# Tarpon / port mansfield jetties and beach front



## bbl58

Are tarpon as numerous and of the same size down south as the galveston beach front tarpon


----------



## Tarponchaser

Everyone has an opinion ... I would say yes as they are the same fish.

They migrate South to North and North to South every year. No doubt there are some that seem to stay South all Summer. Perhaps they are just lazy.

The bait follow the warm water and the fish follow the bait.

TC


----------



## Scott

bbl58 said:


> Are tarpon as numerous and of the same size down south as the galveston beach front tarpon


More numerous smaller fish down south. The big girls/boys run the same.


----------



## Coconut Groves

Tarponchaser said:


> Everyone has an opinion ... I would say yes as they are the same fish.
> 
> They migrate South to North and North to South every year. No doubt there are some that seem to stay South all Summer. Perhaps they are just lazy.
> 
> The bait follow the warm water and the fish follow the bait.
> 
> TC


This fact isn't known to some, especially new people to the salt game, so we should expand on it more.

With higher water temps during the summer, do the fish move north to cooler water in the summer? In the fall do they move south to find warmer water? That would mirror bird migrations.

They have tracked tarpon from Florida in the spring to Mexico in the summer, which means the fish moved to warmer water, which would be the opposite.


----------



## Captain Nathan Beabout

hey guys,

just to add to the topic. we caught these fish south of poc around labor day weekend. some of the fly fisherman that were on this school with us, say they will chase them all the way to florida and back. it is great to see our waters starting to come back to life and be able to maintain fish like these. hopefuly we will all see them back this coming year. good luck, and see you on the water!


----------



## ComeFrom?

redcrazy said:


> hey guys,
> 
> just to add to the topic. we caught these fish south of poc around labor day weekend. some of the fly fisherman that were on this school with us, say they will chase them all the way to florida and back. it is great to see our waters starting to come back to life and be able to maintain fish like these. hopefuly we will all see them back this coming year. good luck, and see you on the water!


That is so great!


----------



## Scott

Coconut Groves said:


> This fact isn't known to some, especially new people to the salt game, so we should expand on it more.
> 
> With higher water temps during the summer, do the fish move north to cooler water in the summer? In the fall do they move south to find warmer water? That would mirror bird migrations.
> 
> They have tracked tarpon from Florida in the spring to Mexico in the summer, which means the fish moved to warmer water, which would be the opposite.


If you want this type of information - go to my website - ProjectTarpon.com Then Click on Research Tab - Lots of tracking data etc. that should clarify lots of misconceptions.


----------



## Tarponchaser

Have not seen the track from Florida in Spring to Mexico for Summer. where is it?

Tc


----------



## Scott

Tarponchaser said:


> Have not seen the track from Florida in Spring to Mexico for Summer. where is it?
> 
> Tc


I have not either.... never seen that one and I talk to the guys who should know.... so I don't know either.

However, there is an update over on my message board about one tagged last summer and where it ended up.


----------



## bbl58

i have read on the gulf coast side that some tarpon that have been tagged moved off shore to the deeper shelves off the gulf of mexico while other tagged tarpon moved further south as the seasons changed here in the fall, the author felt as maybe some of the tarpon were resident while others where part of a migration


----------



## bbl58

Subj: FW: CC Museum Lecture - TOMORROW NIGHT


"Glory of the Silver King"
A tribute to a fish, a sport, and a time now past . . .

A talk and book signing by Brandon D. Shuler, editor

Brandon Shuler, fishing guide and Ph.D. Candidate at Texas tech, unearthed a nearly finished manuscript by the almost forgotten Texas sports writer, Hart Stilwell. _Glory of the Silver King_ vividly captures the history of tarpon and snook fishing on the Texas and Mexico Gulf Coast from the 1930s to the end of Stilwell's life in the early 1970s. It is both an entertaining "fish tale" and a historical snapshot of a region's natural heritage.

For anglers, environmentalists and residents of the Gulf Coast, this book reintroduces a forgotten literary treasure and a magnificent fish that once filled our waters.

Mr. Shuler will have copies of his book for purchase.


PLEASE FORWARD TO FISHING FRIENDS


CORPUS CHRISTI MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., lecture begins at 7:00 p.m.

Wine and sweets provided prior to the lecture.

Free to members, $4.00 for non-members.

Memberships available at the door

Jim Moloney
Energy Gas Compression Ltd.
P. O. Box 928
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411
361-299-1235

​


----------



## Scott

bbl58 said:


> i have read on the gulf coast side that some tarpon that have been tagged moved off shore to the deeper shelves off the gulf of mexico while other tagged tarpon moved further south as the seasons changed here in the fall, the author felt as maybe some of the tarpon were resident while others where part of a migration


Fish under 80 pounds may make smaller migrations but not the full blown ones the big boys and girls make. The biologists think 80lbs is a migratory magic number. Smaller fish may move down and up coasts based on water temps and the like, but they are not making the thousand mile journeys the big ones do. At least that is the thought process.


----------



## Eric Glass

Most Port Mansfield tarpon are under 80 pounds. I think they average larger around Brazos Santiago Pass and beachfront (South Padre). I kinda like the sub-80 pound fish, to be honest!


----------



## cpthook

On a side note and with all due respect to Redcrazy the experts recommend not bringing the fish completely out of the water as pictured. They claim the survival rate drops drastically.


----------



## TrueblueTexican

*Smaller tarpon*

Are generally those which actually spawned near the area they stay around, Texas has a limited spawn, and many of those sub 50# fish are homebodies for much of the year, the fish 180 and above with deep girths are the ocean masters, which may perform longer migrations - Populations move with water temps in fall and I expect there is no one general pattern of movement, some go to Florida to warmer water and some go Mexico way or offshore and hang around the gas wells.

I've seen some of the bigger gals show up at SPI jetties very late in the year and, some really big fish at POC as early as June - its all driven by forage and temp.

Follow the rain minnows and menhaden abundance


----------

