chose to do with THIER fish it was a simpl e 2 questions do they taste good..and hate to see a waste as most conservationists would yes historical data important...but jeez fellows relax i would have love to see a picture of twins like that...still would cared less know me before you judge me...really just wondered if they taste goodwhat happens to them now crab bait akin mounts, feed the hungry or ...... Good day gentlemen


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## Castaway2

PhotoFish said:


> Being a State Record, I'm sure its going to be mounted and displayed either in their home, or some cajun food restaurant.


Thanks for the honest answere. And for not asuming the worst or the everyday like others


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## Permit Rat

Historical records in Florida (garnered from palm frond paintings or whatever), say that tarpon were eaten by the Seminoles only as a last resort. Back in the 70's, before there were any regs. on tarpon, I used a baby 15 lb. tarpon for hammerhead shark chum, looking for a record on light tackle .....6 lb. or fly (don't remember).

Anyway I laid one side open and the flesh looked like it was already cooked....like some of those Summertime bluefish that we catch. It didn't smell too good, either. I can empathize with the Seminoles.

I agree we should not be making such a big deal about the killing of this fish. Just think of the tarpon lives it will save in the future, because the bar has been raised so much higher and more fish will be released, the captain realizing it won't beat 246+ lbs.

The Boca Grande tournament is a different story. I wonder how many of those "released" fish survive, or if they are taken by a shark, minutes after being released......OR if they swim out toward deep water but don't have the strength and just plane to the bottom and drown. The latter I really don't think is such a problem, but the shark situation definitely could be. I know the captains do all they can, like cutting off fish that are targeted by sharks and it really might not make a difference. I have seen big hammerheads shower a school of 80 lb. tarpon, like they were a school of 10 inch mullet.


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## Zeitgeist

Caught on a Tidal Surge, the Thing. Not kidding either.


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## capthiball

*Great Catch*

David and Jeff,

Congratulations on a GREAT CATCH!


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## reganr

The fish is not just the new LA state record, but the new US record. I can assure you David has released more 200+ Tarpon than most Anglers have ever seen, much less caught. The fish will be mounted and is well deserved. More Tarpon are killed by sharks while being fought in Boca FL in one day than the entire LA fleet kills in one year. Congratulations David.


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## Rubberback

If you don't bring them the fish your screwed. They will find some technicality against you.
Like said the fish will be mounted. I'd love to have a big arse record on my wall.


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## scubaru

#tarponlivesmatter


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## sjrobin

*Tarpon record*

Would love to read the story of the Louisiana tarpon tag team.


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## Scott

Rubberback said:


> If you don't bring them the fish your screwed. They will find some technicality against you.
> Like said the fish will be mounted. I'd love to have a big arse record on my wall.


Almost nobody skin mounts tarpon any longer. It is all done with measurements and a mold. Tarpon don't skin mount well. Ever seen an old yellowed tarpon skin mount. Each scale has an oil gland and over time, the oil leaks out ruining the mount.

Bottom line, its legal to kill a fish in Louisiana. He had a record. It was his choice to kill it or not. A personal choice. You or I may make a different decision, but it was his to make.

I'm not a fan of the kill tournaments in Louisiana, but the reality is they are not likely impacting the species significantly. It's still not right in my opinion and in this day and age we should be more aware and responsible. Comparing intentionally killing a fish to an accidental kill when landing a fish due to a shark or just the fish dying is apples and oranges. One is intentional, the other is not. Intent as a sportsman is what counts, not the ultimate result. Otherwise, we should all just stop fishing for them completely.

Again, the guy had a right to kill that record fish. Don't slam him for it. It was his personal choice. If you don't like it, change the laws.

Would I kill a Texas state record? Nope, not unless it happened to be a world record too, then I probably would. That's my choice.


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## Rubberback

Scott said:


> Almost nobody skin mounts tarpon any longer. It is all done with measurements and a mold. Tarpon don't skin mount well. Ever seen an old yellowed tarpon skin mount. Each scale has an oil gland and over time, the oil leaks out ruining the mount.
> 
> Bottom line, its legal to kill a fish in Louisiana. He had a record. It was his choice to kill it or not. A personal choice. You or I may make a different decision, but it was his to make.
> 
> I'm not a fan of the kill tournaments in Louisiana, but the reality is they are not likely impacting the species significantly. It's still not right in my opinion and in this day and age we should be more aware and responsible. Comparing intentionally killing a fish to an accidental kill when landing a fish due to a shark or just the fish dying is apples and oranges. One is intentional, the other is not. Intent as a sportsman is what counts, not the ultimate result. Otherwise, we should all just stop fishing for them completely.
> 
> Again, the guy had a right to kill that record fish. Don't slam him for it. It was his personal choice. If you don't like it, change the laws.
> 
> Would I kill a Texas state record? Nope, not unless it happened to be a world record too, then I probably would. That's my choice.


I'm not saying I'm for killing the fish but from what I've seen in the past if you don't bring in the dead fish you will more than likely not obtain a record. Its sad but true.


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## Scott

Rubberback said:


> I'm not saying I'm for killing the fish but from what I've seen in the past if you don't bring in the dead fish you will more than likely not obtain a record. Its sad but true.


That is certainly required. Texas has started a catch and release record process. http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/programs/fishrecords/rules/release.phtml

But as far as I can tell, it is not really a "record" type of deal in the way it is handled.


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## TrueblueTexican

*Saw that fish in person*

We were in Grand Isle for seven days last week - weighed in at Bridgeside marina - those boys know what they are doing - we put seven in the air last Monday with slick calm conditions - they were busting about 15 miles out close to West bay - in 30' of water.

Landed plenty of yellowtail 240', thirty miles out, snaps and an assortment of grouper -

I am too sore to move today -


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## Trouthappy

Heck of a fish. Not sure I would kill one, though. We caught many off POC back in the day and some were landed at 10 p.m. Two of us could only lift one's head out of the water, gaffed through the lower lip. It never occurred to us, to bring one back to the marina. A noble fish. I hope a mold of that fish is made, I'm sure New Wave Taxidermy in Stuart would do it. They have molds of almost everything, including an 8-foot white shark.


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## reganr

Permit Rat said:


> I agree we should not be making such a big deal about the killing of this fish. Just think of the tarpon lives it will save in the future, because the bar has been raised so much higher and more fish will be released, the captain realizing it won't beat 246+ lbs.


Very true statement, contrary to popular opinion, the LA fleet actually does a really good job of maintaining it's fishery. Most captains will now be releasing any fish that tapes out under 250LB.


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