Warming Up!

Chester Brandis and Brad Coughlin had originally scheduled me to take them Sailfishing offshore. With flat calm and wam conditions I told the boys that Sailfishing would be slow and we might have a chance at a Tarpon and some big Sharks. On the way out we found diving pelicans and I threw the cast net coming up with 40 frisky Mullet. Great bait and a good start.

Chester Brandis used the Fox Rage Ultralight
Diablo 350 combo on this Spotted Seatrout

Brad Coughlin with a Bluefish

Anchoring up in a backcountry channel we set up with butterflied mullet for bait and it wasn't long before the Blacktip Sharks found us. In the 2 days we fished we must have released 25 of these critters. The water temp had  warmed up to 69F on the first day and we jumped a big Tarpon off at the end of the day. But throughout the day Chester and Brad fought Hammerhead Sharks and Blacktip Sharks and Brad spent an hour battling a big Sawfish to the boat.

Blacktip Sharks were on a Spring feeding binge

Chester released this Hammerhead Shark

Sawfish at the boat for release

Brad Coughlin used the Sailfish Trek travel rod and
Diablo 750 spinning reel to catch  Tarpon,
Hammerheads and a 250lb Sawfish

Chester battles a 150lb Hammerhead on the
Diablo 750 Sailfish Trek combo

Chester Brandis released 2 Hammerhead Sharks

 My Diablo 750 spinning reels continue to hold up fish after fish and take incredible punishment while doing battle with Sawfish and Sharks and Tarpon as do the incredible 8 foot Sailfish Trek travel rods.

The next day was just as flat and the water kept warming up. The water temp rose to 73F today.We missed 3 Tarpon and caught a lot more sharks. But early in the afternoon Brad hooked a really big Tarpon that stayed on. What a great fight. Lots of jumps. Early springtime Tarpon fishing has begun. At least until the next coldfront shuts it down again.

blow up

Brad catching his big Tarpon using the
Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo

Brads 125lb Tarpon

Brads Tarpon

Brads Tarpon was an estimated 125lbs. What a thrill to watch this fish jump. Brad is now hooked on Tarpon fishing.

Captain Skip Nielsen