Tarpon

 

Tarpon are often called “Silver King” by experienced anglers that come for offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX mostly because of its spectacularly large size and color. Beginner anglers that do not get help from veteran Port Aransas offshore guides may find it hard to catch tarpon because of their size. Corpus Christi fishing charters can provide fishing gear for hire and teach you various effective techniques for catching tarpon.

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How Port Aransas Deep Sea Fishing Guides Identify Tarpon

People who go on offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX target this fish for sport fishing not for their flesh. Tarpon is not a tasty fish and is very bony. You can identify them by their silvery shiny bodies that appear dark blue from above, but their most distinctive feature is their large mouths that curve upwards. The fins of a tarpon fish are all dark in color and their caudal fin is deeply forked.

But the most unique feature of juveniles of this species is their ability to use their swim bladder not just for buoyancy but also for respiration. This is why they can survive in low oxygen waters where most other fish would die. While female tarpon are known to grow to lengths of over 8.2 feet and can live for more than 55 years, male tarpon are smaller and attain life spans of 30 years.

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Where Port Aransas Deep Sea Fishing Guides Find Tarpon

You can find tarpon in coastal waters that are 100 feet deep or less and have water temperatures of 72 to 82° F. Temperatures below 40°F can lead to large tarpon kills, but temperatures below 60°F make them inactive. Since they are a migratory species, the Corpus Christi fishing Charters you hire may have to move to various locations to search for this species of fish during your fishing trip. But you may be able to catch tarpon from the Port Aransas jetties.

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How To Catch Tarpon

Catching Tarpon is almost like going to war. Fishing gear for catching this species includes 7-foot fairly stout 30-40 pound rods, a fully sealed spinning reel, and a 200 to 300 yard 50-pound braided line. Circle hooks in sizes 6/0 to 10/0are the most appropriate for tarpon, because they are more likely to stay seated in the corner of a tarpon’s mouth. Live bait such as threadfin herring, pinfish, grunts and more can be used to catch tarpon. The first thing beginner tarpon anglers learn from Port Aransas offshore guides is that tarpon can cause injury if not handled properly. So always be careful when reeling in or releasing tarpon.