Tarpon Action

This morning I had to cancel my morning trip. Its raining and a cold front is pushing through.

Yesterday afternoon was totally different. Using live Mullet for bait (which to me is very exciting) Bryce Henderson released 3 Tarpon back to back. As the tide slowed I saw the fish rolling to the west of us. We moved over and drifted through the Tarpon. First one rod then the other. Bryce finished the session catching a double header of Tarpon. Fox Sport Fishing Trek rods and Diablo 750 spinning reels to make the catches. Here are a few pics from yesterday afternoon.

As I type the sun just came out. Bryce has one more session this afternoon. Maybe we will get out fishing afterall. Just got back after leaving at 3 pm. Wind shifted to WNW blowing about 25mph. Bryce wanted a go at the Tarpon. Better than sitting in a hotel room he said. We fished dead fresh mullet on the bottom due to the conditions. First he caught a big Nurse shark. Then Bryce hooked a big Tarpon around 125lbs. After a 45 minute battle we had her alongside and got the release. That was our only action.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Bryce doing battle

Bryce was ready to call it a day after number 5

more fun

reaching for the sky

uncropped , you can see the sky thur the Tarpon gills

what an afternoon of fishing for Tarpon

Tarpon Season Shifts Into High Gear

Tarpon season is getting into high gear but we have been fishing for variety as well.

Stanley McJunkin and Jeff Turner fished 3 days and had very good fishing. Lots of Snook, Redfish and Tarpon to report. Jeff released a Tiger Shark and a couple Bull Sharks that gave the Tarpon Trek and Sailfish Trek rods a thorough workout. One of the Bulls' was around 300lbs. That is a great catch on a 4 piece spinning rod. The  Diablo 750 spinning reels loaded with 50lb Fox braid handled the job. Stanley caught a big Goliath and a Mud Marlin and a few big Sharks as well. On one day the pair released over 30 Snook using Bonefish Trek rods and Diablo 350 spinning reels.

Fox sport fishing's 8 foot 4 piece Sailfish Trek rod and
Diablo 750 spin reel is an ideal combo for big Saltwater fish

Tarpon putting on a show for Jeff Turner

Stanley using a Tarpon Trek rod and Diablo 750 reel 
on a jumping Spinner Shark

Stanley McJunkin wires Jeff Turner's first ever Tarpon

Lot of Bull for Jeff

Jeff Turner getting a release on one of his Tarpons

Goliath Grouper on a Tarpon Trek rod Diablo 750 spin reel
for Stanley

Mug Shot!

Stanley used a Fox Sport Fishing Boatrod XT fitted
with an EOS 50 Trolling reel to best this Mud Marlin

Jeff caught Snook, Tarpon and  Reds for Backcountry Slams
2 days in a row

Jeff Turner and Stanley got into the Redfish

Stanley released over 20 Snook on this day using
the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

lots of Snook for Jeff Turner as well

I had Dr. Joanne Mahoney and Dr. Mark out on Friday. They released 25 Snook and then we caught a limit of tasty Mangrove Snapper. It was a slick calm day and the water was crystal clear. Jo released a feisty Red Grouper she sight-fished.

Mark holds a Snook for Dr. Mahoney on the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Joanne Mahoney and Mark had a great day releasing over 25 Snook

Joanne spotted this Red Grouper on the bottom and lowered a
bait down and caught it on a Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Mark's largest of the day caught on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

On Sunday I fished my wife Cyd. She released a Tarpon around 90lbs on her fly rod. We were poling amongst laid up Tarpon early in the morning. The tarpon were all around us and it was thrilling for Cyd to have one take her well presented fly.

Saturday evening Bryce Henderson fished with me. Right at sunset he hooked a huge Tarpon. This fight lasted well into the dark. I estimated this Tarpon at 175 plus. Easily the largest Tarpon beside my boat in the last couple of years. Congrats Bryce.

Bryce Henderson caught this Crevalle Jack while sunset Tarpon fishing

Bryce Henderson fought an est. 175lb Tarpon
well into the dark before getting  a release

He used Fox Sport Fishing Tarpon Trek boat rod and EOS Trolling reel to make the catch.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Tarpon Are In The Mix

Tarpon are in the mix. Even though a couple vigorous cold fronts have pushed through the Keys fishing remains in the Spring phase.

Martin Chambers, a keen fly fisherman visiting from Colorado, fished with me this past Monday. We spent the morning poling edges of banks near Man-O -War key in the backcountry of Everglades National Park. We spotted numerous Sharks and a few Tarpon. No luck feeding any the fly though. At mid-morning we had solid cloud cover and opted to do a little blind casting along the edge of a channel. Martin was casting with a Fox Sport Fishing 12 weight fly rod. He came tight to a fish after 20 minutes of casting and the battle was on. Two quick jumps in the beginning so we knew for sure it was a huge Tarpon. After an hour fight with wild changes of direction and greyhound rolling and some great jumps Martin had his fish of a lifetime alongside my boat. congrats Martin.

Martin Chambers doing battle with the
12 weight Fox sport fishing Fly rod

end game

catch of a lifetime for Martin Chambers
using a Fox Sport Fishing Fly rod

back at the dock Martin with his
  Fox Sport Fishing Fly rod and a replica Tarpon
that is much smaller than the one he released

During my next few trips this week we did not do any more fishing for Tarpon but had some pretty great light tackle catches.

Jim Magidson was using an ultralight Fox Rage rod fitted with a Diablo 350 spin reel when he did a great job of landing and releasing a large Red Grouper. Lance Schillizi used a Permit Trek 4 piece rod with a Diablo 550 spin reel with 20lb Horizon braid to catch and release a 150lb Sawfish. He was targeting a big Snook and fishing with a live pilchard for bait when the prehistoric fish took. These mud marlin are getting more and more numerous thanks to the outlawing of inshore gill netting in Florida state waters. We have one of the best inshore fisheries  in the world if not the best thanks to the voters of Florida.

A little while later Lance , using the same outfit, caught and released a 30 lb Goliath Grouper.  And then a nice Cobia. What a day for Lance.

Lance Schillizi and  George Witts released
Goliath groupers and Sawfish while pursuing Snook

a quick release boatside

a big Red Grouper for Jim Magidson on a
Fox sport fishing Diablo 350 spinning reel

Friday David Curtis and friend Nate joined me. It was a mixed bag kind of day. Using Fox Sport Fishing Bonefish Trek rods and the invincible Diablo 350 spinning reels we caught Snook , Seatrout, Barracudas, Lemon Sharks and Crevalle Jacks for lots of action.

Nate's first Snook

Nate's first fishing trip to Islamorada
was a great experience

Nate with a Lemon Shark in the crystal clear
backcountry waters using a Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Dave Curtis with a really nice Snook on the
Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

a fat Seatrout for Dave Curtis using the
BonefishTrek Diablo 350 combo

catching Barracuda on the flats was great
action for my anglers Dave and Nate

Some really great news here in Islamorada is that Rick Berry of Key Largo Rod Shop is now a dealer of Fox Sport Fishing Diablo spinning reels and has all three models in stock at his store at mile marker 82.5.
Go try one out for yourself. He is offering some great prices.I will be glad to show you the reels that I have been using for 4 years now. I have never had a gear or a handle break. And there is no anti-reverse springs to replace like in so many spinning reels. Stop on by Bud 'n' Marys marina in Islamorada and ask for me. I'll be glad to show you all my Fox Sport Fishing tackle and how I have it rigged.

Captain Skip Nielsen

A Great Week Of Fishing

Great fishing this past week, Tarpon continued to give my Fox Sport Fishing Diablo spinning reels a workout. On March 4 I had youngsters Dick Alt and Frank Vecella. Two very amazing men. Both are in incredible physical shape. Frank is a young 82 and caught an estimated 150lb Tarpon and a Sawfish around 200lbs. He used a Tarpon Trek travel rod fitted with a Diablo 750 spinning reel. Dick is a tad younger but he caught a couple big Bull Sharks and a nice Tarpon. He used the 8 foot Sailfish Trek travel rod fitted with a Diablo 750 spin reel. Nice job fellas.

Dick Alt with a lot of Bull Shark

A nice Tarpon for Dick Alt on the 8 foot
4 piece Sailfish Trek travel rod fitted with a Diablo 750 spin reel

Frank Vecella captured this est. 150lb Tarpon using a
7 foot 4 piece Tarpon Trek travel rod fitted with a Diablo 750 spin reel

Frank Vecella with his big Tarpon

this critter took a Tarpon bait. nice catch on a spinning rod

Yesterday was a pretty amazing day as well. Scott Barco and Steve Arch each caught and released big Permit. We were patch reef fishing for the table but I saw the tell tale flashing of Permit and rigged up our Permit Trek rod and Diablo 550 spinning reel. We cast out the bait and it was quickly inhaled both times. Big battles on the light tackle. The Diablo reels have amazing drags(clutch) and these fish took runs of over 150 meters. On Steve's Permit we had to give chase as there were numerous lobster trap buoys around. I was very impressed to say the least. Plenty of nice eating fish were caught as well.

A new specie for the Diablo 350 spin reel 
and Rage ultralight combo

Black Grouper release for Scott Barcon
using a Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Scott Barco quickly released this Permit he caught using
a 4 piece Permit Trek rod and Diablo 550 spin reel

Steve Arch caught this world class Permit on a
Fox Sport Fishing Permit Trek travel rod and Diablo 550 spin reel

Hogfish, Mangrove Snapper and Yellowtails...
good eats

Also during the week we fished the Gulf of Mexico and had good action with Spanish Mackerel and Mangrove Snapper using Bonefish Trek travel rods fitted with Diablo 350 spinning reels.
Diablo spinning reels are just plain tough. I use them day in and day out with hardly any maintenance. Love 'em.

Captain Skip Nielsen

Huge Tarpon For Golfer Brandt Snedeker

How fun was this, Brandt Snedeker fished with me Sunday afternoon and Monday.

Fishing was all we could ask for. We took a few dozen live mullet with us for bait and headed down to a bayside channel near Channel 5 bridge. The bite was crazy. The Tarpon were attacking the bait within 5 minutes of setting up. Using a Tarpon Trek rod fitted with an EOS 30 reel , Brandt had tons of action. The mullet were getting knocked into the air and finally being caught by the Tarpon. Brandt landed 2 Tarpon on this session before the bite was over.

On Monday morning we went back to that spot but all was quiet so we took a run into the backcountry of Everglades National Park. Fishing in one of the channels Brandt hooked a huge Tarpon on an 8' Sailfish Trek 4 piece spinning rod fitted with a Diablo 750 spin reel. After a 40 minute exciting, tough battle, Brandt had the estimated 130 pound Tarpon alongside the boat for a release.

Brandt has a big tourney this weekend in Miami at Doral so we left the big fish alone and concentrated on variety the rest of the afternoon. A dozen more species were caught. Groupers, Redfish, Trout, Ladyfish, Spanish Mackerel, Mangrove Snappers, assorted Jacks including a couple oversize crevalles and some sharks.

Brandt had 2 wonderful days of fishing. Good luck this weekend.

Captain Skip Nielsen

1 of 3 this afternoon for Brandt Snedeker

Beast

Brandt Snedeker catching 1 of 4 Tarpon using
Fox Sport Fishing Tarpon Trek rod and EOS reel

Brandt Snedeker caught and released this huge Tarpon

Brandt used the Fox Sport Fishing 8' Sailfish Trek rod
and Diablo 750 spin reel to catch the big one

great action

large Crevalle Jack on the Permit Trek Diablo 550 combo

Redfish on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Seatrout caught on Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo