I start jonesing to tarpon fish this time of year. Anybody heading to the Keys?
sounds difficult and expensive.
It's just like blue-lining...only the fish are bigger.
What is your budget for beer?
I am ignorant on the amount I spend on beer per year because ignorance is bliss.
In reality I'm scared to drop $1k per day on a guide and then watch myself cast 10' into the wind.
$1000 a day?! It's not that bad.
More like 500-800
Tarpunes in the Glades is befuck. Fuck the Islamorada shit. I ain't paying a $1000. Rather put that towards bail and catch baby punes in mangroves with a mix of slapper and snooks. Jus my pref.
Quote from: Transylwader on April 17, 2015, 10:08:40 AM
Tarpunes in the Glades is befuck. Fuck the Islamorada shit. I ain't paying a $1000. Rather put that towards bail and catch baby punes in mangroves with a mix of slapper and snooks. Jus my pref.
I think I would agree here, like the mixed big and would gladly take baby tarpon, small snooks are fun I can't imagine how much fun the bigger ones are.
i like how this has turned into a real discussion
Gotta love boredom at work
Quote from: Transylwader on April 17, 2015, 10:08:40 AM
Tarpunes in the Glades is befuck. Fuck the Islamorada shit. I ain't paying a $1000. Rather put that towards bail and catch baby punes in mangroves with a mix of slapper and snooks. Jus my pref.
Big Tarpons all bark no bite?
Loxahatchee River in Jupiter has Snook,Tarpon and people reguarly fish it on SUP and Kayak. Easy enough DIY.
Quote from: Big J on April 17, 2015, 11:07:33 AM
Quote from: Transylwader on April 17, 2015, 10:08:40 AM
Tarpunes in the Glades is befuck. Fuck the Islamorada shit. I ain't paying a $1000. Rather put that towards bail and catch baby punes in mangroves with a mix of slapper and snooks. Jus my pref.
Big Tarpons all bark no bite?
No. Everyone should have a go at it at least once. Big tarpon may be the greatest gamefish on earth.
From my narrow travels I would conclude the greatest gamefish is the redeye.
I hate flying the redeye.
I'll probably do it when I can do it proper like go to one of them fancy "lodges" where it seems everyone either has some sort of tropical beer or g&t/mojito/like likker drink in their hand.
In all seriousness, I'd love to do it in Cuba.
Cuba would be cool. Can we travel to Cuba yet?
Just talked to a guy today who recently got back from a 12 day trip to Havana. Said that was one of the best fly fishing trips he had ever taken and said its one you have to do at least once in your life.
I'd go to Cuba in a heart beat. For some reason I've always been interested in going. Fishing there would be kinda cool too.
And a nice ride in a 50's car. The vintage car guys are foaming at the mouth. If you've got a 50's whatever, shine it up and put on the market, now. The market is about to get flooded.
Unless something really flubbed duck happens I'll be stalking those big guppies in the upper Keys in May. To whom shall I mail the guts?
That's what I want to hear! Where are you going, Jack?
Quote from: ptfranze on April 17, 2015, 17:44:38 PM
Just talked to a guy today who recently got back from a 12 day trip to Havana. Said that was one of the best fly fishing trips he had ever taken and said its one you have to do at least once in your life.
PTFranze...was he with Jim Dean?
Quote from: Flatlander on April 19, 2015, 16:48:46 PM
Quote from: ptfranze on April 17, 2015, 17:44:38 PM
Just talked to a guy today who recently got back from a 12 day trip to Havana. Said that was one of the best fly fishing trips he had ever taken and said its one you have to do at least once in your life.
PTFranze...was he with Jim Dean?
It was Jim Dean, he was doing some spring cleaning and getting rid of maps, books, old reels and other stuff. Went over chatted with him for a while and bought a couple topo maps.
Quote from: Flatlander on April 19, 2015, 16:08:51 PM
That's what I want to hear! Where are you going, Jack?
Key Largo. I can't hardly wait!
Good luck, Jack. Post a report when you get back.
Quote from: ptfranze on April 19, 2015, 19:17:16 PM
Quote from: Flatlander on April 19, 2015, 16:48:46 PM
Quote from: ptfranze on April 17, 2015, 17:44:38 PM
Just talked to a guy today who recently got back from a 12 day trip to Havana. Said that was one of the best fly fishing trips he had ever taken and said its one you have to do at least once in your life.
PTFranze...was he with Jim Dean?
It was Jim Dean, he was doing some spring cleaning and getting rid of maps, books, old reels and other stuff. Went over chatted with him for a while and bought a couple topo maps.
That's too funny. A buddy of mine went over to his "sale" and told me he had just come back from Cuba. Jim is as fine a fellow you'll ever meet.
There was a great article in one of the fly fishing rags that made it sound like Cooba was open for business. Do tarpon coincide with baseball season? Would also like to check out the hemingway stuff down there.
There are always tarpon around in the Keys, but the migration is what most people try to hit, which starts in April and peters out in June in the Keys. I assume it is roughly the same in Cuba.
Somebody set up the Cuba group trip! Do we still have to fly through Canada or Mexico to get there? Has to be cheaper that hookers and blow, right?
I'm sure both hookers & blow are cheaper in Cuba.
1. There are still no direct flights from US airports to Cuba, closest one I believe is from Nassau, don't quote me on that. Toronto has daily flights to Havana that don't involve props or sketchy Russian pilots.
2. No need for hookers; most bars and clubs around tourist areas are off limits to locals. However were a gringo to bring one or a half-dozen ladies into a club as his personal guest(s), they'll be your girlfriend for the duration of your stay along with all that implies. Then again; Russian, Nordic, Canadian and British collegiate spring-breakers have unofficially made Cuba one of the hot spots. If you've never experienced a 19 year old Swedish chick on the hunt and mad with cabin fever, you're in for a treat.
3. Blow is so 80s, Molli is what's up.
4. Yellowdog and Frontiers travel do have annual trips to Cuba, not cheap and the permitting process is a royal fuckton of asspain.
Fuck you, Westie. You're going to Christmas Island. Bastage!
Quote from: Transylwader on April 22, 2015, 06:51:33 AM
Fuck you, Westie. You're going to Christmas Island. Bastage!
I'm also double majoring in computer science & electrical engineering, I have no life.
So what should I be tying up for these alleged tarpon?
No big report here. Got down to the Keys just in time to see the calm air and water off to be replaced by a constant high wind. We tried every night and hooked up quite a few times but just couldn't bring one in. We had the place to ourselves because no other fools seemed willing to fight the wind, waves and tide. We'll blame the wind, barometer, Obama or Bush, the BP shit spill or anything but it was frikkin' tough out there.
I got up and packed to leave on Saturday but seeing flaccidity in the flags for the first time since my arrival had me rethinking things and then at the perfect time my host asked me to stay and give it another shot. Good move all around as the boating was easier and now we could actually hear the tarpon out playing. A couple hits kept our interest up then the outgoing tide rang the real dinner bell and it was on. Two beasties over 100# to the boat after a whole lot of scrambling between me, the fish and the skipper trying to chase the fish and keep the boat in deep enough water in narrow channels on moonless nights. If we were in a flats boat we could have spun the boat around and chased better but then we wouldn't have been out there in that shit.
Damn those fish are strong and it's stale muscle groups on this guy that had me saying 'no mas' after the second tarpon. After a couple mishaps with a couple of the dainty new 12 weights Gary Jones 12 weight saved the night. It made delivering the groceries a snap in the wind when we used it and has the butt strength to maul those fish. Through both fights I learned a few things; One I ain't built right for this shit but can't wait to get back there, winding with the right hand makes sense now and every rod 12 weight and over has to have a fore grip. I was dying to straighten my arms out even a little bit during the fights but between reel handling and hanging on to a near normal length cork grip breathers weren't in the cards.
I didn't even know this was a bucket item until I added and scratched it off the list while still in the boat.
No pictures because our hands were pretty full and besides, it was pitch black out there.
Croaker (and I) wanted a scale and I was told sure as long as I let them have a thumbnail in return
Congrats!
Endeavor to persevere...
'c;
Good score for you. Persistence, indeed.
Dainty 12 wts? WTF?
(but then again, I have a 9 wt. that seems dainty)
I get what you are saying about a foregrip. The big, heavy vintage glass that's out there all had foregrips. Why did they go away?
Best picture-less report I've encountered. That sounds awesome. Hope you celebrated with some cold beverages.
Cool tr Jack
Good deal, Jack! Glad someone made it down there. Next time you gotta try it during daylight.