# Struggling



## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

Alright this weekend I was surrounded by tarpon on both Saturday and Sunday and yet to get a good bite. What am I doing wrong? Thru coonpops with white grubs and chartreuse swimbaits and also black swimbaits with chartreuse tails. Also put out free lines with a 4" pin perch on it with only one taker but not sure if it was a tarpon or not that took it because it never got a hook in it. I tried varrying the retrieve on the coonpops to a steady retrieve to a drop and reel but not a single hit. Also thru 1 oz heads and 3 oz heads on the coonpops. 

The tarpon is my #1 on the bucket list and this weekend the window of opportunity was about an hour where I could actually see them and knew they were in the area. Any advice would be appreciated because I'm going back to try again in two weeks. Btw this was out of Port O'Connor.


----------



## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

Welcome to tarpon fishing.

One trip I hooked tarpon on 3 out of my first 4 casts. On other trips, I've spent hours and thrown everything including the tackle box at them and not gotten a nibble. They'll bite what and when they are ready.


----------



## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

This is common. The tarpon is king of his world and can eat anytime he wants to. According to the lunar tables last week-end was a terrible fishing time.

See a tarpon is not hooking a tarpon... hooking a tarpon is not catching a tarpopn. This is what makes tarpon fishing a great sport.

Last year on day one of tournament we went 1 for 9,,,,, on second day went 8 for 9... 

If these were the little guys... 10 -30 lbs... they eat shrimp, finger mullet. small swimbaits... or whatever they want.

Fish the beginning of the tide movement... either way.

Good luck,

TC


----------



## Skeeter2525 (Mar 30, 2012)

These were the little guys 3 to 4'. Saw the big boys but they were out of range and with the tackle I was using the little guys I think I would have had a better chance on landing if one bit. The tarpon were more active on the tide change or slack tide for sure. Two bad days in a row sucks. Hopefully next time I can find them again because I'll be there for four days and maybe get a day they are biting.


----------



## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

At least you are there with them-I'm stuck at work too far from the ocean.

Be sure to pay attention to what TC said about the tide change. It makes a big difference.


----------



## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Skeeter, we were right there with you. Have these guys rolling all around, but no hits at all. We've been chasing Tarpon a little every year, more seriously all the time, and have only had one big one on. The smaller ones we have caught by accident just with croaker or whatever at the jetties-even had one on a dead shrimp I was throwing out for my kids. I don't think we've caught one yet when we were trying/saw them out there....I've looked online, searched the boards, try the techniques but I really think more than anything the folks that do it, and catch them, just have a "feel" for it that we can only get with time & experience (and a little frustration!). Now I'm back on the boards again with more questions.......Good Luck!


----------



## jared_simonetti (Jul 17, 2006)

If you can see the tarpon rolling throw a DOA trolling model baitbuster in the black and silver color 10-15 ' in front of the fish and retrieve it slow. This method is highly effective here in Fl. Mullet will also do the trick. Free lined foot long mullet work well, or a dead mullet on the bootom should do the trick. When fishing dead bait i fish multiple rods. (4-8) The key to tarpon fishing is patience. It is much like hunting and will will take some time to dial them. Just keep with it.


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I bet a big ol live shrimp would get their attention. I always castnet my own bait and we had a lot of hookups with 4-6 inch free-swimming mullet. Tarpon fishermen who don't have a castnet are at a distinct disadvantage.


----------



## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

If it's like hunting can I just shoot them? A 12 gauge withbuckshot might be easier. They are pretty quick, though....

Not to hijack Skeeter's thread, but we are really trying to target Tarpon this summer, too and not having a lot of luck. Lucked into a couple with croaker around the jetties, jumped one dead shrimp, and my wife hooked up with a very, very big one on her trout rod casting small spoons to smacks. He played around with her for 45 minutes then got bored & threw the hook.

Just got back this weekend, had a few rolling around us but not many, not as many as 2 weeks ago. Had live mullet but the kings ate it as soon as we put it out. Not complaining, kings are fun but we want Tarpon.

So anyway, if your answer to the 12 gauge is "no", then I do have a question about **** pops. Had a couple of hits on them, probably kings but not sure. Didn't hook up anything. I understand using bait with circle hooks--let them run a few secons, tighten the line but don't set the hook. What about with lures? Reeling a **** pop or other plastic rigged with circle hooks, what do you do at the hit? Do you let them take it a few seconds like with natural bait? Keep reeling but not set the hook? I guess you catch them trolling **** pops, so I'm assuming "no" on the "let them take it a few seconds"?? Just hard for me to see how the circle hook works when reeling or trolling, but I'm pretty obtuse (as you guys know by now by my questions....).


----------



## marc (May 21, 2004)

Just keep reeling. Dont give them any slack after the bump. Once you get tight, keep it tight all the way through the jump.


----------



## Konan (Jul 13, 2009)

Free lined 10" mullet = Tarpon candy


----------



## Lebber32 (Aug 8, 2010)

Konan said:


> Free lined 10" mullet = Tarpon candy


Bingo......slack tide=nada

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## txed (Jul 10, 2012)

*You want tarpon?*

Get to florida keys. Had to do it and finally just did it well before 60th birthday. Got a great guide last May (arguably peak of season), fished for 2 days and middle of second day on heavy fly rod and finally a (lucky?) perfect presentation the she-monster ate; 58 minutes later landed and released her quite unharmed. Fishing around here in CC will never be the same. Planning on trolling my skiff around Packery Channel early calm mornings and sacrifice a lot of fishing days; I get the feeling it's going to be a long haul .....


----------



## Marlingrinder (Mar 15, 2012)

Make sure you're using fluorocarbon leader and no terminal tackle. Also if you use live baits make sure the hook is sized appropriate to the bait or even a bit on the small side. I believe that produces more bites...probably less hook ups but more bites. Just my opinion.


----------



## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

I sure get the live bait thing. But how do you keep the kings/sharks off them? Are you guys casting the live baits specifically to fish you see rolling, or just letting them drift? We've generally been drifting the baits, but they get eaten fast by kings/sharks.


----------



## Konan (Jul 13, 2009)

All the above lots of sharks and kings hooked when they cut u off just check your leader and re rig


----------

