If you’re looking to catch a tarpon on the fly, then fly fishing for tarpon in Sarasota, Florida is one of the best locations to accomplish that goal. Sarasota is a beautiful coastal city located on the west coast of Florida about an hour south of Tampa. During tarpon season, this coastal area is one of the premiere tarpon destinations in the entire state of Florida. The abundance of food, clear Gulf waters and shallow sandy bottom around Sarasota provide an ideal backdrop for fly fishing for tarpon.
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Sarasota’s Adult Tarpon Migration
The migration of adult tarpon along Florida’s coast is certainly one of the most unique experiences that nature has to offer. Giant fish, many well over 100 pounds, swimming in schools along the beaches of Sarasota, FL provide the rare opportunity for fly anglers to sight fish for trophy salt water fish extremely close to shore.
In Sarasota, adult tarpon will be along the beaches from as early as April and stay well into August. However, May and June, when fish numbers are at there highest, are the months at the heart of tarpon season. This is when fly anglers will have their best chance at getting tight to a tarpon. During tarpon season, many fly anglers are surprised by the sheer number of opportunities they have to present a fly to a tarpon.
One of the main reasons that Sarasota, FL is such a tarpon magnet is the presence of four Gulf passes. Passes are waterways that connect the Gulf water to the bay water. This connection causes excellent tidal currents and an extreme abundance of food for tarpon to find. In Sarasota, we have Big Pass, New Pass, Midnight Pass, and Longboat Pass (technically in Manatee county).
A typical day during the heart of tarpon season in Sarasota starts with schools of tarpon showing themselves along the beach by rolling. Rolling is essentially a tarpon porpoising through the water and taking breaths of air each time they roll. Tarpon have a swim bladder that, in many ways, functions as a lung, so they are able to breath oxygen out of the air like a mammal. After the rollers dissipate, schools of fish will swim up and down the coast, into passes, and even back out into the Gulf. Successful fly anglers find the best place to intercept tarpon as they move along the coast and they wait for their opportunity to present a fly to a tarpon as it passes through.
Best Fly Equipment for Adult Tarpon in Sarasota
If you have never fought an adult tarpon, then you need to understand that these fish are different. They’re different from anything you’ve probably ever had on your line. They are enormous in size, strength, and unmatched in athleticism. It’s also important to note that Sarasota has an unusually high number of enormous tarpon during tarpon season. Enormous tarpon being fish over 120 pounds. To handle fish of this size, a fly angler needs the right equipment.
Tarpon Rod
A serious fly rod is necessary to tame giant tarpon. Luckily for fly anglers, there are many affordable options available. An 11 or 12 weight fly rod will provide the necessary lifting power to turn and move larger tarpon when fighting them. Additionally, a stout rod will help anglers punch casts through a strong wind. On my boat, we use mainly Winston and Gloomis rods, but there are plenty of other great rods made by companies such as Sage, Thomas &Thomas, Scott, Hardy, Echo & more.
Tarpon Fly Line
Once you have chosen your rod, the next most important thing you can do is to pair the rod with the correct fly line. Pairing the correct line with your rod will make the line sing through the rod guides. Unfortunately, there isn’t one fly line that pairs well with every rod. You may have to try or buy a few lines until you figure out which one is right for you and your rod.
There are a few lines that fly anglers consistently find more agreeable than others. Scientific Angler’s Amplitude and Magnitude Grand Slam Taper floating lines are tried-and-true lines that work with many rods. Scientific Angler’s Amplitude and Magnitude Tarpon Taper floating line is another excellent line that pairs nicely with most newer rods. Both of these lines come clear or colored.
A clear line is nice for super spooky fish in clear water, but it can make it challenging to know your exact fly location when presenting your fly to a tarpon. Additionally, clear lines require a different manufacturing process and can often get tacky and tangle easily in hot conditions. Cortland also makes a clear tarpon line that a lot of the tournament fly anglers use in the Florida Keys, but this line also requires regular maintenance (line treatment & stretching) to ensure that it doesn’t tangle and knot up.
Reel
The reel is the final piece to your tarpon outfit. The most important aspect of any tarpon reel is that it’s durable, has a serious drag system, and holds a lot of backing. There are many brands to choose from, but on my boat we’ve only used a few.
Tibor makes an affordable and durable reel with a great drag system that stops fish and sounds awesome while doing it. The Gulfstream and even the giant Pacific are two models that work well for the large adult tarpon swimming around in the waters near Sarasota.
Another great reel that is definitely in the next price bracket up is the Abel SDS. A feature that some fly anglers appreciate, but isn’t necessary is the custom colors and designs available. The SDS has a serious drag system that puts the brakes on large fish. However, the one gripe I have about this reel is that the drag is too quiet. When you hook a giant tarpon and line is screaming off the reel, it should sound amazing. While the Tibor drag system screams and howls, the SDS drag system sounds disinterested.
There are plenty of other reels that make excellent tarpon reels. I’ve had anglers on my skiff who really enjoy their Hatch reels. The Nautilus Silver King is another reel that anglers on my boat have used successfully. If money is not a concern, then consider a Mako reel. They are serious reels for a serious price.
TO BOOK OR SPEAK WITH CAPTAIN BRIAN BOEHM TEXT OR CALL 941-400-6218
Tarpon Fishing Preparedness
Preparation is one of the keys to effectively fly fishing for tarpon in Sarasota. If you haven’t prepared, then you may find the requirements for success to be extremely challenging. The most important element of preparation in fly fishing for tarpon has to be the angler’s ability to consistently deliver a fly to a moving target.
Casting
All successful tarpon fly anglers have at one time or another, put significant effort into improving their casting. The cast is the interface between you and the tarpon. Without the cast you cannot connect to one of these salt water giants. You should put forth great effort into ensuring that the interface between you and your tarpon is as functionally sound as possible.
If you feel that you are a particularly weak caster, then it probably makes good sense to pay an expert to help you become better. Hiring a good casting instructor can turn a poor caster into an average caster quickly. If you’re an average caster, a good casting instructor will give you the necessary tools to become a great caster with practice. And a good casting instructor will help you develop a good ‘boat cast’
A boat cast is a cast that takes into account all of the challenges of standing on the bow of a boat while in rolling seas trying to deliver a fly to a moving target. A good boat cast is very compact and requires minimal body movement. Another feature of a good boat cast is that it’s a powerful cast that can punch through the inevitable wind that you will be experiencing while tarpon fishing. Anglers that perfect a boat cast often spend much of their time practicing by balancing on a small cooler while delivering cast to varying distances and at different locations. Make this a habit and you will undoubtedly develop a solid boat cast.
The back cast is another weapon that all great tarpon anglers have mastered. A good back cast gives you the ability to deliver a fly quickly towards fish coming from your casting hand side. Instead of using valuable seconds to turn your body and cast through the boat, you instead maintain your stance and deliver your fly with a back cast. Developing a serviceable back cast normally takes some practice. Your goal should be to deliver a back cast 60’ accurately into the wind. Once you can do that consistently, then you have a very good back cast.
Weather
Being prepared for the weather that you may experience while tarpon fishing is obviously a no-brainer. The first thing most people think about when they hear the word ‘weather’ is rain. A light packable rain jacket is definitely nice to have ready for the random Gulf showers that are so common during tarpon season in Sarasota.
Having your body physically prepared for weather is a wise idea as well. If it’s going to be hot, make sure you’re pre-hydrated and that you stay hydrated. When the afternoon sea breeze turns the water to chop, you’ll be glad that you’re in good enough physical condition to deal with all the bucking, tossing, and ups and downs that occur on the bow of a tarpon skiff in adverse sea conditions.
Ideally, your guide’s boat will have some type of platform or leaning bar that locks you into place on the bow. A good tarpon guide understands that tarpon fishing often occurs in rough conditions and they want their angler’s focus to be on the fish, not on staying inside the boat. My platform is a carbon fiber product that allows anglers to lock their legs and back into place which essentially locks them into place. There are many other very nice platform types that accomplish the same thing. The important thing is to make sure you have one on the boat you’ll be fishing on.
The Waiting Game
Much of fly fishing is waiting. In most cases you’ll be positioned either by anchor or pole in a general area where tarpon like to pass through. However, the flow of fish is often tide dependent and there can be down time when you’re waiting for the next fish to cast to. Part of being a great tarpon angler is being prepared to wait and staying prepared while you wait.
The hardest part of waiting is not knowing when the next fish will come. Clearly you will have a hunch based on the tide that day, but there are many times throughout the day when you just won’t know when to expect the next fish. During these moments you need to be able to stay ready. It’s very easy to let your guard down and to have a tarpon sneak up on you which causes you to miss out on an opportunity.
You’ll do just fine if you can find a healthy balance between staying on guard but also allowing yourself a little relax time. A good guide will help with this as it’s their job to never let their guard down and they will alert you to a coming fish. However, you are responsible for being prepared for the cast, so make sure that you are.
While you’re waiting you should still be holding your fly and you should take periodic casts to wet and then restack your line. Stacking your line is laying out the fly line either in a bucket or on the boat in a way that ensures that your line does not become tangled when you go to deliver a shot at a tarpon.
TO BOOK OR SPEAK WITH CAPTAIN BRIAN BOEHM TEXT OR CALL 941-400-6218
Fly Presentation Tips
It’s the moment of truth when you get to take your shot at a tarpon and try to convince the fish to eat your fly. There are many methods to feeding tarpon a fly and there are a few general rules of thumb that all good tarpon anglers live by.
First off, the boat should either be on anchor or your guide should be poling you. There should be no use of a trolling motor. Tarpon in Sarasota get plenty of pressure and learn very early on what the buzz of a trolling motor means. If you’re on a boat in Sarasota using a trolling motor, it probably doesn’t matter what fly you have on, your odds of hooking up go way down. You want as little noise and vibrations as possible when presenting a fly to a passing tarpon.
Secondly, if a tarpon notices that you put the fly into their path, then you are cooked. Fish that see you put the fly into position will usually either change course or they will swim under the fly and ignore it. Very rarely do you get an eat when they see you plop the fly into their path or on their head. The tarpon must come upon the fly not the other way around. You will have to adjust your approach and casting location based off of this principle.
Thirdly, consider letting the lead fish pass through and fishing the fish behind it. The lead fish is the decision maker whether it’s a string of two hundred fish or a small group of seven fish. If you spook or disturb the lead fish, there is a very good chance that it will change directions and swim away from you – taking the rest of the school away with it. So, on many occasions you may find that you get more shots at a group of tarpon by leaving the lead fish alone.
Fly Selection Tips
Having confidence in your tarpon fly is critical. How do you really know if the fly you have tied on or the other flies in your box will actually fool a tarpon into eating? Experienced tarpon anglers understand intuitively that the tarpon themselves will tell you which fly they want and they will most definitely tell you which fly they don’t want. Most experienced tarpon anglers follow a few basic rules in fly selection.
The first rule is do not offend the fish. If you deliver a proper cast to an approaching tarpon and when the fish sees the fly it changes directions or turns around, then your fly has offended that fish. There are two possible reasons that your fly offended that fish. First, maybe the fly material fouled on the hook resulting in a hideous presentation. Second, and more likely, is that your fly is too bold and it offended the tarpon. If it’s the second, then change to a fly that is less bold and less offensive.
The second rule to follow in Sarasota when fly fishing for tarpon is to keep the fly high. Tarpon feed up. There mouths are formed so that they can effectively feed on things that swim above them. In most situations you will want a light fly that sinks slowly and swims above the tarpon. The only time that would change is if you’re out on a day when tarpon are hugging the bottom. If fish are hugging the bottom, you will need a fly that can get down to them.
The third tip in fly selection is to go small. The water around the Gulf in Sarasota is generally clear, so larger flies can often frighten or offend tarpon. Keep your flies on the smaller side. Flies tied on size 1 hooks work great. Flies tied on size 1/0 hooks are about as large as we use on my boat.
TO BOOK OR SPEAK WITH CAPTAIN BRIAN BOEHM TEXT OR CALL 941-400-6218
Hooking Up
The feeling of your fly line coming tight to a tarpon that just ate your fly is one of the best experiences a fly angler will have in their lifetime. To be connected to the wildest of wild things is an incredible feeling that really no words can fully describe. Getting connected and staying connected requires setting the hook correctly.
To set the hook correctly, you must stay poised. Many fly anglers strip-set their first tarpon at the very moment they see the fish eat their fly. Having a fly clang off the hard mouth of a tarpon from setting too early is a hard way to learn how not to set the hook on a tarpon.
Maybe the best analogy that I’ve heard is comparing a tarpon’s mouth to a steak and your hook to a fork. If you throw your fork at the steak, the fork will not stick and will most likely bounce off the steak. However, if you place the fork against the steak and then apply pressure, the fork will sink right in. This is how you hook a tarpon.
The best way to hook a tarpon is to let the fish set the hook itself. A large portion of tarpon that eat your fly will close their mouth and immediately veer away from the path they were on. When they do this, they naturally pull the line tight themselves. When that happens, the only thing an angler needs to do is to hold on, feel the fish, seat the hook into the fish, and then slowly clear their line. It sounds simple and it is when everything goes right.
Fighting Fish
The initial reaction that a tarpon has when it realizes that it has been hooked is legendary. The combination of raw power, blistering speed, and aerial acrobatics is unmatched by any other fish that swims (we’re not counting billfish). Staying connected to a tarpon that you worked so hard to feed is not an easy task.
The first run from your tarpon is likely going to be a wild rodeo, so it is best to keep your drag looser to begin your battle. By doing this you are giving the tarpon the freedom to run wild and jump itself tired on the first run. When the tarpon finishes its initial run, your fly line will seem miles away with only your backing keeping you connected to the fish. After the first run is over, it’s time to crank down the drag and to start pulling on the fish.
Very good tarpon anglers are able to break the will of most of their fish early in the fight and bring them boat side within 30 minutes. It should take even less time if it’s a smaller fish. Occasionally, you’ll hook into a big old ornery fish that will push your battle time well over a half hour. We don’t like those fish.
The key to breaking the will of the fish is to apply maximum pressure. You have to know how to use the rod and you have to know the strength of you leader and the knots associated with your leader. To apply maximum pressure, an angler has to put the weight of the fish onto the butt of the rod. That is where the meat of a fly rod is. That is where you will find the power on any fly rod, on the butt. I consider the butt to start at the reel and extend 4 – 4.5 feed past that. Any part of the rod beyond that point does not offer the power required to effectively fight a tarpon.
Once you’ve thoroughly whipped your tarpon it will inevitably come boat-side. When a tarpon is completely exhausted, it will lay on it’s side and can easily be slid to the side of the boat where you or your guide can grab its mouth with both hands. You’ll hold on tight, get a few pictures, and then slowly revive the fish by hanging onto him with the boat moving slowly at idle speed. This allows the fish to recuperate while fresh oxygenated water passes over its gills. The fish will let you know when its revived.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you hire a good tarpon guide?
A: A good tarpon guide should have years of successful experience. However, a good guide with years of experience is often heavily booked for tarpon season. The best thing you can do is to contact an established guide early to see if they have any openings. If they don’t have openings, then you could ask them to recommend a good guide that may have openings to you. You can also ask for recommendations from your local fly shop as well.
Q: When should I book my tarpon trip?
A: If you’re thinking about booking a tarpon trip, it’s never too early to contact your guide. Otherwise, you should book your tarpon trip as soon as you know when you’ll be in the Sarasota area. If you have flexibility in your travel schedule, then you should call your guide first to see what dates he has open and schedule your trip around his open dates.
Q: How many days should I book?
A: That is going to depend on your budget and schedule. Very serious tarpon anglers book a minimum of 3 consecutive days while some hyper serious anglers will book over a week. You should book the maximum amount of days that your schedule and budget allow. For some anglers that’s only one day, for others its much more. If this is your first time tarpon fishing, then you should know there is a learning curve. Having more than one day to blast through that learning curve is a bonus.
Q: How long does a tarpon charter last?
A: We are out for a full day of fishing. Since we need sunlight to sight fish, we normally get started around 8 AM and then we will fish until we can’t see fish anymore. Sometimes that’s ending a little after 4PM while other times we will fish until close to 6 PM.
Q: How much does a tarpon charter cost?
A: Charter Prices generally change annually. You can find my most updated prices Click here
Q: Do I need to have my own tarpon fly rod and reel to fish with you?
A: No, I carry very nice tarpon rods and reels on my skiff. My rods are set up exactly how I like and are ready to go for anybody who wants to use them. However, if you are a left handed caster or reel with your right hand, then you may want to at least consider owning a tarpon reel set up with a right retrieve that you can bring with you.
Q: What’s the best way to reach you?
A: Text or phone calls usually are the easiest. You can reach me at 941-400-6218. Otherwise you can email me at brian@quietwatersfishing.com or if you want to learn more about me you can visit my website Quiet Waters Fishing
TO BOOK OR SPEAK WITH CAPTAIN BRIAN BOEHM TEXT OR CALL 941-400-6218
Conclusion
In closing, Sarasota, FL is a pretty special place to fly fish for tarpon. Fly fishing for tarpon is a demanding, yet fun and wonderful experience. During tarpon season, you’ll be hard pressed to find a place with more large adult fish than Sarasota. The clear waters of the Gulf around Sarasota provide some of the best sight fishing conditions that can be experienced anywhere.
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