The tarpon is a large thick-bodied fish generally silver in color other than its back, which can range from a dark green to gray. It has a large scoop shaped mouth and the last ray of its dorsal fin is greatly elongated. Its scales are large and thick like a coat of armor.
The Tarpon is a large, hard fighting fish and is judged by many to be the worlds most exciting gamefish. Once it feels the hook being set it begins the spectacular display of frequent, twisting, acrobatic leaps into the air to free itself from the hook.
Most Tarpon landed are between 25 to 80 pounds on average but can range from a few inches in length to about 300 pounds. The world all tackle record is 283 pounds 4ounces.
Tarpon are found in the western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, the west coast of Central America and the coast of northwest Africa. They prefer water temperatures in the 74 – 88° F range.
Tarpon can be found through out the coastal areas of Florida. On the Atlantic coast they are most prevalent in the southeast areas. They can be found from in large inlets such as Port Everglades, Government Cut and south to Biscayne Bay from January to June and along coastal beaches and inlets during late summer. They are caught all the way up to Amelia Island but the fishing in south Florida is the best.
On the West Coast of Florida Tarpon can be caught from the Everglades up to the Panhandle. The most renowned area for Tarpon is Boca Grande where during May and June hundreds, if not thousands of fish are caught. Also in this area is Homasassa Bay has great shallow water flats fishing for Tarpon during May and June. Apalachicola Bay and St George Sound also offer good fishing during the summer.
The Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Islands area has Tarpon fishing year round with the largest fish being caught from mid-spring to mid-summer.
The Keys also offer year round Tarpon fishing. The best times to fish are mid-March starting on the Florida Bay side through mid-July on both the Bay side and Atlantic side.
Fishing Equipment
Tarpon come in all sizes and can be caught with all kinds of fishing equipment and using various methods. These fish can be caught with artificials and natural bait by casting, drifting, trolling and still fishing. Those big fish anglers will need some sturdy medium to heavy rods with 30 to 50 pound saltwater reels and lines.
For average and smaller tarpon just about all medium baitcasting, spinning and fly fishing tackle can be used effectively. Baitcasting and spinning gear should be equipped with 15 pound line and heavier leader material based in the size of Tarpon you are pursueing. Fly fishing tackle should consist of a 10 –13 weight rod a high quality reel with a capacity to handle 300 yards of 30# backing.
Natural baits used in the pursuit of Tarpon can include live shrimp, live crabs and live baitfish such as Pinfish, Mullet, Pilchards and Squirrelfish.
There are many locations around the state that a particular method of fishing for Tarpon works best. Check at the local Bait and tackle Shops for advice or hire a Professional Guide to teach you the techniques for a particular area to catch this spectacular gamefish!
Good Luck!.
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Cobia
(Rachycentron canadum)(Also known as: Ling,
Lemonfish, Crabeater, Cabio)
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The Cobia is a large, long, slim bodied fish with a broad depressed head, a protruding lower jaw. The Cobia is overall a dark brown color with a prominent dark lateral stripe that runs from the eye to the tail. Its distinguishing first dorsal fin is composed of 7 to 9 spines that are not connected by a membrane.The Cobia is a sleek and extremely strong fish. They range in size up to about 135 pounds. The largest Cobia ever caught in Florida USA weighed about 104 lbs. An average size fish will weigh 20 to 40 pounds. Cobia are found around the world in tropic and warm temperate waters. They migrate so their numbers will very with the seasons. They inhabit the warm tropical waters in the winter and move to more temperate waters in the spring, summer and fall. They prefer water temperatures between 68 deg.F and 86 deg. F.Along the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Cobia spend the winter (December – March) in the harbors and around the wrecks and reefs of the south Florida Keys. In late March, early April they begin their northward migration up the Atlantic Coast reaching Fernandina Inlet in late May, early June. Along the Gulf Coast, Cobia inhabit the Panhandle area in late February, early March. They travel southward along the coast beginning in April and peaking all along the Gulf Coast in July and August.
The Cobia is a powerful fish and a thrilling catch. It is one of the most sought after gamefish to catch. Once the fish is hooked the thrill usually begins by lots of line coming off a screaming reel and the inability of the angler to do anything but hang on!
Fishing Basics:
Cobia can be caught by spinning, plug casting, bottom fishing and by trolling.
Equipment for spinning and plug casting should be a medium to medium heavy rod and reel with 12# to 20# line. Cast lures in front of moving fish so that the lure is reeled across the Cobia’s path. Brightly colored, jigs Bucktail (in white, lime green, yellow) and noisy sinking or diving plugs are popular choices
Equipment for trolling or bottom fishing from boat, bridge or pier would be a medium heavy rod and reel with 20#- to 30# line (Minimum 200yrds.) 2 – 4oz egg sinker on line above swivel, 3’ 40#-50# shock leader with a 4/0 to 7/0 O’Shaughnessy hook. Use live grunts, eels, pinfish, bluerunners or crabs as bait.
Site fishing migrating Cobia is one if the most productive methods for using artificial baits and lures. They are spotted as they travel in shallow water, around pilings, navigational markers, buoys and anchored boats. They will also accompany other large fish and rays. Again remember to cast ahead of the fish so to bring the lure across its path and to work the lure with plenty of action as the Cobia comes near.
Once you get the Cobia to the boat, the battle may not be over. Exhibit caution and safety when gaffing and bringing the fish into the boat. They are a tough hard fighting fish and have caused anglers to lose equipment, be injured and have damaged boats. Get the fish into the box in a controlled, smooth, single motion.
Food QualityCobia rates among the very best in taste and texture of seafood.
Try a great new Cobia recipe today.
Check out Fish4Fun’s Captain Cook’s Seafood Recipes page for Grilled Cobia. |
Dolphin
(Coryphaena Hippurus)
The Dolphin, also known as Mahi Mahi or Dorado, is one of the most exciting offshore gamefish to catch and see in the open ocean. This beautifully colored fish can be found in all tropical and warm temperate seas of the world. When hooked these fish “light up” with almost neon colors and put up an exciting, high jumping, tail walking fight.
Dolphin are prolific breeders, rapid growing and short lived which make them an excellent choice as a gamefish because they can sustain recreational catch efforts without fear of overfishing.
A dolphin can grow to a weight of about 80 pounds and live only about five years. The dolphin’s coloring can range from a dark blue along its back and changes laterally through a green – gold – yellow color spectrum as look from their back to their belly. Mature males or bulls are easily distinguished by their high flat forehead and are usually larger than the females or cows. Smaller fish travel in schools (schoolies) which can range from a few fish to several dozen. Larger bulls and cows travel alone or in pairs.
These fish are commonly found near floating objects and Sargassum weed lines and patches. They feed on the sea life which seek shelter near and in the floating structures, such as flying fish, squid and sea horses. Dolphin like warm water, generally greater than 68oF, 78o – 85oF is preferred.
Fishing Basics
Trolling is one of the most productive and my favorite method of catching dolphin.
My tackle choice is a 20# – 30# lever drag reel, a matched 5-1/2’ – 6’ stand-up rod and 20# – 30# mono line.
I like to troll natural baits such as ballyhoo rigged on #7 or #8 coffee colored stainless steel wire. One end of the wire will have a haywire twist to attach to the fishing line via snap swivel and the other end will have 7/0 or 8/0 hook attached using a haywire twist and pin rig. The ballyhoo may be trolled naked or with a skirt or skirted lure over its head. Trolling speed is a matter of how the baits look in the water. I have found that trolling 6 to 8 knots is best. In heavier seas travel down seas so the baits stay in the water better.
They can also be readily caught on artificial lures, feathers, spoons, etc.
Once a school dolphin is hooked and brought to the boat, leave it in the water. The rest of the school will usually follow and stay nearby. Chum with cut bait or glass minnows will bring them in close and put them in a frenzy, For a wild and exciting experience start casting your spinning rods/fly rods with yellow or white bucktail jigs/flys . Usually they will hit so fast you just have time to set the hook as it hits the water. Wow!!
Locations
Locating dolphin can be a challenge or very easy. They can be found in as little as 100 feet of water but deeper water of 400 feet or more is usually better. They like warm temperate water so the Gulf Stream is a good place to start. They don’t move to far from their food source so keep your eyes open for floating weeds, other floating objects, temperature rips and sub surface structure which may attract and provide shelter to flying fish and other sources of food. Keep a look out for sea birds such as the Frigate, Man-0-War, that feed on the small baitfish that are driven to the surface by feeding dolphin and other gamefish. They are sometimes a dead giveaway as to the dolphins and other sportfish location. At other times they may be taking you on a wild goose chase.
The south east coast of Florida and the Keys are some of the best Dolphin fishing waters available.
If you are unfamiliar with the waters, hire a Guide/Charter Captain they can put you on the fish and you may learn something new or special to the area you will be fishing.
Good Luck!
HEEPSHEAD
Archosargus probatocephalus
The sheepshead is a member of the porgy and seabream species which are among the 120 species that make up the Sparidae family. The Sparidae have a worldwide distribution in temperate and tropical waters, but are most common in warm coastal seas.
The sheepshead is a large porgy. It reaches a maximum weight of about 20 pounds. It’s coloration is silvery to yellowish white, with an olive-brown back and five or six dark slightly diagonal bars along each side. It is found close inshore, often in the brackish zones of estuaries. It uses it’s flat long teeth to crush mollusks and crabs and to scrap barnacles from rocks and pilings.
Fishing basics:These species are primarily taken by bottom fishing structure and wreck fishing. The fisherman should look for sheepshead along irregular bottom, wrecks, reefs and structure not too far from shore. Sometimes the sheepshead is so fast in taking live bait that it is difficult to hook. One exciting way to catch this bait thief is to heavily chum an area with shrimp or bits of shellfish. After the sheepshead have begun to feed, cast with a small ¼ ounce jig. On light tackle this is a thrilling and sporting fish to catch. Use a medium /medium heavy class rod (12 to 20 pound) with a baitcast or spinning reel with 12 to 20 pound mono line. Around reefs and wrecks, use an 4 foot long heavier leader, with a single hook or a 2-hook bottom rig, using hook sizes from #6 to 2/0. For bait, sheepshead do not readily take artificial lures. They are best fished for with live bait or cut or whole natural baits. These include crab, shrimps, mussels, clams, worms, sand eels, cut strips of mackerel, cuttlefish, squid or octopus.
Location:In the northern part of Florida, sheepshead are found near navigation markers, pilings, rocks and inlet jetties. The best time of the year to catch them is the winter on the ebb and slack tides. During the spawning season, which occurs in the Spring, sheepshead assemble into schools and move into shallow water to deposit their eggs. Many are caught at this time also. The largest sheepshead are usually caught in the northern Florida region.
In southern Florida, they can be found along inshore reefs, inside inlets, deep channels and along mangroves in the Florida bay area. Here the best time to fish for sheepshead are fall and winter during ebb and slack tides.
SNOOK(Centropomus Undecimalis)
The Snook is a large, Pike-like fish with a protruding lower jaw and a prominent black lateral stripe that runs from just behind the gills to the tail. The Snook is overall a silvery-green color with fins that are sometimes bright yellow. The Snook is a sleek and extremely strong fish. They range in size up to 48″ and 50 pounds. The largest Snook ever caught in Florida USA weighed about 44 lbs. 11 ounces. Snook are found in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina USA to Brazil, South America. Snook are tolerant over a wide range of water salinity from freshwater to offshore saltwater. They are however, extremely sensitive to temperature changes, particularly cold weather. Water temperatures below 60 deg. F can cause the Snook to go into shock or even die. In cold water areas, Snook can be found congregating in the warm water discharges of power plants. They normally tend to gather near shorelines, inlets and estuaries and prefer structures for shelter such as mangroves, rock formations and reefs. The Snook is a powerful fish and a thrilling catch, much like the freshwater Largemouth Bass. That is one of the reasons why it is one of the most sought after and prized gamefish to catch. Once hooked it’s strength and speed is hard to compare to any other game fish of its size.
Fishing Basics:
Live shrimp – Once the Snook has been located, fish live shrimp using a 10 to 20 pound outfit with 30″ of 40# shock leader tied to a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Weight the line with only enough split shot or sinker to get it to the bottom.
Live bait fish – Mullet, menhaden, pinfish,etc. Again using the same outfit but using a larger hook to match the bait.
Lures – A wide variety of lures and jigs are used to catch snook. Some of the favorites include the Red Tailed Hawk jig and many of the Mirrolures.
Tides:
The best time to fish for Snook is from one hour before high tide through the first three hours of the falling tide.
Location:
The majority of Snook caught by recreational fisherman are taken during the summer months. Some of the best Snook fishing spots are Tampa Bay on the central west coast of Florida and Jupiter, Lake Worth, and Sebastian Inlets on the central east coast of Florida.
Red Drum
(Sciaenops ocellatus)
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The widely distributed Drum family contains over 200 tropical and warm-temperature saltwater marine species, including Drum, Croaker, Seatrout, Seabass, and Weakfish. The range of the Red Drum is from Massachusetts USA south to Northern Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.The Red Drum, also known as the Redfish or Channel Bass, has a reddish overall coloration and one or more dark spots at the base of the tail. It feeds at the bottom on crustaceans and mollusks. It also takes small fish, especially mullet. The usual adult weight is under 40 pounds but can reach into the 90 pound range. The Redfish is a super-challenging opponent on the grass beds and flats of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The shallower the water, the more thrilling the fight. The bulk of small marine life and food will be found in shallow water around structures and near grassy cover. This offers the small fish, crustaceans and mollusks protection from predators. Therefore, Redfish will be found near this abundant food supply.
Fishing Basics:
Redfish are very wary and will spook very easily. This is especially true in shallow or very clear water. Approach quietly with a push pole taking extra care not to make any unnecessary noises.
Tides:
Incoming tides bring with it food, bait fish, etc. that the Redfish will feed on. Also, small crabs and shrimp become more active on the incoming tide enticing the Redfish to feed at those locations. The opposite is true for outgoing tides – as the water withdraws, the Redfish will wait and feed on whatever bait is carried back out with the tide. Channels and deeper areas are good places to find Redfish on an outgoing tide. Work these locations for some terrific action.
Lures and Baits:
Shrimp, pinfish, small crabs, finger mullet, and cut baits are excellent for catching Redfish. They can be fished under a float or free-lined into currents past structures or grass flats where the fish are.
There are several artificial lures that work well in catching Redfish. They include a gold spoon, several varieties of MurroLure, and jigs. Fish these around structures during rising and falling tides.
Tackle:
Tackle selection could include spinning or baitcasting gear, 10 to 20 lb rating and a 1/0 to 4/0 hook.
King Mackerel
Scomberomorus cavalla
Also known as Kingfish or Kings
The king mackerel is a slender, streamlined fish, slightly flattened from side to side with a tapered head. Its color ranges from an iridescent bluish green on its back to its silvery sides. Two dorsal fins can fold back in to a groove to enhance speed, short pectoral fins on each side just behind the head; pelvic fins below the pectorals and a row of small finlets extend from the dorsal and anal fins to the tail. The lateral line starts near the top of each gill drops sharply below the second dorsal fin and ends near the tail.The mackerels are true members of the tuna family and are Western Atlantic species. Although the Kings don’t have the endurance of the tuna, they are unmatched for their speed and agility. They are found both nearshore and offshore and are common form North Carolina to Brazil. They have preference for water temperature above 20deg.C (68deg. F) and salinity ranging from 32 to 36 ppt.
The King Mackerel is a schooling and migrating fish that spends the winter months in south Florida and moves to more northerly waters in spring / summer. The Gulf population is considered to be separate from the Atlantic population. The separate populations are thought to mix in the winter months from east central Florida southward past Key West.
Spawning occurs in mid-summer north of Miami in the Atlantic and the northern area of the Gulf of Mexico.
King mackerel are constantly feeding carnivores that can attack with high speed, powerful jaws and razor-like teeth. They feed on all and any available food but favor jacks, sea trout, sardine like fishes, ribbonfish, herring, shrimp and squid.
King mackerel are a highly sought after gamefish. They are a challenging catch that puts up a spectacular fight by leaping and sky rocketing out of the water. They are taken on hook and line gear with both live or dead bait and artificial lures. They can be caught from shore or pier, from a boat at anchor, drifting or trolling. Some of the baits used are pogies, thread herring, Spanish sardine, ballyhoo, mullet, etc. Lures that have shown to be productive are spoons, jigs and other flashy sub-surface lures or large fish like plugs.
Fishing gear should be no less than 20-pound line and tackle. Higher rated tackle may be recommended if you are targeting larger kings. Usually a heavier wire or mono leader is required to survive those sharp teeth.
Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosusAlso known as Speck and Speckled Trout
The Spotted Seatrout is one of the most popular gamefish of Florida and ranges from New York through the Gulf of Mexico.
It is a sturdy fish with an elongated, streamlined body. The mouth is large with a larger lower jaw and an upper jaw with two prominent canine teeth. The dorsal fin is divided by a deep notch. The Spotted Seatrout is silvery in color with olive green tints on the back. It has a lateral line which runs from just behind the gills to the tail, above which are numerous black spots which extend onto the second half of the dorsal fin.
The fish prefers water temperatures in the 65 to 75 degree F. range. They can be found in just about any inshore or near shore waters. From the surf and jetties, grass flats and shell banks to inland coastal rivers. The average fish ranges in size from 14″ to 20″ and can weigh from about a pound up to five pounds. Larger fish can be found and the world record is 17 pounds 7 ounces.
Spotted Seatrout is a good quality seafood and is a favorite dish for many people. It is targeted by commercial fishing as well as sportfishing interests.
The methods and equipment for catching these trout are widely varied. You can use spinning gear, baitcasting gear or flyfishing gear. They can be caught by still fishing, casting or drifting, from shore, bridge or boat.
Live shrimp is the bait of choice for most trout fishing, however if you are going for a trophy size fish live small fish are a better choice. These are usually fished below a popping cork. Dead bait such as mullet strips, shrimp and pinfish can be fished much the same way as live bait.
Artificials which take numerous trout can include silver or gold spoons, plastic tail grubs, bucktail jigs and plugs. Fly fishermen use a variety of popping bugs and streamer flies.
Seatrout can hit with a strong force and the first instinct is to set the hook hard. Don’t do it! They have a relatively soft mouth which tears easily. Set the hook gently and don’t try to winch them in.
Good Luck and Good Fishing!
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