Fly Fishing Forum banner

Florida tarpon guides

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Frogfish 
#1 ·
Looking for any info on fishing for tarpon in Florida in June/July time frame. Looking to put together a last minute trip after Belize plans fell thru. Suggestions on guides appreciated. Thanks guys.
 
#2 ·
florida

I've never gone for them here, but I was told that Stuart Florida has good tarpon then. I think the website is stuartflyfishing.com Iwas there in april for the Jacks, but we had bad weather. The guide said the tarpon is great there. But I don't tell you this from experience. The pics on the website looked good. The keys might be better then. I guess I'm not really helping you. Go to the Seychelles for GT's. I know that's a good time...:smile:
 
#3 · (Edited)
Tarpon fishing in the Keys can still be quite good in June but they are thinning out rapidly by July. So it all depends on which month you make the trip. If it's July I'd look more up the Gulf Coast especially towards the Homossasa area and up...there was a good article in Flyfishing in Saltwaters recently about the untapped tarpon fishery in Northwest Florida. If I couldn't do the Keys I'd go there...but the Keys, IME is a magical place and I love the gin clear water and sightcasting to big poons there.

Also, it is typically easier to find a guide later in June, earlier June is tougher as you are in peak prime tarpon season in the Keys and all the good guides are usually booked solid.
 
#5 ·
you may want to check out eric herstead. he fishes the keys and the everglades. he is one of the best guides i have ever fished with as far as finding fish is concerned. he knows where and how. that said, his demeanor can be an issue. he can get bitchie when things go poorly. i have enjoyed fishing with him but my kids and a friend wouldn't fish with him again even though they had a great go of it finding and landing fish with him.
 
#6 ·
sorry, i forgot to mention another guide that i fished with out of matlache. greg bowdich. his business is called barfly. he is a very good guide and works quite hard. the area is quite unique in that it is a bit of old florida-quiet and out of the way. seems like the boom of the past 30 years missed this place. it really is nice and quite interesting. the area has tons tons of flats. when i went, we fished for reds and snook, but i understand that the tarpon are plentiful.
 
#8 ·
Thanks guys. Most guides we have contacted so far are booked solid but I will contact your recommendations. On that note, we are not married to any one area. We understand that we are late in booking a trip so we're willing to go where ever the fish are in Florida. We had booked another trip to Belize this year but the plans fell through so I'm trying to throw a few days of fishing together in short order. Has anyone fished for tarpon in the fall in Florida and is it any good?

Thanks again.
 
#9 ·
I've fished as late as August for poons in the Keys and it gets tough. The migratory fish are long gone and you have resident fish left, most of whom are pounded year round by people and as a result they have an encyclopedic knowledge of the flies you throw at them. Not impossible, as I've caught resident fish, but none as big as the ones during the annual migration. If you go during the fall I would not count on big poons...
 
#11 ·
I've caught 'poons in the keys all year long. They are always there, just have to know where to find them. If you're fishing with conventional tackle, that'll make it much easier. I could give you a spot where tarpon are chewin' year long, but it's darn near impossible to fish with a fly rod unless you're in a boat.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top