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Best Tarpon time in Florida?

3K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  andre 
#1 ·
I've been sitting on 250000 miles of unused air mile award points! One of the fellows in my Fly Club has been deported to Florida and has Three extra bedrooms and a brand new "Flats Boat". As he is new to the area and has requested my assemblege I am asking for a little guidance as to when I should head his way for Tarpon. Is this question even specific enough I know nothing other than he is ready anytime and I would like to go when chances are pretty good at getting into a couple of the "Silver Kings".
 
#2 ·
The Best

Your friend has a lot to learn about flats fishing before he tackles Tarpon. That in no way is a bad reflection on your friend, it's just that now he get's to learn all the neat stuff about fishing in shallow water.
Here in the Tampa Bay area we have the best pure flyfishing for giant tarpon in the world. All the world records come from here and we sight fish for them.
It sounds like your friend is doing just what I did, his work brought him to Florida and he quickly got a flats boat and went for it.
It took me 5 years of spending a lot of hours on the water, and becoming friends with some guides (a very hard thing to do) before I felt like I knew what was going on. And after 9 years I'm still learning.
Feel free to ask me for advise anytime and if your friend is in this area he can also.

Mel
 
#3 ·
Well thank you, actually he is retired and his young wife was transfered by the firm she works for. He is and always has been a very agressive angler and is already getting lots of Snook and some Bonefish. I would imagine that like most endevors associated with fishing he will learn more as time goes by but I won't mind helping him look around. So what is the best say three week period to look for the darn things.
 
#4 ·
You need to ask him about the area he fishes. Here on the gulf, our season is May thru July. I go up to the Homosassa area April 15 and come back the 1st of July. Then I fish the Tampa Bay area beaches in July and part of August.
In the Keys they have a much larger season, almost all year actually. I go to the Keys in March for a few weeks to bonefish and there are a lot of small tarpon there then. I don't really care about the smaller fish, I'm spoiled.

Good Luck, Mel
 
#5 ·
Capt Mel,

Mind providing some insight for a steelheader headed to Miami the first week of March? The most comfortable rod I have for travel are 8wt and 10wt. with having the greater line selection for the 10. Don't figure to bring one of the two handers as I'll most likely only get one maybe two days tops.
regards

andre
 
#6 ·
Andre, Miami

Andre, hire a guide! Spend the money for the best possible experience you can have given the time you have. Two of the best are: Kenny Collette 954-463-0512 and Jimmy Webber 1-800-982-3110. Take the 8wt with a floating line, tapered fluro-carbon leader, 9' with 10lb tippet. Crab patterns in white-olive,tan- brown, type colors. Your learning curve will be based on how quickly you pick up on how to sightcast to moving fish. You need to be able to make only 2 to 3 false casts and get it to the fish quick, they'er always moving!

Feel free to ask if you need more info, good luck, Mel
 
#10 ·
Not much of a report here. Weather was cold and windy, I spoke with Ken and his wife Carla a number of times. I would recommend that anyone who was looking to book a guide in the Miami/Islamorada area contact them. Ken gave me the options which included anchor and chumming. I wasn't interested so we called it off.
 
#11 ·
Kenny Collette

andre, you know, you probably would have had a good time on the water with Kenney even tho the weather was awful, but I wouldn't have gone out either. It's nice that he offered you an option and I'm sure he explained what you would be getting yourself into, that's a good guide. You wouldn't of had those options if you had traveled to the Bahamas, or Belize.

Well better luck next time, Mel
 
#12 ·
I was talking with our Miami folks (day job) and heard about the weather. One of the four times I visited southern FLA was during a cold front with temps in the low 30's. Needless to say there was no fishing on that trip! But the three others more than made up for that one.

Oh well, if the fishing was really on you wouldn't have seen so much of South Beach :rolleyes: :devil:
 
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