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Posts: 633
Location: Bloomington, MN | Does anyone dabble in Snook, Sails, or Tarpon, and where at? I found a resort about a 2 hour drive south of Ixtapa for Sails for a reasonable fee, or should I just grin and bear it and wait for the Wisconsin opener without the kidnapping/decaptitating risk?
Edited by Clark A 2/13/2011 9:49 PM
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| Clark, I would highly recommend florida. I know the weather has been a little tough there but it has gotten more seasonal of late. I recently(november) went on the single coolest fishing trip of my life and I've fished all over the world and caught fish from Alaska to the Bahamas including a 530# marlin. This trip blew them all away! Throwing plugs for tarpon in the everglades. We used tooth tamer rods with penn 965s throwing magnum bomber long A's for 150# tarpon. We had numerous boat-side bites and some or the most amazing bites I've ever seen. This is nothing like jigging or live bait. It's literally musky fishing for 150+ pound tarpon! Winter is also the best time for sails on the east coast, so if you stay in Marco Island or Miami its only about an hour drive from one side to the other. Contact for the Tarpon plugging is Jon Sebold sfpfishingoutfitters.com. I can also highly recommend Capt. Mel Walker on "The Gotcha" out of Holiday Isle for the sails. Shoot me a pm if you have any more questions. Good luck. |
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Posts: 484
Location: St. Louis, MO., Marco Is., FL, Nestor Falls, ON | I live in Marco Island for 6-7 months per year. Ben is exactly right. The only problem is that Tarpon fishing can really give you a new perspective on muskies. Tarpon can spoil you for other fish, like muskies. No....I not going to give up my 4 months per year on Lake of the Woods fishing for skies; but oh those tarpon!!!!!! |
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Posts: 17
Location: Indiana & Wisconsin | Hi, got a question for you guys familiar with the everglades...any tarpon activity to be had in that area around Spring break time, mid to late March? Your so right about the addictive quality of tarpon! We have an annual trip to Boca/Charlotte harbor for tarpon in August (not the pass) throwing Baitbusters and it's a riot. Looking to tie in tarpon with Spring break and I've heard it can be hit and miss in the Keys, just wondering about the everglades. Thanks for any info. |
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Posts: 3504
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Oh if only I could get away to go tarpon fishing!! THAT is something I have wanted to do....especially on the flats with a fly rod....
Bob...I totally envy you on 4 months on Lake of the woods and then on Marco Island. You my friend have me jealous, but definitely looking forward to retirement...some 25 years away. Stinks I have to work until 65!! GRRRR... |
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Posts: 743
| Throwing plugs for tarpon in the everglades. We used tooth tamer rods with penn 965s throwing magnum bomber long A's for 150# tarpon. We had numerous boat-side bites and some or the most amazing bites I've ever seen. This is nothing like jigging or live bait. It's literally musky fishing for 150+
That is my dream. they don't even have to be that big. Getting some casting at half that size would be awesome. Where and when is it the best?
I took a look at the website. Are these one person trips? If 2 go is the rate split or for each?
Edited by KSauers 2/14/2011 5:05 PM
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| rpieske, "oh those tarpon" is right! This was my first trip to Marco and it made such an impression that we stopped at a realtor's office on the way out of town. The market there is super buyer-friendly right now! 50 ona 8, March is kinda hit or miss on the marco side of things too. While there are some fish in the fresh water(everglades) most action is in the salt. Early spring is a transition time for tarpon and they tend to be super-sensitive to weather changes. Call or email Jon. He is very friendly and will answer all your questions. KSauers, I may be exaggerating the size just a bit! We were there in November, which is the best time for the really big girls. We went 5 for 30+ in two days and landed: 210#, 185#, 150#, 120#, and two in the 60# to 80# range, but the rest of the year the size average is smaller, but always lots of fish in the 100# class. Jon fishes out of two different boats depending on the water and number of guests. Guide plus two anglers in the smaller one and guide plus 3 anglers in the bigger boat. Jon is from MN and comes up every summer to visit family and do some Musky fishing, so he knows our culture. He is very approachable and will gladly answer all of your questions. Good luck |
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Posts: 17
Location: Indiana & Wisconsin | Ben, thanks so much for the info. I've already left a message for Jon. For those of you that can manage a major trip this time of year, we have fished Costa Rica many times, Carribean side for tarpon and Pacific for sails, roosters and marlin. Easily do-able in a 7-10 day time frame. Very family friendly and always have had a great time. |
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Posts: 222
Location: c.wis | check your regs for fl snook, if im not mistaken the atlantic side the spring season is closed due to cold weather and die offs last winter- id go to the keys- snook,tarpon,redfish, and grouper in the mangroves on light tackle is about as good as it gets. if you want an adventure look into canoe/kyak trips in the no motor zone in the glades. besides in the keys with blue water just offshore you dont gotta run far to find your palagic species like tuna's ect... my .02 |
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| Cabo San Lucas is amazing! I'm leaving March 4th for a week - 4th week in two years, After Costa Rica, Puerto Vallerta, Hualtuco Mexico (lots of sails there) ....Hands down I'd pick Cabo for best fishing "value"
$950 pp for 7 days. flight,4-5 star hotel and all-inclusive is hard to beat! Then it is $300 - $750 a day for fishing depends on how fancy of boat you want to charter and whether you want to fish inshore or offshore.
Offshore the Stripe Marlin fishing is unbelievable at times - so good you tease them up and catch them on 12wt fly-rods often! You think muskie fishing is exciting? 180Lb marlin eating a fly 10 yards from the boat is...well words dont describe it. My best day was 9 on spinning gear and 30lb mono - stripes will average around 120lbs. If you want to use live bait you catch marlin almost every day. Mahi-Mahi are plentiful... but be careful the Mako sharks like to eat them while you bring them in 
Inshore the roosterfish and sierra mackerel (mini-wahoo) are a blast on a fly-rod or light tackle!
Yellowtail, Big Cubera snapper, and big jacks are also around.
After a hard day fishing you might see Sammy @ Cabo Wabo!
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| Oh and Mexico resort areas are much safer the cities in the US!!! ......one person gets murdered in Mexico and our media makes it sound like its Vietnam in the 60's down there! Was anyone murdered in Chicago last week? |
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Posts: 142
Location: Appleton, WI | I will second Bens recommendation of Jon. Fished with him a week after Ben did and had a blast. Only got one fish to the boat but blew up a Calcutta TE LJV, 2 split rings, a bimini twist knot, and had 10 other fish on that put on an aerial show and threw the hooks. I was in a conversation with Jon about boatside strikes and he said they were uncommon, looked down and just about got tail whipped by a 150# fish that missed it right at the boat. There were 2 of us and we were able to take Jons bigger boat due to good tides. Plenty of room and the ride there and back was awesome. We will be going again in a few weeks as the fish are temperature sensitive and the water is a few degrees too cold right now. A few more degrees and they will be back in there again. |
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| I guy I know has a house in Florida----he told me to try big bucktails for tarpon and "HOLD ON!" Man , was he ever right. Big poons LOVE giant bucktails---now if I can only figure out how to keep the GIANT hammerheads from eating my tarpon in a single bite---that would be MONEY!!!! Try Boca Raton Pass or even the Keys like Big Pine----Bahia Honda bridge had some Monsters---(tarpon and sharks) the last time I fished there. Good luck---Jobu |
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