Probably the most sought after game fish in the florida keys is the tarpon (megalops atlanticus). The nickname for that tarpon is the Silver King and once you hook one you will know why. Our Tarpon fishing is at its best during the spring with the peak months being March-June but we will have a steady flow of fish usually all the way to October.The summer months anywhere from July-October is when we target the juvenile tarpon which are a blast on light tackle catching them on anything from live bait to artificial lures and flies. Tarpon have a diverse diet and are also found in a wide variety of places. They feed on anything from small shrimp and crabs and baitfish as well such as mullet and pinfish. Probably the most popular way of fishing for them is with a fly rod ranging from 10 to 12 weight rods on the ocean side flats when the fish are migrating and in the backcountry of the Everglades where the fish will “lay up”. There are also ways I target them for the non fly anglers using medium to heavier spinning gear with artificial and live baits. Watching a 100+lb tarpon inhale your fly or artificial lure is truly something special watching that fish scream off line and giving you an aerial show no other fish can quite imitate.
