# Tarpon on Beachfront



## 61Bubbletop (Apr 29, 2011)

Just read the July 13th report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife saltwater fishing report, and it said that tarpon are showing up on the beachfront in West Galveston. Does anybody know how close they may mean by that? I know that they are usually several miles off. Maybe close enough for a kayak?


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

If you wish to do so with a Kayak, please leave specific instructions on what to do with your remaining properties. 

No disrespect, but it is not a good idea, no matter that others write about it. Where there are tarpons, there are sharks. You go off the side, if you fit in their mouth, your a meal.


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## goodwood (Mar 30, 2009)

if you've gone btb and handled some good sized fish you can do it. gotta have a good kayak to begin with.


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

typically 40 feet of water or 2-3 miles off the sand is where the tarpon roam. IMHO no more big sharks there than 100 yards south of the 3rd bar off the sand but YMMV.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

61Bubbletop said:


> Just read the July 13th report from the Texas Parks and Wildlife saltwater fishing report, and it said that tarpon are showing up on the beachfront in West Galveston. Does anybody know how close they may mean by that? I know that they are usually several miles off. Maybe close enough for a kayak?


have had tarpon between me and the sand when wading the surf before. They will come all the way to the beach at times. But most often they are a mile or more off the beach.

You may want to check out TKF, there are a few guys on there that target Tarpon from kayaks.
Here is a link. 
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=58

Be careful as there are kayakers ate by sharks all the time when they are fishing for tarpon.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

We just got back from a vaction and I booked a trip with Capt. Kevin Walton near Maderia Beach, Florida. We only had one hook up and my son landed about a 5 footer Capt. estimated 75-80 pounds. Man what a rush watching him fighting that fish. Capt. Kevin said it was one of the smaller ones. It pretty much wore my 20 year old out. It was awsome watching that fish flying out of water.

I know the Texas coast is not the Florida Coast, but we fished about 200 yards off the beach front in 12' of water. We observed several tarpon working through the area but only had one hook up. I guess it has to do with water clairity. Like stumpgrinder said, sand conditions. 

We fished live shad and pin fish on the top and bottom. The baby bulls gave us some harrasment, but the boys did not mind catching them. Either way it was a great trip!


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## POONCHASER (Mar 31, 2011)

I PI'd three of them off of Jamaica Beach(right west of the water tower) in 20-25 ft of water over July 4th weekend(lots of baits/birds diving). Hope the info helps and good luck. May try and get out tom if I can get some of Obamas subsidized ethanol out of my engine.


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## Sea-Slug (May 28, 2004)

Jolly Roger said:


> Be careful as there are kayakers ate by sharks all the time when they are fishing for tarpon.


 LOL!


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## Slow Boat (Jun 12, 2011)

I grew up on the central Gulf Coast of Florida (Tarponland) and I have to agree with the naysayers. Yes, you can get a 'yak to where the tarpon are but what do you do then? A fifty pound tarpon pulls like a mutha' and that's an itty bitty one. My best was a #110 in about sixty feet of water in the Tampa ship channel. I had thirty pound tackle and a real good person on the helm in a sturdy boat and it took 20 minutes to get it to a photo op. When I was a kid there must've been two or three newspaper stories a year about too-green-to-gaff tarpon knocking people off boats.

If you decide to kayak for tarpon write a story about it. Start it with : "call me Ishmael"...


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Slow Boat said:


> I grew up on the central Gulf Coast of Florida (Tarponland) and I have to agree with the naysayers. Yes, you can get a 'yak to where the tarpon are but what do you do then? A fifty pound tarpon pulls like a mutha' and that's an itty bitty one. My best was a #110 in about sixty feet of water in the Tampa ship channel. I had thirty pound tackle and a real good person on the helm in a sturdy boat and it took 20 minutes to get it to a photo op. When I was a kid there must've been two or three newspaper stories a year about too-green-to-gaff tarpon knocking people off boats.
> 
> If you decide to kayak for tarpon write a story about it. Start it with : "call me Ishmael"...


CrazyYak won the galveston tarpon tournament from a kayak couple of years ago....... just saying.....


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## trackatrout (Aug 10, 2010)

I saw what I think was a tarpon at the end of the north jetty in galveston on Thursday. we were anchored at the end and saw something in my peripheral vision and turned as it was mid air spinning about 6-8 ft up. Large silver beast.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

The tarpon come in pretty close during the summer. I've seen several rods smoked and shot out of flimsy rod holders. You could tell they were tarpon because once hooked they would bolt out the water for a quick low jump. It wasn't funny at the time but looking back those lost rods wouldn't hit the water till they the second sand bar, that's how fast those tarpon are.
Back to the yaks, if the tide is coming in and about half way before high tide it's the right time. This brings in the cooler water and the bait, along with the tarpon. The odds are even better if all this falls within a few hours before dark. To give you an idea how far out they were I was hooking up with 6/0 spooled with 80lb line. We put the lines out with small boats, a yak would work fine. And yes I was able to bring them in. Just remember if you fish for shark that's what you'll hook up, if you fish for tarpon you'll hook up with some shark and maybe a tarpon. I hope you can use some of this info for a good day of fishing.


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

I have seen them within 100 yards off the beach .I have fished w. galv beach front since I was 15 at texas campgrounds.I now mostly boat fish .This thread has me thinking about fishing for the silver beast before im old n gray .Or is it too late lol.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Last week when we were in Navarre, FLA, there were several tarpons cruising along side the Navarre fishing pier. One boy hooked up a very good one and another guy just lost it.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

bubbas kenner said:


> I have seen them within 100 yards off the beach .I have fished w. galv beach front since I was 15 at texas campgrounds.I now mostly boat fish .This thread has me thinking about fishing for the silver beast before im old n gray .Or is it too late lol.


Nope, not too late. Just find some young bucks to do all the bait getting and line hauling. Of coarse you're going to have to let them reel in one once in a while to keep their interest. The older you get the more you use your mind not brawn. By the way did I mention I'm getting my surf stuff back in order.


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## Kody Emmert (Oct 5, 2007)

Two weeks ago, I was around west beach and had a school of tarpon roll through just off of the third bar when I was trout fishing with tops.... First time I have ever seen them this close in Galveston. It was a sight to see, the fish seemed to weigh between 50-80lbs. Probably a school of 8-10, they were busting up pods of horse mullet as they rolled through. Wish I would have had a stella loaded up with braid and a free-lined mullet. They were no more than 30 yards from me.

Kody


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## castaway300 (Oct 6, 2007)

*tarpon sighting*

Had a 5ft tarpon roll up on a cork in Westbay 2 weeks ago. We were going from chocolate towards the pass and stoped to fish a slick. After it rolled on the cork ,we just sat there looking at the water and saw it come up one more time about 40ft away. first time i ever saw one in the bay.


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## fish_eater (Jul 11, 2007)

lady fish most likely. They look like Tarpon? its everywhere near to shore. Caught around 20 yesterday. fishin near surf side.


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## fish_eater (Jul 11, 2007)

lots of shark near the first rig


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## Razzorduck (Oct 14, 2005)

Texas Jeweler said:


> If you wish to do so with a Kayak, please leave specific instructions on what to do with your remaining properties.
> 
> No disrespect, but it is not a good idea, no matter that others write about it. Where there are tarpons, there are sharks. You go off the side, if you fit in their mouth, your a meal.


My brother and I target Tarpon out of our kayaks every summer down on the eastern Florida panhandle. Tarpon are the reason we spend so much time driving over there. Not many kayak trophys better than a big ol' herrring. Now if we can just figure out how to land one.
Just kidding. They are a blast and yes we see and catch plenty of sharks as well.


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