AgDad121619 said:
TarponChaser said:
Came here from the Yeti thread.
So, not to be a jerk about it but I won't burn specific spots. However, I can give some general advice.
Firstly, where will you be launching from and are you using gear (whether bait or arti) or fly fishing? I can provide some info based on your answers.
Second, and this is the biggest thing but be mindful of the folks you'll see staked out. The vast majority of time these are going to be guides with guys like me on the bow and they are sitting on lines where the tarpon generally swim and these are sand bars and potholes. Far too often there are dudes (and they're invariably gear-chunkers with cobia towers/top-drives) who spot a line of happy fish coming down a bar instead of sitting back and waiting for the fish to come to them (and the guys staked out in skiffs) where they'll hit a spot and start daisy-chaining or be a lot more bitey and they run in on their big motor and start chunking at them which screws up any shot for anybody else and spooks the poon. If you use your TM and are cool with the guides they'll often help you get lined up for the best shots.
Awesome. Thanks. Certainly wasn't looking for specific spots - just trying to understand pass vs beach at this time of year
We will be launching out of boat ramp that sits at pass at St Vincent island - bait/ spin casting with plugs most likely. Any advice on artificials would be appreciated
We usually stay in St George island and have hung ( but not even close to landed) a couple off of the pier and one on the backside of the state park l. Most of our fishing will be st Joseph bay for specks / reds but we will venture out into apalachicola bay a few times if weather / surf allows
OK, you're talking about Indian Pass.
As for specific artificial lures I fly fish only but have taken my boys with guys just to get bit and the guides always have a couple big rods rigged in case poon come along. They're generally throwing a big ass soft plastic. Like an 8-12" bait. I just did a Google to find stuff and these are really close to what I've seen guys throwing- usually in the pearl white or "smoky shad" -
Z-Man HeroZ 10" bait and rig it on a big jig-head that's probably a 10/0 or something. See a line of fish, use the TM to position yourself and then chunk that big plastic in front of the poon.
If you're looking to troll or run & gun I don't really have the knowledge there. I'm always staked out or poling in a skiff over there. 100% sight-casting.
You're better off finding a line off the beach and posting up than sitting on a pass. The water is generally cleaner to the west/north the southern point on Cape San Blas than closer to Indian Pass so you'll see more fish but they'll be spookier.
Pay attention to the tides and if you're posted up off the beach you'll likely see strings of fish pushing with the tide. Also, between Indian Pass and the southern point of the Cape within a couple hundred yards of the bach, if you get out there at the right time you'll find the water all dingy from the pogies. They're in there mating and the water is just full of pogy jizz. The tarpon are in their hammering the pogies and you'll see them rolling all over. Then after they've eaten for a bit they'll usually move out a little deeper and just lay up and chill near the surface.
And I'm sworn to secrecy by the guys I fish with on spots. They're not really secret but they do get pressured and the guides have their own names. Google Earth is your friend.
