Tarpon Fishing Help

Anyone have any tips/tactics they'd be willing to share? Pm me if you want to but any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Buddy and I were going to go with a guide down near Mexico beach, Florida in mid June, but the guide was booked up for the only times we could go. My buddy has a boat and has tarpon fished with the guide before/ knows kinda a few decent spots to start for the tarpon but has never done it completely on his own...Figured why not start trying now! I know it would be a miracle to catch one of these 80-120 lbrs but at least if we could just get one to run and jump would be awesome! He is getting the modified anchor system as well as modifying some rods for tarpon but any tricks/tips to help us have a chance would def go a long way!

Pat Dineen is a tarpon guide in Destin. I have been tarpon fishing for over 40 years on the gulf coast and can help you with anything you need concerning tarpon. I still fish for them almost daily in the summer. My son is an inshore guide out of Pensacola, (Angler Up Charters), and could take you but the tarpon do not bite nearly as frequent as they do around Destin pass. PM me and I can hook you up with another way to catch one.

Gobble4me757 Check your pm

Pm returned...sorry just now checking this before bed

Free line or float a live mullet or pin fish where you see them rolling. Be sure to use at least a 50 lb flourocarbon leader

Awesome! Thanks man! Any tricks/tips as to hooking em and fighting em?

get one jump and cut the line...just had to!

Boww to the king

Well, if they are over 100 lbs, they know where every bridge piling, channel marker, and buoy is and they will cut you off on it. If you do get one to open water, just follow him with the boat until you land him. They are pretty hard to hook. We have had pretty good luck with 10/0 circle hooks if I am remembering the size correctly. We always fished with 20 lb outfits. And yes, if they jump, you bow to them. But mostly jayhook is right, the first 5 minutes of the fight is the best part and then it just turns into a brutal tug of war where he uses his weight and there is nothing you can do about it until he just gives up.

Be aware you will prolly come unhooked a lot, they are tough to keep a hook in. best part for sure is the jumping.

Wife and I hooked a big one near Stuart Fl on a 17# bass outfit. 5 1/2 HOURS later and 7 miles from hookup spot we brought it boatside. Measurements said 175#. NEVER jumped, just surfaced and gulped and PULLED. Damn near killed both of us.

Fishing Boca Grande once wife and daughter landed 100 pounders on 20 pound spin outfits, they jumped a lot. Brother hooked an 80 pounder same time as our first fish and he finally broke it off after an hour...damn fish wouldn't jump and carried them over a mile outside the mouth of the river.

We use hogy 6.5 inch swimbaits with a 10/0 crooked barbarian hook. hardly ever lose one with this set up. Last year my tarpon buddy and I were 11 for 13 with this set up. We also like to live bait using lys, or cigar minnows.

Haha well it seems like we better eat our wheaties before going out for em!! Thanks all yall for the replies and tips!!! Lord willing the weather will be nice for out fishing trip!

Don't worry, If the weather is bad, you can fish with us on Okaloosa Island Pier. I can almost guarantee you one off the pier.