# Tarpon in the Lowcountry - want to go fish for these guys?



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I am afraid your water is not clear enough to fly fish. Nor do you have,a lot of Tarpon. Your best bet would be to keep using bait. Live pinfish or lady fish, live or chuncks

If I am wrong let me know


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## CedarCreek (Nov 23, 2012)

tgjohnso said:


> So i made an impulsive decision to buy some heavy spinning rods for tarpon about a week ago, and what do you know, my first day out we hooked and boated an 80+ lb fish.
> 
> I've only got a few more weeks of fishing/vacation before I move out of the area (I'm a military guy) but am wanting to target these guys every day before I leave.
> 
> ...


Nice going. I've hooked them on fly up in Virginia. Very similar habitat behind the barrier islands and in the inlets but it is tough fishing. Blind casting to holes where you know they're gonna pass through early morning with sinking lines and bigger dark flies with lead eyes at times. There was an article on low country fly fishing for tarpon a few years back where they chummed bunker and drifted flies back to them. Good luck figuring them out.


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## bjtripp83 (Aug 10, 2015)

Yea from my research like one pioneer fly guy caught on fly in sc in 90s maybe but it was an orchestration. I'd ask the folks at beaufort dock and boat supply. Also I've got a top spot map sitting over there on t he shelf I know it marks plenty of tarp spots


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

The water clarity here is definitely abysmal. But I've heard of guys who've seen them rolling. (Haven't seen it for myself yet) 

I'm definitely going to stick to live bait for now, but the fly rod is always rigged and ready to rock if an opportunity presents itself. 

I've seen something from a distance absolutely crushing menhaden (busting/even jumping) - but couldn't get close to seeing what it might be. Not really sure what other species would bust bait on the surface here: maybe jacks? Do sharks do that shit?

Does anyone know if there's a certain type of shark in the Lowcountry that will crush bait on the surface? I ask because we had a hookup the other day we thought might be a tarpon. Destroyed our bait and broke the surface - just too quick to get a good look. Then proceeded on a hell of a run. Broke off about 5 minutes into it with a solid 45deg slash in the heavy leader, with really no other chaffing. Didn't pull or shake like a shark, either, but definitely would have loved to get a look at him. Didn't have another jump, unfortunately, which makes me think it may not have been a poon. Who knows.

We've gotten pretty used to catching sharks and the occasional Ray with our baits - from what I've heard, if sharks are in the area, tarpon are nearby. 

Anyways - long winded response, but I definitely appreciate yalls feedback so far.


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## skibsky6455 (Aug 13, 2013)

permitchaser said:


> I am afraid your water is not clear enough to fly fish. Nor do you have,a lot of Tarpon. Your best bet would be to keep using bait. Live pinfish or lady fish, live or chuncks
> 
> If I am wrong let me know



They might hit a fly in murky water ... Why not. ... maybe a little tougher sight fishing .


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

tgjohnso said:


> The water clarity here is definitely abysmal. But I've heard of guys who've seen them rolling. (Haven't seen it for myself yet)
> 
> I'm definitely going to stick to live bait for now, but the fly rod is always rigged and ready to rock if an opportunity presents itself.
> 
> ...


 I have fished a lot in Oak Island NC and Black tip sharks chase bait and jump. Also other sharks chase bait including Bulls. You probably had a shark on if it did not jump


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

permitchaser said:


> I have fished a lot in Oak Island NC and Black tip sharks chase bait and jump. Also other sharks chase bait including Bulls. You probably had a shark on if it did not jump


If you are fly fishing them in murky water, you really need to throw big bushy mullet type patterns that push a lot of water on 10-12wts. In your case, I'd recommend black, purple or a black and purple color combination in deerhair mullet or dahlberg diver patterns or bushy EP peanut butter type patterns. You can also try them with a red head and white body or natural with some gold flash if the water clears up a bit.

With live bait, try big pinfish or really big menhadens hooked in the nose or back just under the dorsel fin or in the belly near the pectoral fin and put it about 3ft under a float with the tail trimmed off with a pair of scissors to get them vibrate more. 5/0 Owner Cutting points octapus hooks work good for that.

Also big 12" live mullet or even bigger ladyfish hooked in the anal fin area. Let them free line and you will feel them thumping until they get nailed. Use about a 7/0 Owner or Gami circle hooks for that.

In dark muddy or murky waters, especially with some turbulence, you can take whole full grown mullet or big full grown ladyfish, cut them in half, hook the head section up in the nose or the tail section near the tail and chunk it out there on a freeline set up. If there is good currents, you may been 1-2oz weight on a knocker rig to hold them on the bottom. Like a catfish, they will smell them up and find them. Use 7/0 to 9/0 Owner or Gami circle hooks for that.

With artificials on spinning rods, chartreuse and gold, red head, white body or all purple Mirror Lures Series III or Pro Catch 2000, or DOA Bait buster mullet in black back and gold side or black back and silver side.

I'd use 80lb fluorocarbon leader material for those darker waters.

Ted Haas


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

Backwater said:


> If you are fly fishing them in murky water, you really need to throw big bushy mullet type patterns that push a lot of water on 10-12wts. In your case, I'd recommend black, purple or a black and purple color combination in deerhair mullet or dahlberg diver patterns or bushy EP peanut butter type patterns. You can also try them with a red head and white body or natural with some gold flash if the water clears up a bit.
> 
> With live bait, try big pinfish or really big menhadens hooked in the nose or back just under the dorsel fin or in the belly near the pectoral fin and put it about 3ft under a float with the tail trimmed off with a pair of scissors to get them vibrate more. 5/0 Owner Cutting points octapus hooks work good for that.
> 
> ...


Ted,

Thanks for the great info. I'm definitely trying to make something of a pretty tough fishery for this area. Live bait is obviously the best shot at these guys, but it gets pretty taxing as I'm constantly replacing leaders and hooks after the sharks tear them up constantly. Trying to keep up with that while keeping baits in the waters gets pretty tiresome when you're doing it constantly, but that one fish certainly makes it all rewarding. 

Unfortunately, we probably lucked out with landing a fish the first day, within the first hour of fishing. Definitely sets the bar high for future days, but keeps me heading back out there on my time off, even if it's just to battle through all sharks. 

Ultimately, I'm planning to get into more serious Tarpon fishing down in the clear Florida waters once I return from this next deployment. I'm sure I'll be even more addicted once I get to see that fishery first-hand. 

Thanks again for the gouge. 

Best,
Tyler


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Tyler, thank you for your service ten tho our country, which was founded and build with great men and women just like you. Don't think what you do doesn't make a difference, because in fact, it does!

If you use the live pinfish or menhadens on a float like I mentioned, it will avoid more sharks than with the cut bait. Also, if you use them or those artificials I mentioned, watch for them to roll and throw up in front of their path, you have a better shot at them than just blind withing.

Study the solunar tables and look for the best peak bite times to fish for them. Tarpon seem to follow those tables. Also, the absolute best times they will eat is Sunrise to about 2hrs after sunrise and in the evening right after a hard rain on a strong afternoon outgoing tide. When the rain comes and goes and slicks the water back out and you get all those sunset colors, they will eat!

Good luck buddy and PM me if you have any other questions on the subject.

Ted Haas


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## C_Wheeler (Jan 14, 2014)

The way I have done it in the Savannah area is pretty much how Backwater described. We go after them with large live pogies. After netting bait, run the beaches looking for large bait pods, generally tipped off with the diving pelicans. Once we find the bait hang out for a few minutes and see if any tarpon roll in the them. If you see them, we drift baits through the pods. Your description of baits getting busted on the surface definitely sounds like tarpon. Also, as mentioned you will hook a lot of sharks as well.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

I wish that I could give you more advice, but I'll offer to ride along and help out on the boat! I've only jumped one tarpon in Beaufort, and never landed one anywhere in SC. I'm from Charleston, but used to fish with a buddy when he lived in Beaufort for a little while.

I will say that I've seen sharks busting bait at the surface, as well as spanish, kings, and dolphin. Usually you can tell if it's a pod of dolphin, though.

Let me know if you need someone to throw a net and tag along. Honestly, if it were me, I would go back to where you caught the first one. Maybe modify what you were doing slightly depending on changes in the tide and weather, but at least you know that there's a "game trail" there where the fish/bait like to travel. Was it in an inlet, on the beach, or up a river? I've seen huge menhaden schools in each location, and heard of guys fishing all of the above. Send me a PM/conversation if you want to talk about more specific areas.


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

Gents,

Just want to say I appreciate all the info. If any of you guys are in the area over the next week or so (up till Labor Day) shoot me a PM. My fiancee goes back to work after the weekend, so if none of you can come out, I'll be going after these silver kings solo...you probably know how that can go...mayhem, haha. 

Send me a PM if you'd like to head out!

Thanks again,
Tyler


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## Jakeellington (Oct 21, 2009)

We have caught and landed many tarpon on bait. It seems this year the tarpon have been seen off the beaches and nearshore structure more than usual. We have also hooked and landed tarpon from a poling skiff on fly but it is a specific situation when you can find them rolling along grass lines. My best advice is get out there. The tarpon are regularly seen in most the deep inlets. The only consistent fly shots we have had is in spots where we can find them rolling along grass lines in shallow water,


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## CedarCreek (Nov 23, 2012)

Hey, jumping back in here because I finally dug up that article on fly fishing SC for tarpon that I recalled (attached). Not exactly sight casting but interesting article for tarpon junkies. I don't care much for chunking/chumming but I might give it a go next summer up this way. It'll give me an excuse to open up my box of tandem bluewater flies that haven't seen the water in a while.


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