# guess the weight



## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

I am not very good with guessing weights on tarpon. I am guessing this one was at least 100 pounds. Any body have a better estimate?


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## Never easy (Mar 20, 2006)

i would guess 120, dad caught an 80 and that looks a loat bigger.


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

100ish.


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## jamesgreeson (Jan 31, 2006)

110-125-6ftish very nice


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## christopher_mendoza2005 (Mar 24, 2009)

as soon as i saw it, "115" flashed in my head. or was it "115ish"


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Hard to tell from that picture. Obviously, it's best not to pull them out of the water like that. You can see the fish taking a dump on the boat.... if I recall correctly, I think there have been studies that show mortality goes from like 10% for fish left in the water to 50-60% for fish taken out of the water and hauled up on boats. I think in Florida they have even made it illegal to drag them up on the boat.... but I know Capt. Mullet knows all that so this is for the benefit of others who might stumble on this post.

I'd say it is at least 100 pounds and without more reference it's hard to say much more.


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## cclayton01 (Jun 6, 2005)

115lbs-125lbs 
Nice Fish!!!!


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## squidmotion (Apr 5, 2007)

guess the weight... 


WHO CARES???!!! nice fish!!!!


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## Bonito (Nov 17, 2008)

101.32 Lbs. I have a good eye for those beasts.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Bonito said:


> 101.32 Lbs. I have a good eye for those beasts.


Are you sure? I think he's missing a scale or two that you can't see on the underside of the fish, so I am going for 101.*25* lbs.


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## wcvickers (Aug 26, 2005)

It's sickening to see someone handle a fish like that


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

Tarpon over 6 1/2 foot, over 130 lbs...what is the correct weight?


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## hmp2037 (Sep 6, 2006)

go to costa rica. You would be mortified. All of the Guides do it. The worst is that you get a slimy fish goo on your shorts that takes a few washes to get out. Prob not the best thing to do to a silver king.


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## Unbound (Jul 12, 2004)

Yeah, a center console makes it really easy to take a nice picture of the angler leaning over and holding a tarpon, sail, or marlin in the water.


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

florida in order to weight the fish you have to put it on a sling under water then drag it to shore where they weigh it real quick then release it.


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## sweenyite (Feb 22, 2009)

124


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## Bonito (Nov 17, 2008)

wcvickers said:


> It's sickening to see someone handle a fish like that


I agree ! I've caught 9 Tarpon in my life and 1 over 100 lbs. and never taken them out of the water. The big one was 6' 4". Didn't weight him. Didn't need to. All tarpon were released unharmed.


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## fishkillr (Dec 31, 2008)

120 popped in my head right away. I caught a ton of poons in the 120 class in Florida and that looks about right.


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## Flaco (Mar 22, 2007)

wcvickers said:


> It's sickening to see someone handle a fish like that


Really. Have you ever taken a fish to eat? You never touch or handle any fish that you catch? I realize that recent studies have shown mortallity rates increase dramatically for tarpon that are handled but your original comment needs some clarification. That said, knowing what I know now, I would chose to release any Tarpon with as little handling possible but I've seen "fish" handled in much more "sickening" ways in my life. Carp thrown on shorelines, gar shot by bowfishers, hardheads tossed on the sand, Redfish in coolers, "Trout" on stringers, etc. Your original comments give the PETA crowd much appreciated fuel. Let's watch our words carefully and not judge the legal sporting activities of others. A house divided can't stand.:brew:


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## GameThumper (Mar 28, 2008)

Nice fish Cap. :cheers:

When and where always calms the waters.


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

Flaco said:


> Really. Have you ever taken a fish to eat? You never touch or handle any fish that you catch? I realize that recent studies have shown mortallity rates increase dramatically for tarpon that are handled but your original comment needs some clarification. That said, knowing what I know now, I would chose to release any Tarpon with as little handling possible but I've seen "fish" handled in much more "sickening" ways in my life. Carp thrown on shorelines, gar shot by bowfishers, hardheads tossed on the sand, Redfish in coolers, "Trout" on stringers, etc. Your original comments give the PETA crowd much appreciated fuel. Let's watch our words carefully and not judge the legal sporting activities of others. A house divided can't stand.:brew:


Thanks Flaco for sticking up for me. I dont respond to negative threads because it is just not worth it. I have seen pics on 2 cool from last year and have seen worse like guys picking up fish like that with gaffs in there mouths. I dont ever use gaffs on Tarpon!! Tarpon are suction feeders so putting a big hole in their mouth hurts their suction but it is legal and I am not in to judging other people on what they do especially on a public forum. But i appreciate your response. They may be responding to my comments on a thread where I said it was sickening to see about 20 tarpon being slaughtered and hung up on hooks. I wasnt dissing the 2cooler who wrote it just the pic and the way we treated tarpon 50 years ago. That may be the reason behind their comments but who cares

If you want to know the details look about 20 threads down and I wrote a thread about that particular fish and how I would catch them and where.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

While we are on the lip gaff, no lip gaff issue. When we put satellite tags in tarpon, we have no choice but to use a lip gaff. There has been no showing that this has harmed the fish in any way. Now, that's not to say I think you should do it any time. Sometimes you have to, hook placement, size of fish, whether you need to secure the fish for some other reason - all situations where lip gaffing may be necessary for some other purpose like hanging on to the fish for tournament picture proof purposes etc. In a day in, day out situation, if you don't have to, why do it? But if you do feel the need, don't think you are going to cause the fish to starve or not survive just because of a lip gaff. The biologists tell me the hole seals up in a very short period of time.... like a cut in our skin. Just going on what they tell me.


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

Perhaps in the name of pure conservation all tournaments instead of kill or catch and release should be "See Only Tournaments".

The contestant that "sees" the most would win. Of course only those "Seen" while drifting would count. Using the big motor or even a trolling motor would be constured as harassment and would be grounds for Immediate disqualification and perhaps prosecution by PETA.

I will be changing the name of my boat and blog name from "TarponChaser" to SightSeer".

Catch22 will have to change from that dispicial violent name. I will discuss this issue with him on our Vera Cruz trip.

We will work on the Mexican tournaments while we are there. Someone else will have to work on Louisiana.

TC


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## Jake Reaves (Oct 1, 2004)

lol...I bet Mexico will be all for the "See Only" tournaments...haha...I'll probably sell all my tackle and just buy a a couple of pairs of binoculars...I'd hate to hurt the fish by catching them...Guided Tarpon Watching...



Tarponchaser said:


> Perhaps in the name of pure conservation all tournaments instead of kill or catch and release should be "See Only Tournaments".
> 
> The contestant that "sees" the most would win. Of course only those "Seen" while drifting would count. Using the big motor or even a trolling motor would be constured as harassment and would be grounds for Immediate disqualification and perhaps prosecution by PETA.
> 
> ...


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## Tarponchaser (May 25, 2005)

Yeah, but I bet you would be one of the best Jake. What are your rates?

TC


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## atcNick (Apr 7, 2005)

103 lbs 4.638 oz.


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

Tarponchaser said:


> Perhaps in the name of pure conservation all tournaments instead of kill or catch and release should be "See Only Tournaments".
> 
> The contestant that "sees" the most would win.
> TC


I talked my dad into fishing the pro/am in Galveston a few years back. He was not a tarpon fishermen at the time. My dad didn't understand why I would get excited about a few tarpon rolling around the boat. He made jokes about everyone getting plaques and trophies for who saw the most tarpon. It's been three years and I still hear about it. The jokes tapered off a bit last year when he hooked into three big tarpon.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

marc said:


> I talked my dad into fishing the pro/am in Galveston a few years back. *He made jokes about everyone getting plaques and trophies for who saw the most tarpon*.


Marc, no disrespect intended, and you've always supported the tournaments but I've been running the tournaments in Galveston for three years and Jim Leavelle did for the years before that. I fished it for at least three years before I started running them and neither I, nor Leavelle during that time gave away trophies for fish "seen" and not landed. Maybe it was just your dads way of joking because it's catch and release but not sure.


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## Jake Reaves (Oct 1, 2004)

I'm sure he was just joking around just like Shannon saying that he'd vote for the Hard Head to be the state fish.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Jake Reaves said:


> I'm sure he was just joking around just like Shannon saying that he'd vote for the Hard Head to be the state fish.


Yea, I figured that too but that's how bad rumors get started too.... somebody reads that and doesn't understand he's joking. Then I start getting emails asking what kind of tournament I'm running and how can I give away trophies for the most fish seen etc.? just trying to cut it off before it starts...


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## capt mullet (Nov 15, 2008)

Scott said:


> While we are on the lip gaff, no lip gaff issue. When we put satellite tags in tarpon, we have no choice but to use a lip gaff. There has been no showing that this has harmed the fish in any way. Now, that's not to say I think you should do it any time. Sometimes you have to, hook placement, size of fish, whether you need to secure the fish for some other reason - all situations where lip gaffing may be necessary for some other purpose like hanging on to the fish for tournament picture proof purposes etc. In a day in, day out situation, if you don't have to, why do it? But if you do feel the need, don't think you are going to cause the fish to starve or not survive just because of a lip gaff. The biologists tell me the hole seals up in a very short period of time.... like a cut in our skin. Just going on what they tell me.


I know it wont kill the fish just like me bringing that tarpon up for a photo wont kill it. Especially since I take the time to revive every tarpon I catch until I cant hold on to em and they escape from my grip. Everybody has their own way of "conservation". Those guys that dissed me on my thread believe it is not good to support a tarpon on my boat gunnels but they may use gaffs or may not I dont know. tarpon are my favorite fish and I dont like using a gaff on them because as you know they are suction feeders and that doesnt allow them to feed as well. Ijust wanted to point out that I care very dearly about every tarpon I catch and dont want to harm it in any way and that was my way of pointing out how I try to protect tarpon in every way possible.  I think myself and a few buddies are going to be fishing your tourney this year and I cant wait to me all of you guys in person. I am really excited about winning the trophy for most tarpon seen!!!!!


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## marc (May 21, 2004)

Scott said:


> Maybe it was just your dads way of joking because it's catch and release but not sure.


He was completely joking. I think that year y'all released a bunch of fish. My pops was not a tarpon fishermen and had no idea what to expect. 
The joke goes on...


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