| Tarpon Fishing at Boca Grande is known as some of | | | | of the water for bait and even grabbed the hand of |
| the best tarpon fishing in the world. Each year | | | | the person feeding them. |
| hundreds of thousands of tarpon migrate to Boca | | | | If you fish Boca Grande Pass there are many charter |
| Grande Pass and its surrounding area to breed. Boca | | | | boats in the area to choose from. If you take your |
| Grande Pass is located off of Gasparilla Island at the | | | | own fishing boat there are rules that should be |
| mouth of Charlotte Harbor in Southwest Florida. | | | | followed because there are so many other boats in |
| Since record keeping of any sort began, tarpon from | | | | the area. You are allowed no more than three fishing |
| the Gulf and the Caribbean arrive each and every | | | | lines per vessel. You are not permitted to keep any |
| year. After a long journey, most of them arrive in | | | | tarpon without a tarpon tag. There are regulations on |
| April and fatten up for the spawn. During the month | | | | the gear you can use. |
| of May they prepare for the spawn by gathering into | | | | Circle hooks are highly recommended as it greatly |
| large groups. They usually spawn in large groups of | | | | increases the tarpon's chance for survival because |
| 500 or more on strong tides. After the spawn is | | | | most people fish for the sport of it and catch and |
| over, which is usually in June, most of the fish | | | | release the tarpon. If you do charter a boat your |
| migrate back to wherever they came from. | | | | captain will have all the knowledge required, |
| However, as there is an abundance of food for the | | | | otherwise you should do some research not only on |
| tarpon such as fish, crabs and shrimp, thousands of | | | | successful fishing techniques but proper boating |
| tarpon stay in the area until the water gets cooler | | | | etiquette used in the area. |
| which occurs usually during the months of either | | | | Some winters are colder than other which could delay |
| October or November. | | | | the migration pattern of the tarpon, based on the |
| Warming waters is the catalyst to the movement of | | | | temperature of the water. If you went to Boca |
| the tarpon up from the Florida Keys. Normally in the | | | | Grande and the huge amounts of tarpon are not |
| Florida Keys in late March you'll start to see an | | | | there because it is too early, you may have success |
| abundant amount of tarpon in that area. I was totally | | | | in the surrounding areas including Pine Island Sound. |
| amazed one year when I was on vacation and while | | | | To avoid any disappointments or surprises call ahead |
| at a marina saw hundreds of tarpon around the | | | | or check out fishing reports. |
| boats. My first thought was could I rent a boat and | | | | If you want to plan ahead, the month of May should |
| cast towards those huge schools of fish. I then | | | | be a safe bet to enjoy great fishing at Boca Grande. |
| expressed my idea to my wife and she said what | | | | If you never caught a tarpon before you'll be in for |
| sport would that be and after more thought of the | | | | the thrill of a lifetime. Catching a 100 pound tarpon is |
| matter agreed. | | | | not out of the norm, unfortunately ending up with |
| To get an idea of the amazing schools of fish you | | | | only part of a tarpon occurs many times as that area |
| can find around marinas in the keys, check out some | | | | has a lot of hammerhead sharks that will attack your |
| of the videos on You Tube. One in particular is "hand | | | | catch. |
| feeding tarpon at Robbie's Marina". The fish jump out | | | | |