Saturday, June 7, 2008

Boca Grande Tarpon Fishin’

Luke and I went to Ft. Meyers, Florida for a Perfect Game Showcase Baseball Camp during the first week of June, and since we were in this neck of the woods we hired a guide to take us tarpon fishing for two days.  We fished with Capt. ____ for two ½ day trips.  We fished out of his 18' Ranger Flats Boat - it was an awesome boat. We sight fished for tarpon with live blue crabs. We positioned the boat ~200 yards off the coast of Gasparilla Island and would look for the big silver flash or a 100+ lb tarpon coming to the surface – it was AMAZING! We had schools of 100 to 150 lb tarpon all around us all day but they woul not bite. At one point when a school of monsters was cruising within 10' of the boat, one free jumped and it was so close to the boat that it's splash got me wet!  On the second day Luke finally got one on and it ran out about 100 yards creaming drag, jumped 3 times and about 10 yards from the boat broke his line! #@%$** It was incredible. He did a great job of fighting it and learned how to "bow to the king" but it just wasn't meant to be.