Tarpon

Late spring is prime time in Key West, with the heaviest push of migratory fish generally running April through June. Warming water pulls schools of big tarpon along the channel edges and around the bridges, and calm mornings and evenings around moving tides are usually the most productive windows. A smaller population of resident fish holds in the harbor and backcountry through much of the year, so tarpon are also a realistic target in late winter and into summer, particularly at night when they feed under the harbor lights. Because tarpon fishing depends heavily on tide, wind, and water clarity, your captain will pick the area and the time of day that give you the best shot on the day you fish rather than running the same spot every trip.

Tarpon are strictly catch-and-release. Their meat is bony and not eaten here, and they are far too valuable as a sport fish to harvest. We keep fish in the water for photos wherever possible, use heavy leaders so the fight does not drag on, and revive each tarpon alongside the boat before letting it swim off. If you want fillets to take home, plan a reef or offshore trip instead, or ask about combining a tarpon session with bottom fishing for snapper.

• Live baiting with crabs, mullet, and pilchards
• Fly fishing the flats and channel edges
• Sight fishing rolling schools
• Dead baiting the bridges and harbor lights at night