Exciting Trip With Drag Screaming Fun Battling Big Fish
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
One of my favorite things about saltwater fishing is the vast amount of species that could potentially get caught on any given day.
This recent trip started off very slow, but our third stop was extremely exciting with some powerful fish that slammed my lure while I was swimming it midway though the water column.
Here’s what this video covers:
✅ See my new favorite lure for big tarpon
✅ How to retrieve the Prawn USA for tarpon
✅ How to get a big fish to the boat fast with light tackle
Equipment Shown
- Rod: Slot Machine – Medium Heavy
- Reel: Saltist MQ 4000
- Line: J-Braid 8 Grand 30 lb
- Leader: Ande Mono 30 lb
- Bite Tippet: Ande Mono 60 lb
- Lure: Prawn USA OG rigged on Hoss Football Jighead 4/0 1/4oz
Conclusion
This is a great example of how it’s smart to keep trying different things of your original plan(s) don’t work out.
We struck out on a shallow flat at sunrise (left after 15 minutes), then had a few hits and just 1 small jack on some nearshore reefs (left the reefs after about 20 minutes each), but then got some very exciting tarpon action on our way back to the dock.
Best of all, the Prawn USA lure proved to be great at getting strikes from tarpon even when they weren’t feeding well. We spoke to a couple other boats with experienced tarpon anglers, and it seemed as if hardly anyone was getting any bites even while using live crabs.
Please use the Comment section below if you have any questions.
Tight Lines!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
nice video and technique getting that tarpon Luke.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Jan!
Great rod for sure
Great Tips Luke! Thanks
Great video and presentation of the video… Also goes to show you that even the outfit you were using was more than good enough for Tarpon although you were actually on a trip to target Snook …. Great Job Luke
Happy Father’s Day for sure, very cool video. The MH Slot Machine paired with that 4K Saltist must fight way out of its weight-class.
Great fun Luke! So a leader the a tippet? Like a shock tippet? What knots FG? Crazy Alberto?
Here’s a video from the Fishing School that explains the leader assembly (FG, Blood, and Non-Slip Loop knots): https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-school/advanced-module/knots/
Nice video! Appreciated all the tips. In the equipment shown list, what is meant by “Bite Tippet”?
It is a way to ensure bigger/smarter fish can’t see or feel the leader line while you have beefed up strength at the business end to ensure fish can’t bite or rub through. Here’s a video from the Fishing School that explains it: https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-school/advanced-module/knots/
I definitely learned a lot more about fighting tarpon. They are tricky. Great catch Luke
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Jason!
Never have caught a tarpon on the prawn or any other shrimp lure but I have had 2 tarpon one very large over 150lbs to my estimate it hit a live target slow sinking pilchard colored subsurface plug while fishing the damespoint bridge here in jacksonville fl where I used to live but still fish it was at night under the bridge lights when the big girl hit stripping about 150 yards off my shimano baitcsting reel spooled with my usual 20lb power pro with about 3 ft of also 20 lb berkley invisoline flouro carbon leader she jumped right when she hit and when she came down made a splash and a wake so large it actually rocked my old hobbie 2010 kayak another time fishing from my skiff a thunderstorm was about to insue and it was getting late in the morning anyways and the wind began to build so I decided to male one last cast with my spinnerbait under a dock the tarpon hit roughly around 40 to 50 lbs screeming out the otherside of the dock before jumping throwing my lure then there was the only one I actually caught fishing for bass off my niehbors seawall casting my spook jr in my coveted silver and bone I noticed a school of fish surfacing kinda like gar do when they gulp for air before submerging but I knew they were not gat because gar always protruding there long beak like mouth and I didnot see that so I curiously cast my topwayer right on the edge of the school and after about 3 twitches got slammed hard it immediatly jumped but could not throw the plug after about a 15 min fight i lipped about a 15 lb extremely large eyed juvenile tarpon the only one out of the 3 that I actually landed i don’t ever pursue tarpon because I know there extreme strength and know that I have a slim chance of catching one plus I eat what I catch and know tarpon make poor table fare so why bother? But thats my attitude because I don’t like loosing lures and if I can’t eat them then I leave them alone people who pay lots of money just to catch one to me are kinda weird because other then maybe a picture they have nothing to show for there efforts in effect wasting there money but like I said that’s my attitude reds flounder and seatrout provide enough action for me and dinner is always waiting afterwards as well thanks for the info and all you do😉🤔👍
How cool that you caught a tarpon while bass fishing! They sure are fun to catch. And yes, I agree with you in the tendency to prioritize fish that I can bring home for dinner.
Love your fishing videos, Luke!
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Ray!