First Tarpon Jump of the Year

6.29.11

Incoming tide to high.

water temp: 83 degrees.

I took Hunter out for his last go for the summer here at the Forgotten Coast as he heads to Charleston tomorrow for his MBA schooling.

He wanted to try and jump a tarp, watch out for what you wish for!

Our plan was to fish the tip of Alligator Harbor as we have seen tarpon schooling down there for a month.  Unfortunately when we got to the surf and sand ramp the rain was coming down.  We shot the bull with a fellow there and he told us about a hole over by Piney Island.

So we headed back to the house, picked up our rain gear and headed to Rock Landing.  We fished there a couple of days ago and caught some trout and saw tarpon rolling.

Hunter caught a nice trout on top water and some smaller trout.  Not many tarpon were seen so, we headed down towards the cabbage patch.  It was our first time there.  Very deep cut surrounded by shallow oyster bars and grass.  Capt. Vic was down there hooping and hollering over catching some nice trout.

I caught some pinfish for Hunter to drag behind the boat to try and hook up on some tarpon.  He hooked up three times there, but we think they were sharks.  Two broken lines and one shark to the boat later, we decided to hit the point at Mashes Sands on high tide to try one more time for a tarpon.

I pulled up on the sandy point and we immediately saw one roll.  Hunter said, "that's what I like to see."  About a minute later the water exploded with a 100 lb. plus tarpon jumping twice with the pinfish in his mouth, it was on!

This tarpon was a stud, Hunter has caught a few, and the fun thing about tarpon is it seems every one has it's own personality.  This one's personality was, "I'm going to stay down, not wear myself out and drag your butt a mile down the beach, good luck!"

It was a heckuva a battle with us chasing and the big fish only coming up to suck some air, and then rage on.

Another wish granted, Tarpon On!

The big fish took us all the way down to the edge of Mashes Sands beach.

He took Hunter out to ten feet of water and then headed in.  We were worried that as he hit the shallower water that he might scrape the leader on the sandy bottom and break off.

When taking these pictures my phone read 1 pm.  Hunter had been battling the fish for at least 20 minutes before I started trying to get some pix.

As the fish headed to the bank the line broke free at 1:36 pm.  A good 56 minute battle and a frayed broken leader later it was time to head to the hill.

Hunter got his wish, I wish I could have touched him, but another tarpon swims free.