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• Tarponator Under a BridgePosts: 18,936 AG

  May 2021 #2

  Have you tried to wade out to the sandbar?

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• bigfinn35 Sarasota/VenicePosts: 1,099 Officer

  May 2021 #3

  Buddy of mine got 2 from the southern cove at Point of Rocks onshore. Eating mullet, mullet swimbaits, and sardine swimbaits.

  Paddle faster, I hear banjo music.

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• MulletMaster239 Southwest FloridaPosts: 873 Officer

  May 2021 #4

  Don’t be demoralized. There will be plenty others you don’t see rolling and they will often enough come in close, just outside the sandbar.  All the best days I’ve ever had surf fishing for them I didn’t see a single one roll all day.  Some of the most frustrating days I’ve had I’d see rolling packs of them probably 100 deep if not more moving through all throughout the day.  Just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t there..just because you see them there doesn’t mean  they will cooperate.  Have noticed this also with juvenile tarpon.  Again some of my best days I didn’t see a single one roll, other days I’d see masses of them rolling and nothing.

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• permit_me Posts: 1,194 Officer

  May 2021 edited May 2021 #5

  MM ... well put and so true. Quite often earlier in the season I find fish cruising the beaches down along the bottom, sometimes I can see them on finder pushing bait into other fish without any disturbance on surface. Gotta get bait down to them in that case.  One of the craziest thing is see to those schools of hundreds of fish repeatedly pushing by lollygagging but not eating. Anglers new to tarpon fishing go nuts when that happens.  My favorite is when they come up to the back of the boat roll and look into your eye.  all ya can do is wait out the bite or go home.

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #6

  I would say I am fairly confident in being able to dictate which fish are migrating and which are possibly feeding. Does anyone use plugs like an SP minnow or Yo-Zuri Hydro Lc? I am thinking the SP sinking in 6 3/4 maybe a good pattern to throw. I know a bait buster should be working but no takes yet and the casting distance is sort of low for the surf. Maybe 40 to 50 yards max with the wind on your back. 
  

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• qotsaautopilot Posts: 82 Deckhand

  May 2021 #7

  Tarponator said:

  Have you tried to wade out to the sandbar?
  

  I’ve seen very large sharks on the bar during tarpon season.  Like huge.

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• Trevfishin In my mind I'm in my kayak fishing, unfortunately physically I'm at work :(Posts: 749 Officer

  May 2021 #8

  Fish off the concrete piers on Anna Marie or POR at siesta key. I’ve seen them 50yds around POR, just a matter right time and right place

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 edited May 2021 #9

  Trevfishin said:

  Fish off the concrete piers on Anna Marie or POR at siesta key. I’ve seen them 50yds around POR, just a matter right time and right place

  I use the concrete piers on the beaches south near me. Just got off the beach fished from 6 to 11. Saw multiple pods roll throughout the morning. No hook-ups nor any of the skiffs around me. Was slow for everyone.  Didnt want freelined ladyfish, mullet, or pins. Will try again tomorrow.
  
  I don't use crabs bc I'm cheap and can't bother going to a baitstore in the AM to hit the beach that's 1min from my house. Hopefully a mullet or skipjack will entice eventually. 

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• Trevfishin In my mind I'm in my kayak fishing, unfortunately physically I'm at work :(Posts: 749 Officer

  May 2021 #10

  Caught mine on pinfish and a large glass minnow lure. One pinfish was under a float and the other was free lined

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #11

  Trevfishin said:

  Caught mine on pinfish and a large glass minnow lure. One pinfish was under a float and the other was free lined

  Im gonna try and float some out tomorrow but without a East wind. its hard most days they wanna ride back in slowly with the surf. With the east wind's Ive used balloons, but small sharks were hopping on my bait to quick so I returned to free-lining. 

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• Tarponator Under a BridgePosts: 18,936 AG

  May 2021 edited May 2021 #12

  qotsaautopilot said:

  Tarponator said:

  Have you tried to wade out to the sandbar?
  

  I’ve seen very large sharks on the bar during tarpon season.  Like huge.

  So have I.  They don't want to eat us, or they would snack on the tens of thousands of swimmers from Naples to Tampa.  You'd be better off watching for storm clouds and lightning as they are far more deadly -- then again, while wading I wouldn't recommend wearing one of those fancy tarpon-scale fishing shirts either.  

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• permit_me Posts: 1,194 Officer

  May 2021 #13

   put a sharkbanz on your ankle and wade out there.
  With that said, I used to swim a mile 4-5 evenings per week , after work ... one evening three big bulls came up from behind me and one tagged me with it's tail.  that Was the last time i swam the trough or bar at passagrille in the evenings.

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #14

  My bait is in the right zone for enough **** to be able to see it, its just a matter of luck now. 

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• Tarponator Under a BridgePosts: 18,936 AG

  May 2021 #15

  What are you using for bait now?  Just curious.

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• joekat46 North PortPosts: 2,847 Captain

  May 2021 #16

  I think the censoring function on this forum should step it up.  Be great to see every other word as *****.  Way overboard IMO.  That aside the boat is hooked up.  Should hit Snook Alley late tonight and the beach at dawn.  Yawn!

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #17

  Tarponator said:

  What are you using for bait now?  Just curious.

  Whatever I can grab in the surf that morning. It's been live mullet or pinfish typically 

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• Tarponator Under a BridgePosts: 18,936 AG

  May 2021 edited May 2021 #18

  I would put the pinfish on a cork otherwise he'll go straight to the bottom and not likely be eaten.
  
  Good luck!

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• MulletMaster239 Southwest FloridaPosts: 873 Officer

  May 2021 edited May 2021 #19

  Have seen good size hammerheads cruise the beach within 30 yards of shore. We have greater hammerheads and scalloped hammerheads down my way. Those don’t concern me it is the bull sharks and tigers that I do not trust.  What sucks is when a hammerhead of good size picks up a tarpon bait and they aren’t able to bite through the leader right away.  It is pretty amazing though how fast they can run and how small of a bait they are willing to eat. Just hard on the drag washers.  

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #20

  Had a hook up the other day. Drag was tight enough and didn't implant the hook well and it shook on the first jump.  There must be 50 boats lined up on the bar right now. Happy memorial weekend 

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• Trevfishin In my mind I'm in my kayak fishing, unfortunately physically I'm at work :(Posts: 749 Officer

  May 2021 #21

  At least you didn’t pay for the charter or gas to fish the same area. 

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• Cabowabo72 Long Boat KeyPosts: 34 Deckhand

  May 2021 #22

  Trevfishin said:

  At least you didn’t pay for the charter or gas to fish the same area. 

  The amount of charter boats I see fishing my surf spots and pass spots is incredible. Even better when you hook a good one infront of them. 

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• MulletMaster239 Southwest FloridaPosts: 873 Officer

  May 2021 #23

  There’s nothing worse than googans who anchor up right on top of land based fishermen. They have access to anywhere and the tarpon are thick as cockroaches right now.  Used to be in the old days people would look for schools of fish,  now the trend is to look for schools of fishermen.

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• Lostconch Posts: 1,072 Officer

  May 2021 #24

  Fisherman hunting fisherman has been going on for a very long time. I remember the rodeo's during the Kings run off Pinellas 

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