Tarpon Fishing in the Gulf

It's 4 p.m. on a warm May afternoon as the tide sweeps out of Tampa Bay toward the Gulf of Mexico. A pale vestige of last night's bright, full moon hangs above the horizon, a few craters still visible. As our anchored boat swings gently in the current off Egmont Key near St. Petersburg, we rejoice at the sight of three, then 10, and suddenly scores of blue crabs floating by. Golly gee whiz, another famous crab flush is in full swing! Our enthusiasm is palpable.

Something huge blasts the surface nearby, leaving foam where a crab just swam. A second big crash twists our heads in another direction.

"They're heeeeere," says Capt. Jim Lemke, who knows firsthand what Cicero meant when he proclaimed, "Certain signs precede certain events." Indeed, as hundreds and then thousands of crabs float by and more attacks occur from silver-bodied goliaths, I cast out a rod rigged with – what else? – a crab. The only characteristic distinguishing my crustacean from its brethren is a hook poking menacingly through its shell.

In less time than it takes to say Megalops atlanticus, a tarpon about the size of Jon Gruden gobbles my offering. The line tightens as the fish sprints in the general direction of Mexico, trying to dispel what it must think is the Mighty Mouse of crabs. Fortunately, I'm using heaving spin tackle. I subdue the prehistoric-looking beast in about 15 minutes. This allows less time for a deadly buildup of lactic acid or making the fish more susceptible to a shark attack. Lemke and I revive the 160-plus-pound tarpon and watch it swim away, our eyes glowing so proudly, it's as if we're witnessing the birth of our children.

And so it went for another hour, catching and releasing tarpon until our arms dropped from exhaustion. We pulled anchor and putt-putted out of the pass, watching a dozen or so boats in the area engaged in spectacular battles.

How to Fish for Tarpon

In the past couple of years, from May through the end of July, this high-class tarpon action has been the rule rather than the exception. And locals such as Lemke quickly learned when and where to be.

"The crab flush occurs twice a month on outgoing tides, starting about three days before to three days after the full and new moon phases," Lemke says. On one such glorious day, Lemke's anglers released 24 silver kings.

When tarpon don't have crabs to dine on, they often corner schools of bait fish along beaches. That's when skippers such as Capt. Kenny Hyatt quietly scour the sandy shorelines of beaches off St. Pete/Clearwater, from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater to St. Petersburg.

"You need trolling motors or a push pole to quietly get close enough to make a cast but not so close you spook them. The biggest mistake most people make is trying to motor too close," says Hyatt. "Toss your bait or lure 15 to 20 feet up-current so it drifts back to the tarpon." Doing just that last season, one of his anglers released a massive silver king estimated at 221 pounds.

Where To Go

Besides Egmont Key, prime areas include Passage Key, the Skyway Fishing Pier and other area piers and beaches. Also be prepared for shots at snook, redfish, trout and mackerel. Although fly gear is challenging, it's best to go with a stout seven-foot rod and heavy spin reel rigged with 30- to 50-pound-test monofilament or braided line. Add three feet of 80-pound fluorocarbon leader and a quadruple-strength 5/0 hook. Hook crabs bottom-up near one of the shell points.

While other well-known tarpon hot spots continue to draw anglers, the passes and beaches off the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area now represent the world's mecca for tarpon fishing. And when it comes to this kind of flush, you don't need to be a poker player to cash in on all the action.

Learn More

Want to learn more about tarpon? Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is a Florida-based nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing tarpon resources by funding new-age tagging studies involving satellite technology.