Tarpon
Beginning in April, tarpon begin their migration up the coast out of the keys and work their way towards Boca Grande Pass. At that time, I’ll start looking for some early arrivals in Pine Island Sound in hopes of finding them laid up in the sand holes off Demere Key on the eastern side of the sound. This is a good bet if the water temperature hits 75 degrees. In May, I head toward the beach and like staking out off Murdock Point just off Cayo Costa on the southern edge of Boca Grande Pass. Here, throughout the day, it’s not unusual to get shots at strings of fish moving north. This migration should go on through June.
More importantly, the upper harbor at its confluence with the Peace River outside Punta Gorda is proving to be a great fishery for small tarpon. From April to November fish from five to thirty pounds can be seen rolling from the U.S. 41 Bridge to the perimeter canals of Punta Gorda and west past Colony Point towards Ponce Park. To the west, Larger fish from 50 to 80 pounds can be found in the harbors’ deeper holes.
Enjoy the hunt
There is no way that you can venture out into Charlotte Harbor or any of its surrounding bays, sounds, or tidal flats without realizing what a geographically large area it is to learn. Add in the complexities of tide, current, and wind and it can even be more...
Running from the fish
At first glance, Charlotte Harbor and all its bays and sounds seem like an awful lot of territory to learn and cover. However, I suppose like anywhere, the more time you spend exploring it, the more you begin to realize that in some respects, it’s really not all that...
Tarpon on fly
Tarpon are probably the most sought after gamefish on fly. It’s not easy, but once you get a taste it’s hard to let go. To be sure, to be on the bow of a skiff and see a school of triple digit fish coming your way in clear gulf water or to watch groups of smaller fish...