YACHTFISH Fishing Charters out of St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg offers some of Florida’s Best Tarpon Fishing Charters. Many anglers from all around the country will travel to Florida during the summer months chasing their dream catch of a lifetime. The Megalops Atlanticus aka Tarpon or “Silver King” are the most challenging and best fighting game fish Florida has to offer in the inshore waters. Tarpon invade our waters in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg Beach beginning in March/April and will be around through October in their spawning cycle. Tarpon can reach a size of 8 feet long and weigh in excess of 250 pounds. The Florida State record for Tarpon was caught near Key West weighing in at 243 pounds. These fish can live for more than 50 years! Tarpon can only be fished recreationally in Florida and are all catch and release and obtain no food value.
How to Catch Tarpon in St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg With YACHTFISH Fishing Charters
As we approach our peak season for Tarpon Fishing Charters along St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg, we will be focused on catching these giants over the next few months. Many things come into play when setting out on a Tarpon Fishing Charter, from the best baits, moon phase, tides and weather conditions. Some of our favorite baits to catch Tarpon include but are not limited to: threadfin herring, pinfish, crabs, mullet, shad and scaled sardines. These baits can be fished both live and dead with great success. We like to use big spinning outfits with braided line to target these fish which can make for a true battle on light tackle. A 50 pound fluorocarbon leader coupled with a 5/0 circle hook will normally get the job done.
Where Do We Fish for Tarpon?
Some of our favorite spots to target Tarpon are: St. Pete Beach, Egmont Key, Fort DeSoto, Sunshine Skyway Bridge and many rock piles in Tampa Bay. The moon phases can play a big part on how Tarpon act and feed. We like fishing around the new and full moons which offer some of the better tides and get these fish feeding very aggressively. Time of day also plays a big role with these fish. We will normally book early morning charters to beat the crowds and then do late afternoon trips into the evening hours. YACHTFISH Fishing Charters out of St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg can be reached at 727.433.4200 to book your next Tarpon Fishing Charter!
