# Port Aransas Tarpon



## Jake Reaves (Oct 1, 2004)

Anybody fished the rocks lately in Port A?? Thinking about making a trip sometime soon and looking for reports.


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## Tarpon Chaser (May 11, 2005)

Am going down this week-end. Will let you know next week... heard they are at POC.. must be at PA also..


Tarpon Chaser


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

I will be in port a also. are yall fishing from the rocks? You will prob see me about a hundred yard off the south rocks trolling after midnight saturday. 24ft shamrock, gas, very quiet, shouldnt mess up anybody's fishing. names marc, give me a holler.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Marc - take that 22 shamrock and get adjust the idle - get it down to a knot and a half. then get those **** pops you've seen pictures on this board... Troll five or six baits - stagger them out 35 seconds, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 seconds - evens on one side of the boat odds on the other. Long lines in the front poles shortest line in the middle in the prop wash. That shamrock is a tarpon magnet!!! I had one for years. Go get 'em!!


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

If you pull fewer baits, don't pull the long lines - they always like the shorter ones anyway and in the dark, I'd certainly pull the short lines!

I've had tarpon roll so close behind my old boat I could stand on the swim platform and touch them. They were happy calm, rolling fish. that shamrock won't mess anything up.


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## Ross (May 21, 2004)

I was down there last weekend, 20th-21st, and saw Tarpon crashing bait about 1 mile North East of the jetties.

Couldn't get them to hit anything, but sure tried.

Just thought you would like to know that there are some around now.


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

Great to hear you guys are seeing some. What size were the ones you saw a mile from the jetties? Were they moving and grey hounding or just rolling around eating? Thanks!


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## Ross (May 21, 2004)

The poons I saw were of the magnum variety! Estimatation only- 150lb class fish.

I have not seen Tarpon feed the way they were before. They weren't greyhounding or rolling. Just bustin' the heck out of the bait. 

I would see a bait go flying and as soon as it hit the water a bath tub size boil would erupt. I had one do this 10ft. from the boat.

Pretty cool seeing a 100lb+ Tarpon eat a bait that close to the boat.

I think some 1oz RattleTraps or a different color Storm Wildeye would have done the trick.


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

Marc,

I will probably be fishing the jetties Friday AM and some thru the weekend and a couple of three time a month thru the Summer.
Seems I talked to some guys trolling & drifting bait in a Shamrock last Summer. Was that you?

I will be in a blue & white 18' proline - using my trolling motor --just like bass fishing near the ends of both jetties -- as the wind will allow. Also have a blue tarpon flag.

Watch for the two guys on the jetty wearing red caps --- they cast about 100 yards... and cuss at me alot.

Jumped 13 and caught 5 in 03. Jumbed 9 & caught 5 in 04. I have a friend that cauhgt 9 last year. one about 100# on 10# line.

With the moon near full, it should be great Sat nite.... most tarpon caught at Baca Grande are at nite.

See ya.


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## crtarpon (May 11, 2005)

Thanks for the response. What did you throw at them as far as lures or bait? And to you they just looked like they were hanging around and not pushing north? That's great. I hope they hang around all summer.

Sorry to be so nosey, but this is something that is very important to me as I have seen lots at the jetties ('rock tarpon'--all 20 to 50 pounders), but never a school of bigger ones outside (in Texas).


Let me know what you tried with them. Thanks!


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## JohnHumbert (May 21, 2004)

*Big Poons in POC*

Frankly, I think that POC has some of the average largest 'poons on the coast. Numbers seems to waiver from year to year, but when we get the numbers, there seems to be an unusual number of LARGE fish.

When I say large, I'm talking about fish 150# or larger. People have called me a liar many times when I tell them I've seen schools of fish that the majority were 200# or bigger - but it's the truth.

One day (years and years ago) I jumped 4 outside the pass and I swear none of them were under 200 pounds. More recently, I was heading offshore following a buddy boat (I was by myself). On the way out I noticed a HUGE school of tarpon (maybe 300-400 fish) working off a weedline. I stopped while the other boat continued on to the blue water. This was October and I think these fish were migrating south.

The only rods I had rigged were Tiagra and Penn 50's with trolling baits, two of which where Mann stretch-30s. I dropped these over and began a slow troll - immediately I was hooked up to two fish. One got off quickly, but the other I fought down on the 50-wide on 80#. When I got it up to the boat, the head was even with the console on my Contender and the tail was about even with the transom ledge. Later I measured this to be around 9'.....I figure that '**** was close to 250 pounds!

After fighting this fish, I looked around and the school was gone. Nary a sign.

In fact, for me at POC, I've seen more tarpon over 125 pounds than under.

What I REALLY want to know is where Scott, et al, are catching them in the bay. I've seen a few just inside the pass and jetties, but not with any degree of predictability. I've seen some in Saluria from time to time. I've heard/seen them hooked (rarely caught) in ESB around Josephine Reef to South Pass regularly in summer mornings, but not that you could pattern.

The most remarkable thing is that a few summers ago in one day I saw the following. First, I saw 3 or 4 fish in the 125 to 150 class glide into upper twin lake while wading in the morning. They cruised in right in front of me. Never saw them in the lake though. A little later in the day I ran across about a dozen small fish (20-40 pounds) right in the middle of Long lake near the duck blind. They were rolling steadily towards the mouth of the lake. Finally, heading in, I came across a group of rollers in the cut in front of Charlie from the ICW into ESB.

Other than a few occaisional hookups at Josephine Reef/outside shoreline of Pringle Motts - I have never hooked one in the bay. And Scott seems to be able to target them at will.....the only thing I can surmise is that he has honed his skill to find them around the bars off the Front shoreline, just inside the pass.


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

tarponchaser,
the only guy i can recall talking to last year, on the water was hooked up to a 3 or 4 ft tarpon. i hung arround long enough to watch him land it. we didnt stay much longer... just watching that fish dance and the angler land it was all the fix i needed for the day. was that you?
marc


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

John...
You don't have to "see them" they're just there 
SG
(shootin' for 100 this year!)


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

didnt get to fish sat night or sun due to a spun impeller in the water pump. got it fixed about 2 pm on monday thanks to gatewood marina next to cove harbor. i managed to get to the jetties about 3 pm. if there were any tarpon in the area then the multitude of boats had them running scared. everyone was drifting live and dead bait arround what looked like huge clouds of anchovies. they could have been sardines or something else only about 2 inch long. i have never seen so much bait. the pogies were hitting them hard. sure bet every fish in the area were full of one or the other. the only fish i saw boated were shark. all looked to be in the 100# range blacktips. nevergot a hit all evening. i did have to leave befor 7 so i missed the sunset bite. maybe next week i'll get a chance to fish at night.


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

testin profile pic


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## Louisiana Tarpon (Jun 24, 2004)

Scott, give you 20 to 1 odds on the 100 tarpon---Good Luck!


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

went to check out cedar bayou on sunday. no tarpon, but we were able to watch two mana rays. each about 10 ft accross. they worked the edge of the outgoing tide. they stayed arround for hours. i did manage to hook into one **** arround the jetties but i was quickly cut off over the rocks. homeade chartruse/black **** pop. thanks for the tips scott.


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## Scott G (May 24, 2004)

LT,

We've hit 19 as of today, four landed. I think also one on a dead bait, but couldn't confirm before the knot broke at the swivel, so I won't count that one!
.....still likin' your odds?
I think I'll take 'em!
What do you think Scott A..on my way???? 4 1/2 months left, I've done this in three weeks with one of those having too much wind...Hmmmmm!
SG


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