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Am planning to bring my 13 footer down to Ft. Myers in May and fish my old stompng grounds off Sanibel. Need to know when they start showing up off Sanibel and the Sanibel bridges. Maybe we can hook up. Nothing gets the adreliine flowing like the sight of a pod of rolling tarpon, if your ready for them.

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Don't live there yet, but I'm with your thinking. I got a 90 and a 140 lb. silver monster last year. Got a 100 lb. bull shark in the fun too. I love that place. Don't let anyone tell you that they aren't there all year 'round. I caught mine in September when everyone else was fishing for everything else.

Imitate mullet with Mirro-Lure crankbaits and fish the tide coming in. You'll find 'em. Use your ears and watch for action as you work the tide line.

I have a 13' in Nebraska that I'm rigging up for the patch of saltwater around Sanibel. Put a 140 ponder on the line and the 13 will be a bobber! I got a Minn-kota Riptide to help with the fight.

Planning to be there in July for a week. Won't have my boat though. I plan to fish with a guide I know there that uses an Action-Craft flats boat.

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I`d rather catch a tarpon for the adreline rush, and buy a fish at the supermarket to eat on the way home.

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Binkie,

You're right. If I want a fish dinner, it has to come from cold water. Hard to beat those Salmon and Trout. I'll take a Walleye once in awhile too!

If I want a work out and get my butt kicked fishing for a few hours- it's hard to beat Florida. I love the fact that you can catch one on nearly every cast and you never know what you got at the end of the line until you see it!

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When I go down to Ft. Myers this May, I`ll fish the lazy mans way. Just bring two rods, and cast out 1/2 of a fresh mullet on each rod Leave the rods in freespool with the clicker on and fish in an area where others are tarpon fishing. This method will work in May,as it is the best month for tarpon fishing in SW Florida. I was a member of the Cape coral Tarpon Hunters from the mid seventies till the late eighties, and this method was used exclusively until the early eighties when someone discovered that if you chum with with ground menhaden and freeline live shiners, and, fish with six rods set in rod holders, and locked up its possible to catch and release 10-25 fish in a day. You need a specialized boat for this kind of fishing. The boat needs a tower mounted close to the center console, so you can walk around it and six rodholders, mounted on each gunwale. Also a big live bait well., and chum box.You need the tower to spot the fish rolling from a good distance, and then position the boat, drifting or anchored in front of the school. its possible to jump and fight 5 or six tarpon at one time, and, you would be handling 2 rods at once with three fisherman. To do this you leave one rod in the rod holder with the drag set so the fish can pull of some line and then fight the other fish with a fairly tight drag, and try to horse the fish, and just switch back and forth, and if your lucky, you will get both fish to the boat and be able to count 2 releases. Our club learned this method of tarpon fishing when we decided to put on a big money tournament, got sponsors for prize money 6k for first prize, most releases The tarpon pros from other areas of the state showed up, and took all the money fishing this way. Its not for me now, I`m to old and lazy, but I wouldn` mind catching another one after 20 years. there are plenty of tarpon where I live now, (Tampa area) ,but I just don`t exactly know where, soI `ll head to Ft. Myers.

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I just purchased my first whaler 1973 Sakonnet and will be picking it up Oct.1st in Antioch ill. I live in Cape Coral and caught many tarpon this year as well as snook.give me a call next time you want to come to ft. Myers area lodging is free.

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Thanks for the offer. As the season for tarpon is over, It'll be next June till I`ll be thinking of tarpon fishing, again. I spend alot of time in Port Charlotte, so I`ll get in touch with you when I bring my Whaler down to Ft. Myers.

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They're thick through the Port Sutton channel and Seddon channel right now. Matter of fact most all the deep water around the Tampa downtown area is holding tarpon probably through to the end of the month.

Lazy man's tactics for downtown Tarpon; slow troll a large deep diving chartreuse Rapala or Bomber through those channels on your favorite grouper rod. Light rods need not apply and flatten the barbs on the trebles. The first hour or two around sunrise and sunset are best.

A half Mullet soaked on the bottom works too but the Goliath Grouper become a nuisance and there are Gaftopsail Catfish there as well big enough to take the same bait.

If you go walk around behind the Convention Center or stroll the Tampa General seawall just before sunset right now, you can watch em roll. Makes for a nice evening.

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Dang, Rich...wish i could join you.Tarpons are great for your cardio...beats running on the treadmill! :)

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Just watching a school of tarpon approaching your freelined live bait will raise your heart rate considerably.
In the tarpon club I used to belong to, we had a member (an old guy) who named his boat Nitro. He had a heart condition, and anytime he thought a tarpon was about to pick up his bait, he popped a nitro pill. He always fished alone as no one would fish with him LOL