# How to question- live bait rig for tarpon



## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

So I've only ever fly fished for tarpon however we're doing a family vacation to the same general vicinity where I've done a lot of tarpon fishing and I'm bringing the panga with us. My buddy who's family is sharing the beach house with us is wild to catch a tarpon but doesn't fly fish so I was thinking of rigging up a heavy spinning rig (say 6000 class on a MH rod) with live bait and a circle hook for some beach front poon.

Can y'all give me an idea of how I should rig this up? The reel would be spooled with 40# braid and obviously tied into a flouro leader somehow but beyond that I've got no clue.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> So I've only ever fly fished for tarpon however we're doing a family vacation to the same general vicinity where I've done a lot of tarpon fishing and I'm bringing the panga with us. My buddy who's family is sharing the beach house with us is wild to catch a tarpon but doesn't fly fish so I was thinking of rigging up a heavy spinning rig (say 6000 class on a MH rod) with live bait and a circle hook for some beach front poon.
> 
> Can y'all give me an idea of how I should rig this up? The reel would be spooled with 40# braid and obviously tied into a flouro leader somehow but beyond that I've got no clue.


Modified albright knot from the braid to the flouro (depending on the size tarpon, 30# flouro or better). loop knot to the circle hook. lip or tail hook a 6+" mullet, hope that it swims on the top of the water column, pitch it out, open the bail, fingers on the line keeping an eye on the bait, let it swim if it wants to, if it gets excited and darts there is usually a fish nearby, let it continue to swim, once eaten, flip the bail and raise your rod tip, then enjoy!


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

Thank you sir!

These googan tactics are foreign to me.


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

I’ve heard they like the Hogy 10” lures as well, I’ve got some a plan to try this year. They’re heavy enough to cast with a 6/0 circle hook through the nose.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Or live crabs on a float. Circle through the corner of the shell


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

permitchaser said:


> Or live crabs on a float. Circle through the corner of the shell


What kind of float? I'd imagine something other than the standard popping cork rig, right?


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> What kind of float? I'd imagine something other than the standard popping cork rig, right?


Any kind of float may work. You can use a popping rig as long as it keeps the crab off the bottom


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

My standard live bait rig for big tarpon along the coast of the 'glades is pretty simple. We use rods with 15 or 20lb mono then add a rod's length of 80lb leader connected to a 6/0 Owner SSW circle hook by a simple clinch knot (five turn). For free swimming baits (mullet, ladyfish, etc.) the float is either a sailfish float (a simple popping cork shaped float with a peg in the narrow end) or a small balloon (standard small birthday balloons - never buy balloons in a tackle shop....). The bait is allowed to swim from the skiff into position (casting hurts ladyfish in particular - you can get away with that using live mullet but it they'll swim into position they'll live longer...). Every bait is hooked in the upper mouth - and once you have that bait where you want it lock up the reel and place the rod in a holder (that holder will hook a lot more fish than you ever will holding the rod...) with standard fighting drag. When the bait gets hit you'll hook 8 out of 10 with no dropback at all... In fact the usual problem is how hard it is to get the rod out of the rodholder once it's bent over and the drag is screaming... 

Funny thing - every fish is solidly hooked in the center of the upper jaw - never in the corner of the mouth the way circles do with other fish... In fact the only thing in the tarpon's mouth is the hook - like a lip ornament...


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## jimsmicro (Oct 29, 2013)

^ this is basically what I do. Sometimes I'll also freeline a mullet on the same setup, no cork. Or freeline a crab with a circle hook through the corner of the shell.


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## tailchaser16 (Sep 23, 2008)

lemaymiami said:


> . We use rods with 15 or 20lb mono then add a rod's length of 80lb leader connected to a 6/0 Owner SSW ..


Capt Bob,
what knot do you use to connect the mainline to the rod's length of leader?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Every rod on my skiff gets a bimini twist to double the line before connecting it to any leader... (20 turns for mono - 40 turns for braid). If we're using mono the connection is a Slim Beauty if we're using braid it's a double uni-knot (two or three turns for the heavy leader - nine turns for the doubled braid).

Mostly, every knot you see is a weak spot in the line - that's why the bimini to double the line (a bimini twist is actually rope making technique - and it's just as strong as the line itself). After that, every connection you make is actually stronger than your fishing line so you can really pull on a big fish at the boat where things break if you have a weak spot in any connections...


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

Long leader (6 to 8 foot) with heavy braid. Pretty common to run 50lb leader with 30lb braid or heavier as some go to 80lb leader. Cabo 60 or similar on a Teramar XH 8' or similar.

Fishing them is typically cut bait (ex: ladyfish or jack) on the bottom or mullet tails. Expect sharks often black tip and bulls on the same setup. Crabs on a standard floater is sort of tarpon crack but expensive and there are often a lot of bonnet heads being caught. Best used in the flats. Hogies if you don't mind casting. Cobia is a nice by catch on this setup but it is mostly a sight casting affair. Greenies work well but getting big enough ones to hold a big hook can sometimes be a challenge.


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## Platticus (May 21, 2018)

We hit the tarpon pretty hard down here in the Keys. I'm not as interested in something else hitting the bait, so we've switched to crabs pretty much exclusively (and have never had an issue with bonnet heads - rarely we'll get a permit bite which I don't mind). If you're going braid to fluoro, I'd highly suggested using the FG knot. Easy and fast to tie, and no issues reeling it through the guides when need be.


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

I'm kind of in the market for a new Rod for this purpose... live crabs, freelined, for tarpon from the boat.

Looking for a 7' rod so it will fit in the car when travelling to/from. Rod will be paired up with a Penn SSV-5500, loaded with 300 yds. 30# braid, fluro leader. Currently its paired on a Chaos 7' 15-30# rod and the rod is just a little light and not quite balanced right.

Any suggestions.


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## Platticus (May 21, 2018)

I like to use Shimano Trevala jigging rods for Tarpon. They make a 7', but I'd suggest the 6'6 and at least Medium if not Medium Heavy depending on the size fish you're targeting.


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