3 Of The Best Lures For Catching Big Tarpon (VIDEO)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Q&A, Fishing Tips, Lure Reviews, Nearshore Fishing Tips, Tarpon Tips
The answer to the “best lures for big tarpon” question will most likely vary depending on who is answering the question.
And just like most other lure questions, the most important variable to consider above lure choice is the location of the feeding zones for whichever species is being targeted.
But once fish are found, having a good lure for the job is of course important too.
And selecting the best one for encounters with big tarpon can be tough because the lures for them are often large and expensive.
So instead of trying to answer this question that came in recently with a specific lure, I wanted to simply share a few that worked well for me last year.
And then seek out other suggestions from you about which lures you’ve found to work for tarpon too.
Best Lures for Big Tarpon
Here are 3 attributes that I consider when loading my tackle box for some good options for any big tarpon that I may come across while out on the inshore and nearshore waters.
- Running Depth: Lure must run at the proper depth based on where the tarpon are feeding
- Size: Lure must resemble something that they are likely to be feeding on
- Castability: Lure must be able to be presented to the tarpon without spooking it
So my theory is to always have a few lures that all cast very long distances while having slightly different depth coverages and sizes.
This way, I can generally find one that works in most situations.
My Favorite Lures For Big Tarpon
- DOA Baitbuster (4 ft to 10 ft depths – smaller profile)
- Livetarget Mullet (4 ft to 10 ft depths – larger than DOA Baitbuster with more vibration)
- Spooltek (5 ft to 14 ft depths – larger profile with vibrating tail)
- DOA Swimming Mullet (10 ft to 25 ft depths – smaller profile, but it is good for covering the deeper zones)
But then there are days like this when they all seem to work:
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Conclusion
These 4 lures are surely just a small selection of choices that can be used to target big tarpon.
Please take a moment to leave a comment down below to share your favorite lure to pull out when you come across some big tarpon.
I’m planning to target them more this summer, so I’ll gladly beef up my tarpon lure collection based on your feedback.
Note: Please share this post with your friends who enjoy tarpon fishing too so that they can participate in the discussion too.
Fish On!
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It is good to see you verbalize from the heart and clarity on this important subject can be easily observed.
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Nice video
for more video: Microsoft Toolkit tour and a Northern Lights minibus tour. Keeping my fingers crossed I will be able to see the lights again. Saw them in Yellowknife, Canada five years ago. Amazing.
Thanks for the exciting video Mr. Simonds. I am assuming the leader is tied directly to the lure. What is the recommended knot?
Yes, I like the non-slip loop knot best when in need of tying to a lure that needs maximized motion in the water. Here’s a link to a post that shows how to tie it: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/non-slip-loop-knot/
Have you tried Hogy lures for tarpon? They have a 6.5″ paddle tail that I like for big snook. It kind of looks like a spooltek without the retractable hook. Definitely cheaper and still pretty durable.
Not yet, but I have heard great things about them.
I’ve noticed the live target is better when you trim off the dorsal fin near the hook point, in areas you don’t need the weedless factor. It’s seemed to limit my hook sets on big tarpon when I left the fin. The bait buster is a awesome tarpon bait but the hook needs to be sharpened to really put it to them, with lighter rod action.
Great tip Shannon!
Thanks for sharing the helpful tips Shannon!
Mustad makes a replacement hook for the baitbuster. It’s called the Ultrapoint Bullet Jig Head. Trust me, my fingers will tell you it’s VERY SHARP. Pull out the supplied hook and insert this one and you’re ready to go.
Good deal thanks
Tarpon in January? or was this filmed a while ago? Pretty sweet getting that many bites throwing arties!
This trip was filmed a few months ago while the tarpon were still pretty thick in the Bay.
This was filmed back in September. I posted it to Club members right after the trip with a detailed assessment of the trip. But finally had a chance to make a video for the public to show the fun fish tarpon footage.
That was great. I too like the DOA mullet and a few years ago before my shoulders were torn up, hooked a lady fish on the DOA. I got it within 10 feet of the beach when a monster poon ate the lady fish and started striping line on my ci3000! Needless to say, wasn’t expecting that kind of action. Can’t wait to do that again now that I’m healed 90 percent. You got my blood pumping!!! Thanks for that post!
Scott
Thanks for making time to leave the comment Scott. It’s tough to beat the thrill of a surprise tarpon hookup!
I found the Stu Apte “Black Death” the perfect lure for fly fishing for large Tarpon.
Thanks for leaving the helpful comment Bob!
Awesome video Luke! Man, I’ve been dreaming of catching a large Tarpon since I was a kid! Loved watching you get them on the line! What size reel were you using? I have a Penn Fierce 2 size 6000 which is currently my largest spinning reel. I think that will handle up to around 100lbs? I made a note of the lures, thanks! I was smiling just watching you catch those awesome fish! Can’t wait for the day when I get one on the line! Thanks for sharing!
Best regards and tight lines!
Guy
Thanks Guy! I had two 6000 sized reels on the boat, but they were both set up for live bait rigs because my Plan A was to use live ladyfish for bait. But it turned out that we had an easier time hooking tarpon on artificials than we did ladyfish:) So I had the action on my smaller reel that I brought rigged with artificial for a quick Plan B if some tarpon showed up before we caught ladyfish. It was a 4000 sized reel, which was clearly not enough for the bigger tarpon… I def recommend going with your 6000 size with at least 30 lb mainline and 50+lb leader.
Here’s a link to the detailed Club Report I made about this video that covered the detailed rigging recommendations and some tricks for catching and using live ladyfish for big tarpon: https://www.saltstrong.com/insiders/tarpon-fishing-in-tamp-bay-club-report/
So cool. Great info. So was a FFP osprey 4000 that bit the bucket?
Yes, that was an Osprey 4000 that the tarpon beat up. Had I known that they would be that big and hitting the lures so aggressively, I would have had one of my bigger setups ready for action.
I’ve had good luck with the live target mullet too unfortunately they are expensive to replace when toothy critters attack.
Yes, that is absolutely the drawback to the livetarget mullet lures… it can be an expensive trip if pufferfish are in the area given how quickly they can ruin any lure made from soft plastic.