# Tampa Tarpon/Redfish Report



## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Went fishing with my buddy Tony these past two weekends. Finally decided after throwing Mirrolures, DOA Shrimp, Terror Eyze, Catch 5, large bucktail jigs, DOA big fish lure, rat-ln-raps..to use live bait.  Loaded up with pilchards and jumped 2 tarpon.  The first one was nice, 70 pounder, that threw my hook in 20 seconds.  2nd one was a baby, and is all the photographic evidence I have - this one lame photo, also threw the hook.  But it was a tarpon, brother!

This past weekend loaded up with finger mullet and went to the same spot. Nada, nothing.  Motored over to The Kitchen and fished with live finger mullet.  Nothing. Chunked up some ladyfish and larger mullet and wham!  My buddy Tony was shooting a photo of a manatee and his rod flew out of the boat - streaming bubbles.  We chased it down, he jumped in and landed a nice red.


Same fish, me getting in on a photo opt


All told, 3 nice reds all released.  I lost a nice sized red that broke off that day.  Couldn't believe the reds were hitting chunked bait versus live frisky finger mullet but go figure.

Question for the tarpon experts.  How do you stick a tarpon with a 2/0 circle hook?  I mean you have to match the hook with the size of the bait, both tarpon I missed threw the hook...


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Depending on the size of the tarpon. you may want to beef up the hook size or the widen the gap.


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## kyleh (Nov 3, 2012)

Nice job!! Is that Anclote power plant in the back ground? I have family over that way and fished out of the ramp by the plant before.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> Nice job!!  Is that Anclote power plant in the back ground? I have family over that way and fished out of the ramp by the plant before.


More likely the apollo beach power plant by cocaroach


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I know that bridge and on sunday the reds were displaced by the big snookers.

A 2/0 is too small for a 70 lb'er - their mouth bone is too big to fit in the gap. Seeing you know where to fish, I use 7/0 owners. I will use 3/0 when fishing for the babies that live at that bridge all year. If you go out to the big bridge go with a bigger hook yet.

I found that if I use cut bait the fish swallow the bait and circles are best. If using live I use owner ssw and also tie flies with this hook.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

> > Nice job!!  Is that Anclote power plant in the back ground? I have family over that way and fished out of the ramp by the plant before.
> 
> 
> More likely the apollo beach power plant by cocaroach


Correct, that's the Apollp Beach plant. Thanks Jon, gonna step up hook size.

Hey Ducknut, you and I have to sit down and have a long talk, man!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

> Hey Ducknut, you and I have to sit down and have a long talk, man!


I plead the 5th


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## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

tarpon season is closed over there.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

> tarpon season is closed over there.


Wrong! beginning at midnight on the 18th (12:00am 5/19/13) the season closes in Tampa bay.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I dont get it, what do you mean tarpon season closes??


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I thought that just meant you can't keep them even if you bought a tarpon tag. I've never even thought about it much. 


Hey would that bridge happen to have a highway above it and be up a river that gets shallow at times so most don't bother with it?


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Ducknut and Anytide are messing around, it's their way of saying get the #$%^ out of my spot!  ;D  Firecat, I am currently unable to answer ur question.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Lol, I'll take that as a yes. Well I know where I'm going this weekend....j/k, actually we are going to Ft D for a family day.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Yup...our way of saying to the uninformed net crawlers to go somewhere else.


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## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> Yup...our way of saying to the uninformed net crawlers to go somewhere else.


Weird, mosquito lagoon has been closed to fishing this whole year. or so I've been telling people.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Quick learner grasshopper


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## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

> I thought that just meant you can't keep them even if you bought a tarpon tag. I've never even thought about it much.
> 
> 
> Hey would that bridge happen to have a highway above it and be up a river that gets shallow at times so most don't bother with it?


no


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