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Tarpon Fishing And Catching The Elusive Silver King - Megalops
By Greg, Fri Dec 9th

Growing to lengths of more than eight feet and weighing morethan 280 pounds, it is easy to see why the tarpon is one of themost sought after saltwater gamefish in the world. It's habitatis close to the shoreline so fishermen of all types and skilllevels can catch them.

If you have ever had the privilege of hooking up on a big tarponthen you know the exhilaration and thrill of testing yourself inbattle against one of the most sought after gamefish in theworld. This distinction is easy to see at first glance as thetarpon starts a series of spectacular acrobatic leaps in the airthat will have your heart pounding, your rod bending and yourdrag screaming. You better hold on!

Since the tarpon's habitat is so close to the shoreline,fishermen of all types and skill levels can catch them. They canbe caught from jetties, passes, docks, bridges, beaches, piersand rivers. Tarpon can be caught while using many types oftackle, rods, baits, lures and rigs either while from aboat, canoe, kayak or walking and wading from the shoreline asthe tarpon work up and down the beaches.

Live bait fishermen's bait of choice is the 'dollar crab'. Asmall live blue crab about two inches across its carapace,hooked through one end of it's shell or underneath through aswimmer leg. Other extremely effective live baits includepinfish, threadfin herrings and pilchards. On days when thetarpon is being finicky in it's tablefare selection, try thesefor the best results, and oh, by the way, don't forget about alive mullet. If you can get them, use them. Flyfishermen are notleft out either. The stealth of casting the right fly cansometimes be the trick to hooking up.

But Just What is a Tarpon?

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: Elopiformes Family: MegalopidaeGenus: Megalops

This exceptionally fine creature is a prehistoric animal and theonly fish with an air bladder. This allows

it to absorb oxygenand live in waters with very low oxygen content. You can seethem gulp air at the water surface. Tarpon are also calledpoons, tarpum, sabalo real, cuffum, silverfish or silver kingand belong to the bony fish family Elopidae. The Latindesignation is Megalops atlanticus.

While only microscopic at birth, tarpon have been documented atlengths of more than eight feet and weighing 280 pounds. Catchesweighing more than 200 pounds, while uncommon, do occur. Manyfish caught are well over 100 pounds. Their growth rate is slow,taking 8 to 10 years to reach maturity, and generally those over100 pounds are female. Tarpon can live 55 to 60 years. They aregreenish or bluish on top, and silver on the sides. The largemouth is turned upwards and the lower jaw contains an elongatedbony plate. The last ray of the dorsal fin is much longer thanthe others, reaching nearly to the tail.

They are found primarily in shallow coastal waters andestuaries, but they are also found in open marine waters, aroundcoral reefs, and in some freshwater lakes and rivers. Theirnormal migratory pattern ranges from Virginia to central Brazilin the western Atlantic, along the coast of Africa in theeastern Atlantic, and all through the Gulf of Mexico andCaribbean Sea. Florida is widely regarded as having many of thebest tarpon locations in the world, especially theworld-renowned Boca Grande Pass in Southwest Florida.

Fishing for the tarpon can at times be an excercise of patienceand discipline. You may be surrounded by large schools ofrolling tarpon containing hundreds of fish and they will not hitanything you throw at them. Other times, it is a feeding frenzy.So, go for tarpon every chance you get, that next worldrecord catch may be waiting just for you.

About the author:Greg Smith is a life-long fisherman and publisher of fishinginformation websites. For more information, tips, techniques andcharter resources visit http://www.tarpon-fishing-i.com/. Thisarticle may be freely reprinted as long as the author's resourcebox and url links remain intact.

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