# tarpon yesterday 7/17



## freeportblue (May 31, 2006)

For all of you guys that target tarpon. I've been fishing out of Freeport since the early eighties and have never saw a tarpon untill yesterday. we were about even with the mouth of the Brazos but offshore probably ten miles throwing topwaters to breaking bait fish when a pod of several large fish ( over 100lbs) rolled within forty yards of us. What would you do in this case? Throw top waters,live bait, dead bait or jsut stand there with your mouth open like I did?


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## WVNative (Sep 16, 2010)

I've never fished tarpon but if I couldn't reach them casting I'd try and make a move and set a drift up to intersect them. Then I'd throw everything I had to try and envoke a hit.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

get in front of them and throw lures. we use coast hawks and coonpops but repalas, bombers, and mirrolures will catch one also.


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## Matty White Boot (Dec 23, 2009)

I know NOTHING about tarpon as I have never seen or caught one, but just out of curiosity what were you fishing for 10 miles out throwing topwaters as you say?


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## freeportblue (May 31, 2006)

anderc4u
When it's fairly calm and you can see bait fish being busted on top, I'll stop and cast to the action which can be kings,spanish macks,jacks or sharks. It's a hoot to see a big king come airborne with a top water in his mouth. You can see lots of this action in late summer close to the beach when it's calm.


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## Slow Boat (Jun 12, 2011)

Getting back to the tarpon, sight casting a Red Head Rapala will work but, if you can't see them to cast but know they're working the bait, I've caught my best tarpon on a freelined pinfish. A fresh dead one tossed into the bait school is almost as good as live.


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## Hunter (Sep 3, 2004)

That's a very interesting data point. Thank you.

We generally look within 2 miles of the beach. I was on the prowl off Galveston yesterday and it was slim pickings, but with a full moon and a huge shrimping fleet culling all day I knew better than to get my hopes up.


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## Hunter (Sep 3, 2004)

Oh, and in that situation live bait would be handy if you had it. If not, Rapalas are good (but who can really cast them very far?), as is dead bait.


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## Matty White Boot (Dec 23, 2009)

freeportblue said:


> anderc4u
> When it's fairly calm and you can see bait fish being busted on top, I'll stop and cast to the action which can be kings,spanish macks,jacks or sharks. It's a hoot to see a big king come airborne with a top water in his mouth. You can see lots of this action in late summer close to the beach when it's calm.


Good to know... y'all are gonna turn this part-time-no-fish-catching-bay-fisherman into a sure nuff catcherman with all this knowledge!


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