Going to Florida

[M_ray]

Intruder, Thanks for the info I will be in Orlando for 4 day's so I may look into Capt. Scott allthough Michelle might have some info for me as well.

I'll be spending the rest of my time in Pompano beach but I will be willing to drive anywhere I may also be visiting an old friend in Tampa. So I do have some options and I just want to make the best of it.

And Pope there will be plenty of gettin liquord up trust me! That sounds good I'll probably get more than one trip out of that deal, I'll bet there will be more than one guy caiming to best!

[HawkenBob]

M_Ray, Last year I did a trip to Tampa to see a friend for a few days. I too was also going to fish. But we targeted the biggest run of Giant Tarpon anywere. Its at Boca grande and there were 75000 or so giant Tarpon in the 120 to 240 lbs class. My trip was based on the crab feed they show up for every year. Its called the Hill tide. On there migration North the Tarpon stop here to feed heavily. But this is end on May.

After much research we decided we wanted a guide and booked the best on the Gulf coast from Hermossa to Boca. You would be doing yourself a favor by getting ahold of Rob at www.gianttarpon.com
He just recently won the Jim Beam Tarpon cup and has more records and championships than almost anyone. You may not need to book him but he will be able to tell you what your options are.

He fishes Tarpon all year and knows the Tampa area extremely well. You may be in for some night fishing on anchor at the Skyway or inshore for juvies. Either way I garentee there available.

If Im not mistaken you may be there in time for there short Snook season. And the Cobia should be around too. Both are the best eating of almost any fish. The Cobia are bad ass to fight too.


Also, he has extensive write ups for whats available for any givin time of the year and where. I believe rob is part Tarpon. After seeing his accomplishments, I think you'll agree!

He is 600 for 6 hrs. 75 for each additional person up to 4 total.

It was the best money I ever spent on fishing and in 2 days me and Doug jumped 11 Giant Tarpon and the biggest boated was 180. Cant wait to get back this year.

50 pound class spinning rods with a 60 size Cabo and 65 power pro for chuckin crabs is what we used. 150 lbs flourocarbon leaders.

[M_ray]

Thanks Hbob I looked at his site already but it helps to hear from someone that has actually been with him! Like I said I'll be on Orlando so it's not that far but maybe a little early in Tampa for the big boy's ... the wife's Unlce in Pompano claims he can find them on the Atlantic shore most of the time. If I can't get into a Tarpon I'll defiantly fish for whatever is available thanks for the tips on rod and tackle selections I have been trying to figure out if I want to get it all here and drag it down there or just make a list and buy it there. I'm not sure that one of my heavy Salmon/steelhead set ups would be suitable for some of the smaller stuff around there but I may bring one anyway.

[huntnphool]

Well!!!!!!

 Still waiting for those tarpon pics.

[M_ray]

Well Phool you'll be waiting a while! Sorry for the delay reporting but sometimes it sucks coming back from Vacation and having to catch up at work! 

We started off the trip going to Disney world for my girls birthday present
and after dropping 650 bones in a day at Magic Kingdom I couldn't even $hi+ a greased BB! 



But I found a way to go fishing and booked a Guide for Toho but ended up on Johns Lake in Orlando. When we hit the Lake it was beautiful but we knew we were just on the front of a storm and optimistic we would find Big Bass ready to gorge themselves.



And we were right for the first 1/2 hr the action was so hot I didn't even stop to take any pics caught several in the 1-3 pound range lost a bunch and caught 2 pickerel and then the front hit us and the fishing was tough for the next few hours. It just figures a guy from Seattle goes to Florida and ends up fishing in the first rain they have had in 2 months!


I was able to boat a few despite the conditions.




The last 20-30 minutes of light the front settled down and they were on the bite again most were about this size allthough I did loose about a 5-6 pounder and one that made my guide sick that he estimated at 9-10 pounds! he was more angry than me and said it would have easily been the largest fish any of his clients had boated.

The next day we headed fro the Uncles house in Pompano and I thinking about how I was having trouble with that greased BB I figured I would just see what kind of gear the Unlce could come up with. I was able to find a 10-20 pound fiberglass rod in the pile and allthough the line was a little suspect and reel took some TLC to get it working right I thought I would just make the best of what I had and just see what happens.
After dropping the girls off at the beach M_ray was now the captain of this ship!

It was interesting trying to take my picture with the timer and being the skipper at the same time but I wanted to give it t trial run so that if I caught something I could document it.
I took off to the north and found my own little piece of Paradise!

I no sooner popped my first Corona and something slams my rod and almost pulls it out of the boat ... the way he was pulling I thought he was allot bigger than he tuned out to be and I caught several of his buddies nothing big all about the same size but these little guy's had attitude I think they call them Blue Runners!






I ran back into pick up the family and headed for deeper waters with hopes of something bigger but ended up with nothing big but some cool looking fish non-theless.






So I didn't land this one but the wife caught the action on film just before I was snapped off By something as big as me and silver! ... could it have been my tarpon? what ever it was I didn't have the 30 pound main and 80 pound leader it would have taken to land him but it was an exciting 20 seconds at any rate!



So allthough I didn't get to scratch the Tarpon off my to do list I will return and I know now what It will take to get it done and I won't have to do the Disney thing again.  We also had many old friends we were trying to see as well so time just wasn't there to do it all, I kinda thought this would be more of a scouting trip. Thanks to all for your help and advise I could see how your gear suggestions would have been what I needed and I will have my own stuff for my next trip.

Here's my next fishing boat ... just a cool 25 million or so!!!! whadaya think?

[Michelle_Nelson]

  M-Ray my friend that is a Chain Pickeral.  Not a Gar.  They are kinda like a miniture Pike.  Almost identical in look.  They differ in the number of pores on the bottom of their heads and the chain look on their sides. 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Gar rearly get caught with hooks.  People normaly fish for them with their bows or frayed nylon rope. 

CHAIN PICKEREL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_pickerel

http://www.unb.ca/cri/projects/Fish_key/Esocidae/Chain_pickeral.htm

GAR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gar

http://myfwc.com/Fishing/Fishes/gar.html

[M_ray]

Michelle, Thanks for that yeah I was surpised too the guide called it a gar but it looked more like the pickerel to me!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Yep deffinatly NOT a Gar.  Wonder what the guide was thinking.  He may have had his mind on other things and just threw out a name.

I beleive they get around 1 - 1 1/2 pounds on average.  I believe the Geargia record is 4 pounds, but don't quote me on that.  Not sure how good eating they are.  Never tried em. 

I was a little  the first time I saw one.  I wasn't familure with fish in the south and I thought that someone had stalked Pike in the ponds and rivers.