# Texas Tarpon Fishing



## 22fish (Dec 12, 2006)

My wife and I fished for tarpon in Florida this past summer for the first time and we are hooked. We are both saltwater fishermen for trout, reds, flounder, sharks,etc. What are the best baits for them here? We used piggies live and cut in Florida. Also any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

I would stick to artificials to reduce shark/jack/bull red bycatch. **** Pops, Coasthawks/Seahawks, and 77mr Mirrolures are good choices. I don't think color really matters.


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## 22fish (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks for the info. I've never heard of Coasthawks/seahawks. Where do you get them at and are what are good colors to get.


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

I think the real Coasthawks can only be purchased in Costa Rica at the source (kinda like the real Corky). FTU carries a knock-off that works. It is basically a 2-3 oz. lead pencil with large treble hooks. A lot of people throw red and orange but it doesn't really matter when the fish are biting.

Here is a less than stellar example of the plug.


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## 22fish (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks you have been most helpful


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Don't buy the ones at FTU. They don't hold up. The hooks suck and the bodies fall apart after a few hard casts. They are not worth the money. Marburger's in Seabrook has the real deal and they hold up.

If you are just getting into Texas tarpon fishing, your first choice should be coonpops with coasthawks as the back-up. The coonpop is way easier to fish. Don't buy the ones at FTU either. Make your own. Search around on this board, you'll find info on making them. And I disagree with Wading Mark, yes, colors matter and they even matter when they are biting. Matching the bait they are eating is important. We troll six lines and sometimes the same color gets hit over and over and others get ignored. I've also had two guys throwing different colored **** pops off the bow of the boat and had only one color get hit and the other ignored. The general good color combos are the red head and red/white/orange bodies. Another good combo is pink head and white/pink/red/yellow bodies. Dark heads with tiger stripe and orange, white, yellow or red colored bodies work well too. We have a lot of success with tiger striped lures and bait tails. You can have your regulars but sometimes you have to experiment. I've seen them eat green baits like they are going out of style too.

The Coasthawks really don't look like a fish. I think tarpon eat them because when they are jigged I think they look like a big shrimp under water. I've had days when they'll take a Coasthawk and nothing else. Go to www.texastarpon.net There is a lot of good informaiton there.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

Remember not to set hooks on circle hooks. On Coasthawks set them like mad. Lots of fast jerks before the first jump and then a couple more after the first jump. All hooksets should be down and to the side - NEVER UP!!!


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## 22fish (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks Scott for the valuable info


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

22fish -

Come compete in the tournaments next year and the amateur guys will be happy to give you tips and pointers etc. You'll learn a lot through the tournaments. Good group of guys. The Port O'Connor tournament is a lot of fun and worth it. Even if you've never fished there, folks will be happy to point you in the right direction.


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## Catch 22 (Jul 5, 2005)

Hey to 22fish. You will also need to rig some bait like shad on the circle hooks(16/0) when you are not seeing tarpon roll. In Texas we have our fair share of down time out on the water. Ike destroyed most of the bait shops on Galveston so it looks like Smitty's is the place.

Would encourage you to fish Galveston and Port O'Connor Tarpon Tomorrow Tournaments. A very worthy cause and certainly a good time.


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## Hun11ter (Jul 28, 2012)

Were the fish big


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## dljones (Mar 7, 2007)

Hey Scott, do you have any luck fishing the larger Rat-L-Traps on the beachfront? I have used them prospecting for snook concentrations in the Arroyo and Brownsville area and have jumped a few baby tarpon, here and there. Seems like they would be a pretty damned good bait to use for covering water, particularly around the jetties and passes.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Where do I find some different **** Pop tails, like the tiger stripes and double tails? All Bass Pro Shops has is the 7-inch twisters made by Offshore Angler. And Scott, sounds like I should paint over all of my white jig heads with red or pink? Maybe this Louisiana Issac storm will run a bunch of new tarpon into Texas waters...and they will be hongry...


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## captnickm (Feb 16, 2011)

I think Scott said he orders most of his from action plastics.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Hmmm this looks like a good page for tarpon plastic tails....

http://www.action-plastics.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=44


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

*try H&H lures*

I didnt see the red tiger stripe on H&H's web site but that seems to be a good color. I did find them on landbigfish.com #79 & 85

http://www.landbigfish.com/H&H/H&H-Cocahoe-Minnows.cfm


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

My buddy in Beaumont just ordered 8 different patterns from the site I mentioned above, the man in the size-large silver suit better look out.


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