Tarpon fishing off the chart last four days!!!!

With a full moon and hordes of spawning mullet flooding the channels Tarpon fishing went off the last 4 days. I really have to say it was as good as I have ever seen it.  Mullet have been grouping up in large spawning aggragations and the Tarpon just have to have them. Granted, there were certain channels and the right tides at those channels. Like all fishing it comes down to being at the right place at the right time.

This was the annual fishing trip for the "Ambulance Crew" hosted by the Martin Founder's Group. A great group of fellas that stay at Bud n Marys marina for 6 days. I had the pleasure of fishing with Martin Campbell, Bob Clemens, Del Elliot and Bob Hoyle. On day 1 Del and Ray released 7 Tarpon. We put in 12 hours and fished sun-up to sun-down. Day 2 Bob Clemens and Martin had 5 releases. Day 3 Del and Ray had an astounding 11 releases on an 8 hour session. Day 4 Martin and new angler Bob Hoyle had 7 releases. Bob Hoyle caught his first ever Tarpon at 7am and the pressure was off. 30 releases in 4 days of fishing!  Our hook up percentages were unbelievable, 85 percent. I have to attribute that not only to my fine anglers but to Fox Sport Fishing Travel rods. They have just the right stiffness needed to hook Tarpon.

We used 2 types of tackle. Eight foot long Sailfish Trek 4 piece spinning rods fitted with Diablo 750 spinning reels and seven foot 5 piece Tarpon Spincast rods fitted with EOS 30 Trolling reels.  For line we used Fox Sport Fishing Horizon super braid 30lb test.  No tackle failures at all except I lost  a set screw on an EOS handle which I am replacing this morning. Wow is all I can say.

Well day off. Off to change oil in the outboard then take my wife flyfishing for a few hours this afternoon.

Captain Skip Nielsen

7am Bob Hoyle gets his first ever Tarpon

Bob Hoyle released this one

Del cooling off with a nice Tarpon

Del Elliot had lots of jumpers

Del with a jumping Tarpon

great memories for the Ambulance Crew

just one more jumping Tarpon

just when you think he's getting tired he takes another
gulp of air and its game on again for Ray Jennings

Martin and Bob on a double,
we managed to get DNA samples off both Tarpon

Martin Campbell

not only did Bob Hoyle get his first Tarpon but
he ended the day with 3 Tarpon released

30 Tarpon released in 4 sessions using Fox Sport Fishing
Tarpon Spincast rod and EOS trolling reel, Sailfish Trek rod and
Diablo 750 spin reel

Ray used the Tarpon Spincast EOS 30 combo on  this jumper

awesome to watch

boatside view

Bob Clemens later caught 2 large Tarpon

Bob Clemens fighting a Tarpon near Channel 2

Bob Clemens said this
Tarpon was just the right size

Bob Clemens using the Sailfish Trek Diablo 750 combo on this Tarpon

Bob Hoyle and Martin Campbell started off
yesterday morning with a double header

Fishing With Light Tackle

Two of my favourite folks spent the last four days fishing with me.

Leslie and Ray Rogers love fishing with light tackle. They had some big battle with Tarpon. Ray had a Tarpon near Teatable bridge that he fought for an hour before releasing it boat-side. Had to be 125lbs. Leslie released a Tarpon yesterday that when it jumped our jaws dropped. It was a lunker. Who knows just how big it was but I will conservatively put it at well over 150. After 4 jumps it was rolling and swimming close to the boat. Leslie asked me to take the leader and release it. After watching Ray battle the big the first day she said that's enough.

after an hour battle Ray cranked the drag.
The Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo is light but super tough

Ray Rogers battling a big Tarpon

Ray whipped this Tarpon after an hour battle
with the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Leslie fighting a huge Tarpon on the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Leslie Rogers hooked and released this huge Tarpon over at
Cape Sable using the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Ray got a little more fight than he wanted

We also got into some big Snook in one of the river mouths at Cape Sable. Because of sharks and tree roots we again used the Permit Trek rod fitted with Diablo 550 spinning reel. These outfits are light weight but very strong and allowed us to land Snook up to 13lbs. While waiting one morning for the tide to start running we found a school of Mangrove Snappers attracted to our mulllet chum under the boat. We had a blast with light tackle catching a limit of these tasty feisty Snapper.

Ray's biggest Snook

tasty Mangrove Snappers were a challenge to keep away from the pilings

Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo catching big Mangs bridge fishing

Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo's gave us the extra power to land big Snook

One morning running out to the back-country we came upon schools of Crevalle Jacks chasing mullet onto the flats. I teased them with whole mullet while Les and Ray casting jigs on the light tackle. It was hard to leave that action.

early morning Crevalle Jacks on Rage rod and Diablo 350 spin reel

Jacks were chasing mullet on the flats

poor man's tarpon aka Ladyfish on the Rage Diablo 350 combo

Over at Cape Sable Ray hooked a big Tarpon on Fly. It took out 300 meters of flyline and backing. As we gave chase unfortunately the fly came out. Ray used a Fox 12 weight fly rod fitted with a Fox Cellmax fly reel. Maybe next time.

Fishing is great right now. Folks are catching Tarpon day and night.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Guides Day Off

Guides day off or you could call it a busman's holiday

With the Tarpon biting so well and Monday being a day off I just had to go fly fishing. My wife Cyd was excited to go as well. On Sunday afternoon after getting done with the boat I came home and while watching the finish of the master's golf tournament tied 6 flies for our trip.

We left before daybreak and headed out near First National Bank way out near the Florida mainland. We poled along in 3 to 4 feet of water looking for any sign of fish. After a couple moves we got into the Tarpon. In the early morning they were rolling and waking and some were just lying motionless suspended just below the surface. The sky was overcast early on and it was really tough to get an accurate cast off. When I was finally able to pole the boat into a small school Cyd was able to make a good cast and hook up. What a thrill for her.The tarpon took the fly right on the surface. After a 30 minute battle Cyd had her 100lb Tarpon at the boat. It is amazing how the 9 foot flyrod can whip a Tarpon just as fast or faster than a shorter rod. I was really happy for her.

Then it was my turn. just drifting around in the midst of the Tarpon I managed to hook 3 and land 2 of them. Cyd took some really good photos.

This is what we like to do on my days off. Really?

We used the Fox Sport Fishing 12 weight 5 piece Tarpon Trek Fly rod on our fish.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Cyd catching her Tarpon on the fly rod

It was a great day of fly fishing

not many days in Tarpon season that I get to fish

sight casting to Tarpon with a fly rod is special

Skip bows his fly rod to the Silver King

Anglers Go 12 For 22

Tarpon Fishing is on Fire in the Florida Keys right now

Saturday and Sunday will be remembered for a long time for anglers Chip and John Clark, and Randy Soth and Peter Aiello. Using Fox Sport Fishing Sailfish Trek rod and Diablo 750 spinning reel the anglers released 12 Tarpon in the Florida Keys Back-country. Another 10 were hooked and lost. Incredible action.

All the fishing guides are reporting good catches of Tarpon at the moment. There are big schools in the bridge channels, in the lakes and back-country channels and flats. With 2 weeks now of no cold fronts and steady East South East breezes the Tarpon have moved into the area in large numbers.

6 for 10 on Sunday for Randy and Pete

Pete holds the leader while angler Randy
gets a good look at his Hammerhead

Peter Aiello with his 4th Tarpon release

Randy Soth and Peter Aiello released 6 Tarpon on Sunday

Randy with a Tarpon release

can you believe this is a 4 piece travel rod!

Chip and John Clark had a big day Tarpon fishing Saturday releasing 6

Chip Clark used the Sailifish Trek Diablo 750 combo all his Tarpon

Chip Clark's Tarpon puts on a boatside show

Chip with another

John Clark using the Fox 8' Sailfish Trek 4 piece rod on all the Tarpon catches

John Clark with a jumping Tarpon

Pete has another release as well.

I can't say enough about how tough the Fox Sport Fishing travel rods are. The Fox Diablo spinning reels have been my go to reels for 4 years now. There isn't a more bullet proof spinning reel on the market for the money.

Check out the www.foxsportfishing.com website and read more. Time to go fishing.

Captain Skip Nielsen