# Tarpon Fishing Help



## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

8 wt.......50# or less

12 wt.......50# or more


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

man, i put up a pretty in depth answer... it's not here. let's see if this posts and i will try again.


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

ok, i'll try this again... 
you're opening a pretty big can of worms with this one... there are tons of books, films, videos, etc. on this subject... and i'm sure you will get a variety of different answers on the board. what i would say is, ingest as much info as you can. do as much research as you can.

and spend as much time this spring/summer on the water as you can. wake up early, stay late... look for lee, check water temps, think about what depth water poons like to swim in. think about where a big, lazy predator might hang out. 

as for flies, you can use big patterns, but also small. i hooked a fish that probably went 150# last summer on a small pattern, with a 1/0 hook. use them all. you can start with "classic" tarpon patterns and go from there. when you choose a pattern, think about water color, the sky, and what are the fish doing? are they going to see the fly? because they typically won't go too far out of their way to eat. are they cruising or laid up? 
also, get your knots together... learn them and make sure you are tying them well. 
you can use an 8, but it's light and you will have trouble pulling on a fish over 40 or 50 pounds. a 10 is a good all around weight, but you will inevitably want an 11 or 12 for big fish. 
make sure you have a good drag and a lot of backing on your reel. 

my answer was better first time around, sorry... but i am sure others will chime in. take all the advice you can, and spend as much time on the water as you can... this will take time and effort, but it's worth it, there's nothing like them that i've veer hooked. (much as i love snook, bonefish, redfish, etc.) good luck.


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## Cody_F (Oct 26, 2010)

Picked up an 11wt Gold Cup fly reel with Line for 100$ yesterday , Guy only used it 2 times and got out of fly fishing , Reel retails for 209.00 , And with line and backing , it would be a little over 300 new , So for 100$ i think i got a steal. I read all Great reviews on it. And Thanks danny and shadow for all the help and advice so far.


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## Cody_F (Oct 26, 2010)

Do you guys recommend Pre-made tarpon leader or should i make my own?


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## Lappy_16 (Nov 5, 2007)

Pick up the book High Rollers by Bill Bishop, it will tell you everything you need to know, it also helps that you live in the middle of a kick ass poon fishery


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

i would learn how to tie them well. and i would learn how to tie a good bimini. your knots will matter more with poons than with other species, they will be tested much harder.


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## Cody_F (Oct 26, 2010)

Thanks for the help guys , Im starting to see a few roll here and there , So i cant wait!


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

look for that 70 degree water.


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## fishnride883 (Mar 20, 2012)

I am also searching for my first tarpon on fly (well, landing my first tarpon in fly) Last summer I followed a pod of juvi's in the backwaters, Via kayak, and went approxamately 0-30 on hookups throughout the summer they like Gurglers. I have better access this year to the larger specimens since I bought my own boat, so I plan to go for the larger variety, as rumor has it they are easier to keep on the hook. Everything that has ever been told to me is to use large profile, purple and black flies. toads and EP's to be more specific.


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## captd (Feb 8, 2011)

of course, those are good patterns and colors. but try throwing those at a moving fish on the ocean, or in clean water, on a bright day... you will probably see a fish actively swim away from your fly...


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## Bissell (Feb 27, 2010)

Herd a few Guys at the flyshop today are finding them in the mosquito control ponds around my area, no idea what that is lol but they are using small white baitfish patterns and are having good luck. This is for smaller fish of course..


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

I would say anything from a 6wt-9wt for smaller fish and you don't need fancy leaders for little fish. I just use a regular 9-12' leader as I would for trout/redfish and add about 1 ft. of 20-40# Floro as a bite tippet.


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## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

This has been said many times before, but here it goes again ----- if you need both rod and reel for your tarpon set-up, do yourself a big favor and spend more on the reel (read drag) than you do on the rod (read most all flyrods are very nice these days from TFO to Loomis or Sage to Hardy)! 

Even the smaller (50lb) fish will test a mediocre drag and probably make you cry, so get the best you can afford and still be prepared to cry a bunch and do back flips and holler when it comes together! 

Last piece of advice from a crazy old bastard from way up in NC, never underestimate today's 10wts for all but the largest fish (under 100lbs or so), especially if you have to do a lot of casting. 

Good Fishing!!!


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