Tarpon face

If everyone can learn how to avoid shutting down feeding tarpon, we can all enjoy seeing more fish hooked and brought to the boat.

 WaterLine file photo

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few weeks (or you just haven’t been paying attention to the magazine and radio show), you know that tarpon season has officially started in our area.

Now, in my eyes — and in the eyes of many of our other local guides and hard core anglers — tarpon season truly starts sometime around the end of March and doesn’t usually end until sometime between September and December, depending on weather.


   

Capt. Mike Myers is a full-time Charlotte Harbor guide and a co-host of Radio WaterLine every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. on KIX 92.9 FM. Having fished the waters all along the Southwest Florida coast for more than 40 years, he has the experience to put anglers on the fish they want. For more info, visit ReelShark.com or call Capt. Mike at 941-416-8047.

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Boca Grande Pass Tarpon Fishing Etiquette

• Drift from one end of the pass to the other.

• Never anchor in the pass.

• Never turn off your main engine as you drift through.

• Don’t chase rolling fish (they aren’t feeding anyway).

• When you’re done with your drift, go around the other boats (not through the pack).

• Don’t short drift, then jump back in front of the other boats. Treat it like an assembly line.

• Don’t go by drifting boats on plane. Go far around the pack, and keep your wake to a minimum.

• Don’t cut in line. Find the boat at the top of the drift and go past them to begin your drift.

• When you hook a fish, get out of the drift line immediately to fight your fish in an open area.

• Don’t follow a hooked fish into the pack. Make sure you have strong enough tackle to pull them out.

• If you get tangled up with another angler’s line and one of you is hooked up, the angler with the fish needs to move out of the drift. The other boat with no fish should release their drag and go alongside and if possible slightly ahead of the boat with the fish. The dead hook will hopefully slide up the tight line of hooked fish where the hooked-up captain can release it. Don’t reel up the slack until you’re free, and never cut the line unless the other captain requests it.

• Be respectful of space between boats and if you’re close enough to have a conversation, do so. The distance between boats can often be very little and many captains are OK with that, especially if you are communicating. If you get close enough to chat, make sure the other guy is OK with it. If not, bump up a little and give them some room.

• Learn and follow all FWC fishing regulations.

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