Key West Tarpon Fishing Techniques

By Jayne Rutledge


Among the most sought after fish in Key West is the Tarpon. It is also called the Silver King and is known to grow to more than 200lbs. Key West tarpon fishing can be successful if the individual knows what to expect. The use of a fly rod is among the easy ways to get these fish. One of the very easy ways to get tarpons to eat when they are being picky is trying to feed them on flies.

With the wide range of colors and patterns available, the guide can offer some select choices to make hook up more successful. In the course of early migration, they travel most of the ocean side flats and tend to come in large pods. One thing that is worth remembering is that tarpons will rarely go out of their way to eat, thus one would have to take the flies to them. Some effort should be made so that they see them.

Setting up the hooks too hard is not recommended. They have very hard mouths, thus the best technique is to drop the live baits back about 10 feet of the line, then letting the line tighten up. On the other hand, there is the option of leaving the rod in the holder until such time that the tarpon strips the line from the heel. The other option is to put rods in water and then reeling first.

Setting of the drag is also crucial and should be done just right. The majority of anglers have the tendency to set the drag too tight to fish with effectively. Preferably, 20 to 25 percent of the line weight is recommended. Most of the time, lines are weakened by knots. This happens by as much as 25 percent. To make sure that the drag setting is right, one may use hand-held scales to accurately check settings. Heavier lines are used in instances when lighter ones keep breaking.

Drag washers should be kept clean and running smoothly by being lubricated with STP. The tarpons ought to be left to run. They are really strong and one should expect a hard initial run. For persons fishing in open waters, the tarpons should be left to run until they lose some steam before applying pressure. A heavier line and tackle will be required when fishing is done around obstacles that may cut the line. More pressure will be required.

The ability to tie the best knots will come very much in handy. These should be tied in a way that they are not broken or do not affect the lines. An encounter with the tarpon in open waters should be handled with care, never applying much pressure at first. They are fought using the rod and the line stored in the reel.

It is always advisable to fight tarpons closely without having to get too much of the line out. This makes it much easier to control them. The commonest mistake made by most people is to underrate the power of tarpons. As a result, they are caught unawares, foiling the whole exercise.

For those that look to go for Key West tarpon fishing, success will be determined by use of effective techniques. Heads of tarpons should be kept up so that they do not start running again. At the same time, enough pressure should be applied to keep them in position.




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