# Dock lights tarpon



## OliverBrewton (Jul 8, 2021)

I’ve been seeing tons of juvenile tarpon swimming around the dock lights up here in the panhandle. The restaurant where I work sits on a brackish pond and every night when the fish lights turn on you can see these residential juvenile tarpon about 5-15 pounders. I’m wondering what kind of fly and colors I should use for them. Don’t really know what they feed on as I haven’t seen any glass minnows.


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Greenbacks, use a chartreuse white clouser with a 1/0 tarpon hook…good luck


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## spc7669 (Apr 15, 2015)

Where do you work and what time do they turn the dock lights on? I’ll take one for the team and bring you some flies.


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Keep it private and don't post exactly where or they are going to get Weinstein'd.

Clousers / deceivers are good - try light and dark - fish the outside of the light in the darker water with a darker fly. Also, a 1/0 gummy minnow. If there is smaller baitfish around, those gummies work.


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## Flyguy33 (Oct 31, 2021)

Go all white, with maybe a little flash in baitfish style fly and make sure you use stout hooks! Those things will jump all over the place including into the dock and you will likely lose more than you land but it is a ton of fun!


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## Snagly (Dec 17, 2019)

Try a white or black tarpon toad and make it gurgle at the edge of the light. Some of the strikes will have you checking your underwear.


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## Tarponhunter (Apr 7, 2019)

OliverBrewton said:


> I’ve been seeing tons of juvenile tarpon swimming around the dock lights up here in the panhandle. The restaurant where I work sits on a brackish pond and every night when the fish lights turn on you can see these residential juvenile tarpon about 5-15 pounders. I’m wondering what kind of fly and colors I should use for them. Don’t really know what they feed on as I haven’t seen any glass minnows.


I fish the bridges in Miami and Fort Lauderdale at night. I find the best flies are large mullet type flies. The biggest issue I find under the bridges is the current. Tides also make a huge difference. 
I think the docks for tarpon and snook I would usea smaller bait pattern with some flash. I one time tire a double jointed pattern but some glow needs between the two flies and did real well. I also find a very flashy silver color works well too.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Been fishing dock lights and bridge shadows down here in south Florida for many, many years (first trip, winter 1972)… Been running night charters in Biscayne Bay since 1996. Anyone wanting an intro to Biscayne Bay night scene, call me…
Wherever you are night tarpon tiny, small, mediums, or as big as they get, follow predictable patterns.

All we ever use at night are patterns in white with a simple tarpon fly on size 1/0 or 2/0 hooks our standard… but first you need to find out what, if anything they’re feeding on and which way the water is flowing…. I’ll add to this later on today when I can get to my desktop…


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## Nolefishing (Nov 14, 2018)

Smallest baitfish pattern you can find. Here's the one I prefer. Has a little red in it from the roof of his mouth.


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## Flyguy33 (Oct 31, 2021)

Nolefishing said:


> Smallest baitfish pattern you can find. Here's the one I prefer. Has a little red in it from the roof of his mouth.
> View attachment 188619
> View attachment 188618


Off a paddle board at night? You are braver than I haha!


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## Nolefishing (Nov 14, 2018)

Flyguy33 said:


> Off a paddle board at night? You are braver than I haha!


Preferred way to hit the smaller canal systems around us. I've had decent luck on the boat too but the paddleboard is much more stealthy and I think they don't feel as much vibration and tend to be more willing to eat. Not to say I haven't had a dolphin or two breach nearby & scare the hell outta me


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## Flyguy33 (Oct 31, 2021)

Nolefishing said:


> Preferred way to hit the smaller canal systems around us. I've had decent luck on the boat too but the paddleboard is much more stealthy and I think they don't feel as much vibration and tend to be more willing to eat. Not to say I haven't had a dolphin or two breach nearby & scare the hell outta me


Yeah totally get that, it is probably the stealthiest way to get around for sure! I think I would be on a yak at night before a paddle board, a dolphin breech would scare the hell outta me too! I could only think, that is a huge ass Bull shark, 😂


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## OliverBrewton (Jul 8, 2021)

Nolefishing said:


> Smallest baitfish pattern you can find.


What Size hook #2 or like #4


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## E_walker (Oct 23, 2021)

Are there any laws prohibiting fishing with a light source? I've never really considered it, but wouldn't be surprised if it's been thought about before.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's a few patterns for docklights down here in paradise... Depending on your location (and what forage is around your docklights- one of these might work... 








the Night Fly... in 1/0 or 2/0 - it's our main bug for fish from 20 to 40lbs around docklights or bridge shadows year round, for many, many years








my version of Norm's Crystal Schminnow in size #4, our go to fly when there are glass minnows or small fry in and around docklights... We gamble with these - no bite tippet, just straight 20lb or lighter fluoro leaders... 








the Silhouette, one of my very first signature patterns - for any time you can see baitfish in or around docklights for the night scene (and a first choice during daylight back in the 'glades when there's white bait along shorelines..) done up on 1/0 or 2/0 Owner Aki hooks (ex. sharp, ex. strong) they'll stand up to the biggest tarpon - or just for any size fish working down where they're holding or feeding - world-wide... since the very early eighties when I was just getting established as a commercial tyer..


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## Tripletail (Apr 8, 2021)

White is definitely the way to go, black and purple for dirty water also! Those look perfect!


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I either toss white, or black.

I will throw a shrimpy thing when the shrimp are running. But usually white, and if that isn't working then black.
The thought process essentially is a white fly because bait is lit up by the light, or a black fly because the dock light against the night sky creates a silhouette. So a black fly will create the darkest silhouette. Make sure you have good leader / tippet. Likely will have to drop to 25-30lb flourocarbon tippet, and make sure it isn't chafed at all. The light reflects off the chafed line and the fish will see it. So when you get a bite, you will likely be chafed, cut and retie.


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## Renegade (Aug 30, 2015)

My pattern for dark water juvies. Tied on a #2 stinger


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

By the way… my night time flies are in white… so my anglers can see them - and where the fly is in relation to the target since we’re looking at most of the fish we’re aiming at in both dock lights and bridge shadows…


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## tailchaser16 (Sep 23, 2008)

Ditch the fly rod and get a spinner. They are probably feeding on scraps from the restaurant. Go to local cleaning table and ask for some scraps. Use a 7/0 hook, throw it under lights and hold on.


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## btpeck14 (Mar 18, 2021)

Sitting up here in the Northeast reading this stuff is torture. But keep it coming....


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## HunterOnFly (Apr 15, 2020)

Forget the spinner, use a rope.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

The tarpon that hang out around cutting tables tend to be a bit on the large size where I am… Don’t want to tangle with a tarpon so big that it can eat the carcass of a 40lb dolphin in a single bite…


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Capt. Lemay’s post reminded me of a “pet” tarpon. Back in the sixties there was nothing on Marco Island but mangrove trees and a couple of fishing camps. We used to hit the snook run every year on the beach at Caxambas Pass, and stay in the camp, which was way up a narrow slough. We usually kept some of the catch to eat. We had a cleaning table on the dock. You could rap your fillet knife on the dock rail and a big wake would come up the slough. It was a tarpon that we estimated at 140 pounds. He’d gulp down the snook carcasses, hang around til he figured out we were done, and leave. I always enjoyed watching that fish.


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## OliverBrewton (Jul 8, 2021)

tailchaser16 said:


> Ditch the fly rod and get a spinner. They are probably feeding on scraps from the restaurant. Go to local cleaning table and ask for some scraps. Use a 7/0 hook, throw it under lights and hold on.


I know what you talking about, I do the same thing every year at A&B marina in key west, just set a dolphin carcass and a massive hook. But this is a tad bit different, fish are much smaller and aren’t fed like they are at marinas in south Florida. In fact the restaurant I work at is the only building on the pond.


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## OliverBrewton (Jul 8, 2021)

This is the pond, it has a drainage pipe that goes under a road to a marina that sits on the bay so it’s very brackish. Blacked it out because I’m not really trying to fight over a spot for the pond I found, we don’t have any tarpon here you can fish without a boat.


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## Nolefishing (Nov 14, 2018)

OliverBrewton said:


> This is the pond, it has a drainage pipe that goes under a road to a marina that sits on the bay so it’s very brackish. Blacked it out because I’m not really trying to fight over a spot for the pond I found, we don’t have any tarpon here you can fish without a boat.


Should delete the screenshot. Already found it. Nowhere near you, but just a friendly heads up


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Most of my best tarpon spots... were only spots when I was the "only" guy who knew about them... The moment other folks start fishing your tarpon spot... It's just gone...

At least that's been the pattern I've noticed over the years. It's tough guiding for tarpon up in rivers and small bays when you have to put your anglers on fish (and you've been doing it a lot of years). Most of the fish we're on are not migrating anywhere so we're not fishing the edges of flats in the backcountry or out oceanside of the Keys where every day the fish you're on will be replaced the following day. Neighborhood fish... are just great - but they won't stand for any pressure at all...


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## wesley76 (Jan 23, 2008)

I’d delete that screenshot.


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