# Baby tarpon ??



## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

seeing a few baby tarpon being caught down south on different message boards. Very good news.

This pic was posted on TKF and after a good long debate most are still unsure if it is a baby tarpon or a Skipjack Herring. Was caught north of the ICW about a mile on the Colorado River.

What yall think??


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

That's a tough one....because of where it was caught, on a river, I'd vote for Tarpon.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Hard to say... there is a faint appearing jaw plate that makes it look like a little tarpon. You need to look at the dorsal fin to tell if there is a whip or not. If there is a whip, then its a tarpon. There is no doubt that we have documented proof of larval tarpon getting into our estuaries in Texas and becoming baby tarpon. The issue is cold winters. The little guys have a better tolerance for colder water compared to their adult brothers - or at least the adults have a preference and just leave. South of Corpus or in warm water discharges further up the coast, there is no doubt tarpon can survive the winter. Post some of the links to the discussion boards please. Thanks.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Scott said:


> . Post some of the links to the discussion boards please. Thanks.


here is the one I got the pic from
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=113334&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Baby tarpon from last month

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=111925&highlight=tarpon


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## Procrastinator (Jun 30, 2008)

From lookin at th anal fin and the dark area/spot behind the gill, it looks like an American shad.

http://www.hookedondestin.com/KnowYourFishDetails.aspx?FishId=102

But, the mouth is wrong?


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

ladyfish


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

whistlingdixie said:


> ladyfish


Ain't no ladyfish forsure


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## MilosMaster (Aug 18, 2005)

I am going to say skipjack herring, however I am by no means anybody whose opinion in this area deserves any respect - only a man who is bored at work trying to kill the last 45 minutes of the day.

IMHO, the body shape looks a little too tapered for a tarpon, but the biggest clue seems to be the tail - specifically the depth of the fork and the notch that makes the apex of the fork. Look at these features in the picture below of a skipjack herring:










And look at the tail of the baby tarpon in this picture:









Not the best pictures, but I think they illustrate what I am talking about. Y'all picking up what I'm putting down?


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## Catch 22 (Jul 5, 2005)

Mr. Tarpon, Tom Gibson looked at this picture last night and he thinks it is a baby tarpon. Not quite sure if we will be able to settle this. Just wish the mommies and daddies would show up and we would be talking locations and baits. However, it looks like we have several more months to debate pictures.


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## Animal Chris (May 21, 2004)

My vote goes for bait (and not because Tom thinks it's a tarpon, either). I say the eye is set too far back, in relation to the back of the jaw, to be a tarpon. Also, the curvature of the lower jaw is greater in the tarpon.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Well guys, here is what the experts say - 

My biologist friends from the University of Miami that probably know more about tarpon than anybody else in the country at the moment and here is the exact quote from them in an email to me.

"It is definitely not a tarpon. The body shape is not right, the scales are too small, the mouth is not upper. See attached photo of tarpon juvenile about the same size. Most likely, it is a skipjack herring ."

I'd say if you catch one and are not sure, release it anyway, just in case.


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## Catch 22 (Jul 5, 2005)

Forwarded this picture to a marine biologist at University of Miami. He says it is not a tarpon! Thinks it is a skipjack herring.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

thanks for the help,


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## sfronterhouse (Sep 10, 2007)

I don't think the Miami guys know more than the Jamaica Beach guy.......


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

Those guys in Florida know a heck of a lot about tarpon!! The tarpon population in Florida is unbelievable. Doesnt look like a baby tarpon at all. I say a herring of some sort but definitly not a tarpon


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## williamdailey (Mar 24, 2009)

*florida researchers?*

not certain why Scott seems to rely on florida biologists for Texas tarpon questions... what the researchers cannot state is first year tarpon ARE in texas waters right now despite a fairly significant winter.

I think you gentlemen... and lady anglers... might enjoy an image of some of our young-of-the-year Texas tarpon...

this size range - three cohorts - implies multiple spawning events proximate to our Texas coast


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

williamdailey said:


> not certain why Scott seems to rely on florida biologists for Texas tarpon questions... what the researchers cannot state is first year tarpon ARE in texas waters right now despite a fairly significant winter.
> 
> I think you gentlemen... and lady anglers... might enjoy an image of some of our young-of-the-year Texas tarpon...
> 
> this size range - three cohorts - implies multiple spawning events proximate to our Texas coast


Thanks for poking fun at me Bill - no real reason other than I have their email address more handy.... also, don't baby tarpon in Florida look like baby tarpon in Texas or is the whole - if it's Texas :texasflag it has to be bigger and better - apply to our tarpon too. :spineyes:

Thanks for posting. We need to catch up soon. Hope all is well. Great pictures!!!! Any chance we can try again to get some babies at the Galveston tournament in a tank this year???


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## williamdailey (Mar 24, 2009)

thanks scott... i'm both envious and jealous of miami's research locales

great shots from nicaragua... much more romantic than waist deep in estuarine backwaters

we'll see on the young-of-the-year... captured some in december 2008 and march 2009


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Very cool. Maybe that storm surge from Ike and Dolly really helped bring some in last year. Now if the weather would cooperate this year maybe we can get some more tags in place.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Bill - do those babies get released alive after you catch them like that? Also, any chance we can develop a little streamer tag to go in them? It would have to be pretty small but just a thought....


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## williamdailey (Mar 24, 2009)

probably the better tag for y-o-y tarpon is elastomer injection - i'll have to research their duration... mostly these year-0 are collected from some stressful environments - low dissolved oxygen... decaying vegetation - the tarpon thrive in it

I have contemplated contacting county health districts more than once... seemed like untreated sewage on many occasion - ought to get those hepatitis vaccinations


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## Leemo (Nov 16, 2006)

Scott, back in the mid 90's, I caught several juvenile Tarpon in my nets while catching live bait in the ICW in Matagorda, it was only for a short period of time, first week in September if I remember correctly, there was also a Tropical storm at that time with extremely high tides, during this time I caught "stuff" only associated with the Gulf(spot crabs, cunt covers, bobs etc..) I kept two tarpon in my aquarium at the house, they were fascinating to say the least, especially when fed, later released them the next spring, darn things would splash to much at night and keep you awake, I fished the first Tarpon Pro Am tourney in Galveston in 95' with Jim Leavelle, caught a nice tarpon, what a blast! good luck to you guys who fish for the animal!


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

williamdailey said:


> probably the better tag for y-o-y tarpon is elastomer injection - i'll have to research their duration... mostly these year-0 are collected from some stressful environments - low dissolved oxygen... decaying vegetation - the tarpon thrive in it
> 
> I have contemplated contacting county health districts more than once... seemed like untreated sewage on many occasion - ought to get those hepatitis vaccinations


Yes you should. It is a course of three injections - one at zero month, one month and then six months. Just going through them myself for my Nicaragua trip I went on. Good idea if you travel anywhere like that anyway. Also need some other shots for crawling around in that stuff but don't remember what all I got - you family doctor can help you on that one. Be sure and be current on your tenus shot for sure!!!!


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## Miles2Fish (Dec 2, 2008)

That is not a tarpon.


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