# Tarpon Rod



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

We use 10wts for tarpon up to around 80lbs all the time - but you will need an 11 or 12 for the bigger fish... Most folks pick up a 12wt for tarpon but find it never gets used for anything else except tarpon fishing (and not nearly enough of that so it just sits). The 10wt will get used for other stuff -even if it's only for windy days when lighter gear just won't deliver the fly... If you do pick up a 12wt do yourself a favor and look at all the used 12wts around before buying new. I've seen quite a few good deals on high end gear in that size range over the years....


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

lemaymiami said:


> We use 10wts for tarpon up to around 80lbs all the time - but you will need an 11 or 12 for the bigger fish... Most folks pick up a 12wt for tarpon but find it never gets used for anything else except tarpon fishing (and not nearly enough of that so it just sits). The 10wt will get used for other stuff -even if it's only for windy days when lighter gear just won't deliver the fly... If you do pick up a 12wt do yourself a favor and look at all the used 12wts around before buying new. I've seen quite a few good deals on high end gear in that size range over the years....



Good reply Bob. X2! This is the time when you see a lot of good poon rods go up on ebay, well after tarpon season, including one currently for sale here on microskiff.


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

I'd probably jump to an 11 seeing as you already have a 9. 11 little bit easier to cast and can still handle big fish


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

The problem is, and not that its a problem...lol, is that you are talking about very diverse fisheries. No rod or even two would probably cover all the types of tarpon fishing in those areas. You probably need an 8, a 10, and a 12. But like Bob said a 12 is not much of a rod to own unless you fish offshore some. I like 10 wts because they have a fair number of applications so they tend to get out on the water fairly often. But I do not like 10 wts for tarpon fishing. Can it be done? Absolutely. The problem is what are you going to do when that 120# mombo swins bye? Not cast? I like to be armed with the rod for the upper size of fish I am likely to run into. Worst case scenario is I am overgunned and can land a fish very quickly. I prefer that to being undergunned.

Now that said. When I am out tarpon fishing I have both 10 and 12 weight rods rigged and ready to go. If you are fishing in an area where you are mostly seeing smaller adults then by all means a 10 is a great tool.


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## Jeremy_OConnor (Jun 19, 2015)

Maybe I will just get a 10wt for now that can eventually be a permit rod on the boat. Or an 11wt to oversize the permit rod, arggghhh. Hahaha


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Jeremy_OConnor said:


> We are about to start focusing on Tarpon a few times a year (Keys,Charleston SC and Mexico) and are curious what size rod we should go for? We currently use 9wt Sage Methods for bonefish,baby tarpon, reds, trigger fish,etc. but want to expand our quiver. Been told everything from 10wt to 12wt - just wanted some input. Thanks much!



Jeremy, will you be fishing with tarpon guides or on your own? What area do you live in? Charleston or close by? I'm assuming you will be doing some DIY tarpon in Charleston and with guides in the Keys and Mexico. Right?


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## Jeremy_OConnor (Jun 19, 2015)

We are relocating to Charleston in the next little bit with our recently acquired Hells Bay Whipray 17.8, so I will be DIY for sure there. In Mexico with guides (but we bring our own gear). In the Keys I imagine - stubbornly, I will try and sort it out on my own too.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Remember as well that any tarpon guide will have a heavy rod aboard, guaranteed.... Since most of my reels are right handed (I'm doing something about that as we speak - but it's tough to have both right and left handed reels for every size -understatement....) I often encourage my anglers to bring their own reels if they're using left hand wind... We'll put my intermediates on their reels and then onto my rods and they're in business. Yes, I also have anglers that wouldn't think of using any but their own gear, and show up with top of the line rigs. Tough when a big fish turns your four or five piece rod into a five or six piece rod but we've done that as well so my own gear is brought into service anyway....


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Jeremy_OConnor said:


> We are relocating to Charleston in the next little bit with our recently acquired Hells Bay Whipray 17.8, so I will be DIY for sure there. In Mexico with guides (but we bring our own gear). In the Keys I imagine - stubbornly, I will try and sort it out on my own too.


That's what I figured. I have no idea about the size of the tarpon that go up to SC, how long they stay and what are their patterns. Heck, I didn't even think they went up that far and stopped at the FL/GA line (good band btw... lol) I know they go to TX but didn't think they did that on the east coast.

Most of the touristy tarpon fishing spots in Mexico and Belize are mainly smaller poon (like under 60lbs), so you can probably get away with a 10wt travel rod, unless you travel further into central America and they grow significantly.

I was setting you up with those questions because the answers that Capt LeMay gave you is what I was heading for. Most tarpon guides will have 12wts. on board.

Look, you can always use a 10wt., this is true. Large Charleston Reds, bigger pelagics, small poons, permit, whatever. But if you are bent on tarpon fishing, you should own a tarpon stick as well, if anything else, just learning how to cast that animal will require owning one.

I personally have no problem with an 11wt, because I get down to business and don't play around with it when I have a poon on. But that rod is not ok for every situation, like what ifsteve said. Flats poons in the keys and bigger MX poons, fine! But big, deep water poon around bridges, rivers, passes and channels.... no! Big tarpon in close quarter jungles or mangroves in deep channels or rivers.... no!,

I see so many other newbies that don't really know what to do when a big fish like that is on the other end of the line and they fart around too much with their head up in the clouds and a lighter rod will only delay the whole process for them. Yes an 11wt is easier to cast, but a 12wt for a novice will help them get the fish in quicker. That's one of many reasons why I do recommend a 12wt. Not to mention the fact that if they need to sell it in the future, a 12wt will sell quicker than an 11wt. 11wts are ok for wide open shallow beaches and grass flats. But fishing deeper waters even though they are off from the beaches, as well as channels, offshore, bridges etc. where the water starts at 6-8ft but can end up in 45ft deep of water. That's where the backbone of a 12wt comes in handy. Heck, I use to fish spots where I would have to grab a 14wt. But I haven't done that in many years. So If I don't need something, I loose it.

If you only had one stick for all around tarpon fishing, then, like Bob said, have at least one spare spool. I use a clear intermediate and also an all clear or clear tip floater. For you, I recommend a clear tip floater so you can at least see the line. Clear lines require more feel than sight knowing what your fly line is doing. So for a practice line, I would buy a cheaper opeaic or bright colored intermediate or floater and learn how to slow load the rod while lifting the fly line off the water without ripping it off the water. Also learn to how to hold the fly and some flyline in one hand and then quick cast the rod with the other.

Ted Haas


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## Silverking98 (Sep 3, 2015)

SC Poons grow big in the low country. Fish from 80-150+ are pretty average with most fish over 100. they will hang around until October but once the water gets around 72, 71 there outta here. August to September is hot so I would go with a 11 or 12wt for these fish.


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## Palmetto3584 (Jun 21, 2012)

There's a lot of good information in this thread. I'm from Charleston and most of our tarpon fishing is done in the inlets and big rivers around sand bars and channels. It is primarily a bait fishing fishery. Sight fishing can be done but the dirty and deeper water makes it very challenging.

The opportunities to sight fish are typically limited to rolling fish early in the morning and during September when we get the mullet run and the fish are crashing bait.

As far as what size rod to buy, I would go with a 11 or 12 weight. Silverking98 is right, all the fish we get up here are grown fish. And as Backwater stated, since most of the fish are in deep water a larger rod with backbone helps tremendously.

I have a Hells Bay 17.8 pro. This is a great boat for fishing the flood tides for tailing spottail, but it isn't the ideal boat for tarpon fishing. I've used it for tarpon fishing some, but it can get a little hairy in some


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## Palmetto3584 (Jun 21, 2012)

Sorry, accidentally posted before I was done.

I was saying it can get a little hairy in some of these inlets when the tide and wind kicks up. I recommend making friends with someone who has a bay boat or big water flats boat. It is a more enjoyable experience.

Where are you moving from?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Palmetto3584 said:


> Sorry, accidentally posted before I was done.
> 
> I was saying it can get a little hairy in some of these inlets when the tide and wind kicks up. I recommend making friends with someone who has a bay boat or big water flats boat. It is a more enjoyable experience.
> 
> Where are you moving from?


Sounds like 12wt waters and fish to me. We have some of those same waters up on the Gulf side of Florida. Unfortunately, it takes a lil more umph and knowhow to throw those bigger rods. He better start doing some closed fisted pushups!


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## CedarCreek (Nov 23, 2012)

Heck, I fish for them up here in Virginia. I admit freely I do far more fishing than catching. Same deal, deep murky swift channels and backwater sloughs. They will bite a fly, sometimes.....I fish 10 and 11 weights but I think a 13 would be a good idea when they sound in those deep channels.


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## SC on the FLY (Sep 16, 2015)

agree with palmetto , the tarpon fishing sucks in SC , but living in FL for 7 years is what im gauging it to , Mexico sounds fun though, tarpon fishing here consists mostly chucking pinfish,croakers, and or mullet off a bobber, or as they say in the south popping cork, or on a carolina rig in the deeper inlets,thats like watching paint dry, water is cloudy and if you see them roll you cant see where to cast, so i would buy the 10wt first, least it will get more use , cobia in the spring here, and a permit rod for yourself, its nothing like Florida here, the redfishing is supposed to be alright though


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

SC on the FLY said:


> agree with palmetto , the tarpon fishing sucks in SC , but living in FL for 7 years is what im gauging it to , Mexico sounds fun though, tarpon fishing here consists mostly chucking pinfish,croakers, and or mullet off a bobber, or as they say in the south popping cork, or on a carolina rig in the deeper inlets,thats like watching paint dry, water is cloudy and if you see them roll you cant see where to cast, so i would buy the 10wt first, least it will get more use , cobia in the spring here, and a permit rod for yourself, its nothing like Florida here, the redfishing is supposed to be alright though


For dark, muddy waters, I use big bushy dark colored mullet flies and dahlberg divers tied 6"+ long in length with over size heads and big collars that push a whole lot of water and also big crab patterns. Black and also purple. I use spun dyed deer body hair for the head and trimmed down. Big long chinese strung hackles for the tails with some silver and/or gold crystal flash. Then throw it with an intermediate line to drag them under. Big strip retrieves. Then I use the big bulky blue crab patterns with floater line and barely move them.


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## Jeremy_OConnor (Jun 19, 2015)

I was hoping to hold out for a Hells Bay Marquesa but the one we found not only had an awesome back story but was in show room condition, couldn't pass it up. We are moving down from Asheville NC area. I was thinking that the tarpon might be more of a baitfish situation in Charleston and have def. noticed that the harbor can get nasty quick! I am thinking of going with a 10wt for now - it can eventually become a permit rod. At some point add a 12wt. We have the ability to run down to the Keys when we want (with enough notice) so I would think we would do most of our Tarpon obsessing down that way and Mexico_ (wife is a Mexican National). Now I want to go cast some Sage Salt rods to compare to our Methods _


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