# Baby Tarpon



## Capt.Cook (May 27, 2004)

A friend of mine sent me this pic of a baby tarpon caught in a cast net in a brackish tidal flow ditch in our neighborhood of Shoreacres. This is the 2nd time he has caught a couple in his net. This one was caught today 10/10


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## skinnywaterfishin (Jul 1, 2015)

This friend?

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=1659658


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## Capt.Cook (May 27, 2004)

No Sir, that's a different guy.


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## skinnywaterfishin (Jul 1, 2015)

Oh wow, the pics looked similar. My bad!

That's pretty cool...they are showing up all over the place which is a GREAT sign!


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

I just made a post on that thread....it's the last one, as of now. It appears that there are numerous areas along the Texas coast where these juvenile tarpon are found and I was wondering if it would be good to get the CCA involved in being sure that they have access to open water, if and when the need arose. Several of those "ditches" cited by the members, seemed to be landlocked at this point.

I know of no other place on the Gulf coast, where these juvenile tarpon are seen in such numbers but maybe that is because (for example) Florida's coast is littered with so many estuaries with deeper water and nobody goes around throwing nets in there.

Nonetheless, Texas' coast seems to be a place where the offshore currents send the larvae in good numbers. It might be a good idea to try and make sure these fish are given every chance to survive.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Nice picture. I rotated it for better viewing. I hope that little pup grows up to weigh 200 pounds. I wonder if the hatchery could use a few of these fingerlings. Back in '87 we brought them a tarpon of about six pounds, and it did well at Flower Bluff hatchery until one of the '89 freezes killed it. It was caught at the end of the Galveston jetty in November, by somebody free-shrimping for trout. I hauled it to Galveston Yacht Basin and it was kept it in their bait tank until the hatchery truck arrived. Not just for that one tarponâ€”we were providing them with big breeder redfish at the time.


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## gray gost (Jul 8, 2010)

It is illegal to throw cast net in clear lake. Be careful what you post.


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## Capt.Cook (May 27, 2004)

gray gost said:


> It is illegal to throw cast net in clear lake. Be careful what you post.


Where in my post did you read Clear Lake? Please read the post again and get your facts together before accusing someone of doing something illegal.


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

Back in the days I had many incidental catches with cast net on the Arroyo Colorado as far up as the 574 Bridge. There needs to be a lot more awareness because some people confuse them with shiners. Maybe signs at "traditional" bait netting areas such as docks and bridges.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

KIKO said:


> Back in the days I had many incidental catches with cast net on the Arroyo Colorado as far up as the 574 Bridge. There needs to be a lot more awareness because some people confuse them with shiners. Maybe signs at "traditional" bait netting areas such as docks and bridges.


GREAT idea - absolutely fantastic. I'll get to work on that one and see what can be done.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

Looks like our little Tarpon fishery is making a strong come back. Good friend of mine and commercial bait guy has caught hundreds of these little guys this year in his cast net. Yes he released them. Point is that he hasnt seen that many juvenile tarpon in west bay in 30 years. Not sure how fast they grow but the future looks good.


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