Tarpon and Hunt Talk hat success

[What Map]

Montana has just about everything an outdoor enthusiast could ask for except the ocean. My wife and I have always enjoyed traveling to ocean beaches and starting in 2012 we began to travel to Florida on an a semi-regular basis to hang out on the beaches there and fish for a few days.

In 2013, we decided to try the gulf side of Florida for back country and near shore fishing trips combined with beach days. We found a “born and raised” young full-time guide who works half way between Tampa and Ft. Meyers. In addition to the usual suspects (mackerels, blue fish, triple tails, jacks, snook, red fish, lady fish, catfish and small shark), we got introduced to “hunting” tarpon. What a hoot!!

We just returned from Florida’s Gulf Coast last week. Here are pictures from the two days of tarpon fishing we did. Between all Montana has to offer and the beaches and fishing from Florida, we have all the outdoor activity we can handle.

Note Hunt Talk hat:

 

[JCS]

That is some fun fishing!!!!

 

[RobG]

Get that rod tip down when they jump!

 

[NoWiser]

Very cool! Catching a tarpon is high on my bucket list. My in-laws just inherited a condo on Ft. Myers Beach so I have no excuses now.

 

[MT_elk]

Looks like a great time!

 

[backsmasher23]

Sweet pics...Also a bucket lister for me!!

 

[Big Fin]

Whoa, that looks like serious fun. Congrats to you and Dianne. I definitely need to wear my Hunt Talk hat when I go walleye fishing next week.

 

[BuzzH]

What a great experience! Definitely something I would like to do some day.

Very good pictures as well...congratulations!

 

[Nemont]

That looks like a lot of fun. I need to get back to some ocean fishing again.

Nemont

 

[rmyoung1]

Good stuff! Back when we were kids, my brothers and I followed my parents down to the Keys on a family vacation. We stopped by a little bait shop on Islamorada and bought a bucket of bait fish. The grimy-looking dude at the bait shop told my brother to take one of the bait fish to the end of the dock, lay down on his belly, and hold the fish over the water. My brother obeyed without a second thought. Without warning one of those 6-foot-long tarpon erupted out of the water and clamped down on my brother's arm at about the elbow. Never seen someone jump four feet in the air from a prone position before. I believe a new pair of undershorts was necessary.

 

[sneakypete]

Great stuff right there! The pictures are amazing. I wanna do that.

 

[Sytes]

Whoa! That looks like a great time!
Congrats!

 

[Hem]

Your trip sounds like a success. I have caught small tarpon with a fly rod bu never a big dog.I like that you want to fish for variety....its a better experience in my mind. congrats.

 

[A-5_Guy]

Wow, those pictures are great! I've always been fascinated with the maw of a tarpon. Superbly evolved to capture its prey... Those scales look like silver dollars in the water. Thanks for sharing...