This Is My New Favorite Lure For Juvenile Tarpon
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
On a trip just last week, I found my NEW favorite lure for juvenile tarpon!
Juvenile tarpon are insanely fun to target because they strike and behave like larger tarpon, but you can catch them on inshore tackle.
This trip was all about THIS lure that completely outshined the rest.
Find out what it is in the video!!
My New Favorite Lure For Juvenile Tarpon [VIDEO]
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Tackle Used:
I was out fishing with fellow Insider Member Tony Prescott and we were after redfish.
But once we got to the spot we picked out, tarpon were rolling EVERYWHERE!
In many cases like this, juvenile tarpon are extremely finicky in the shallows.
Additionally, most of the lures you would normally use for redfish, trout, or snook would not work to catch tarpon.
However, the Power Prawn USA Junior in the Gold Digger color absolutely crushed it!
Gold Digger is another one of our proprietary lure colors that is all black with gold flecks sprinkled throughout the body of the lure.
This lure in tandem with the right retrieve had these tarpon jumping out of the water all day!!
On-The-Water Action
At first light, I had the Moonwalker tied on and saw some tarpon rolling right up against some mangroves around a point.
I tossed the Moonwalker out there and within a few cranks, a tarpon came up and hammered the lure but did not stick.
A little later on, Tony was able to hook into a juvenile tarpon close to his kayak and then worked his way over to show me what he had been using.
Lo and behold, it was the Power Prawn USA Junior!!
This was basically the only lure I had left to try because I thought it would be one of the last things tarpon would eat.
A few casts later, I hooked into my first tarpon of the day.
The fish really seemed to love the Gold Digger on this trip.
I was using the Gold Digger and Tony was using the Natural color lure.
Since it was his idea to use the Power Prawn USA Junior, I figured I’d give him a Gold Digger lure to use!
Not long after that, Tony hooked into the biggest tarpon we saw that day.
It came up and slurped down the Power Prawn USA Junior within inches of Tony’s kayak!
Mistakes To Avoid
A mistake I made early on this trip is not giving my rod enough leverage and space to “bow to the king”.
During the fight, the tarpon sped off fast in one direction,
Instead of relying on the drag and maintaining a solid bend in the rod, I dipped the rod down and that’s when the tarpon jumped.
So I did not have the time to “bow to the king”.
When a tarpon jumps, you need to give them some slack.
Otherwise, there will be too much tension in the line and their powerful headshakes will snap the line.
Retrieve & Rigging
I want to also highlight the retrieve that got it done on this trip.
It was not the same as if I was targeting redfish, snook, or trout.
For juvenile tarpon, a straight constant retrieve just below the surface is the ticket.
I had this lure rigged up on a 3/0 Hoss Helix Hook.
Next time I’m going to give the Hoss Football Jigheads a try because of their exposed hook.
A weedless presentation is not always the best for targeting juvenile tarpon.
Conclusion
What an amazing trip!
I never had as many tarpon strikes on artificial lures as I did on this trip.
If you’re ever out on a shallow flat and see juvenile tarpon rolling, go ahead and give the Power Prawn USA Junior in Gold Digger color a try!!
Do you have any other questions about the Power Prawn USA Junior shrimp lure?
Get the Power Prawn USA Junior Gold Digger
Let me know what you thought of this report down in the comments!!
What is your favorite artificial lure for catching juvenile tarpon?
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about my new favorite lure for juvenile tarpon, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Afternoon. I just came across this video. I’m still learning & interested because friend Joe invited me to the South Padre & Boca Chica jetties. He spotted them cruising area. Other locals familiar with this of time of year target Snook & Tarpon. He has caught both species on 1 oz silver spoons & Rattle Traps. This last pic I posted 5/16 was his 25″ snook caught yellow curly tail 1 oz jig. So I’m pumped & ready to follow suggestions by great coaches. I’m thinking Power Prawn jr. I caught my first 30″ snook on Rattle Trap year ago with him at S Padre jetty but got off right on the rocks.
What rod and reel setup would you recommend for Juvenile Tarpon?
Looked like a lot of fun catching the Tarpon! I’m still waiting on my first so thanks for the advice!
Thanks so much for making time to post the nice comment James! I hope you get your first tarpon soon.
Luke, most of the juvenile Tarpon I have been catching have been on a 2″ pearl or white curly tail grub on the Z-man 1/8oz football jig head. I am using a 7′ med action rod with 10lb braid and 20lb fluorocarbon leader. This has been in about 1′ to 1.5′ of water. A steady retrieve like you were using with the power prawn jr.
Thanks for making time to post the helpful comment Dell!
Awesome video. Great tip on the retrieve. Why didnt i try that earlier? 😳. I ran into a school like that this spring and didnt get a bite. Thew everything, but with a twitch twich pause. 🤦🏼 Thank you! I’ll get em next time!
I wish I could say I figured out that retrieve trick myself… I learned that while fishing with CA Richardson. The straight retrieve does shockingly better for tarpon, so I hope you get revenge on them next time you see some.
That’s pretty awesome! I hope to be in an area where they are one day and I’ll have what I need to go after them cause I keep plenty onboard 👍thanks for sharing the experience.. nice job !
Thanks so much for making time to post the nice comment Greg!
it’s great how versatile the power prawn series is. I’m looking forward to breaking in the new PP USA. The Brazilian prawns have been a solid tool in the arsenal thus far.
Thanks for posting the nice comment Ryan! I hope you like the PP USA as much as I do.
Huh kinda weird because the gild digger color I know was designed for murky water conditions and you guys usually fish clear water anyways I have caught 1 tarpon in my life a juvenile on a spook jr when I used to fish for bass off my ex niebors seawall in the greencove springs area of northeast FL and have hooked 2 more one at night on a live target suspending pilchard plug the other believe it or not on the last cast of the day because it was getting very rough that day on a spinnerbait pitched under a dock she went right thru the pilings and jumped on the other side throwing the spinnerbait the one at night on the plug was a monster would of been the biggest fish I caught it hit so hard it almost yanked the rod out of my hand I was at millcove one of my favorite areas fishing the lights shining from the damespoint bridge she took probably at least 75 almost 100 yards of line off for about 30 seconds before snapping my 20lb Berkley invisoline flour leader and when she came out of the water to jump when she came down it was like someone drove a truck off the bridge the ripple created by her entering the water again literally rocked my kayak I was shaking for about an hour after that I estimated her weight at about 100 to 150lbs biggest fish I ever hooked for sure but my tackle isn’t set up for tarpon and besides I’m a fish eater unlike you guys that catch and release if it’s legal and I haven’t gotten my limit yet I fillet and release ha ha besides tarpon are not good table fare but like ladyfish will test your tackle no I’ll stick with my northeast fl slams reds trout and flounder better eating and alot of fun as well thanks for the info and all you do😉
Tarpon sure are exciting given how crazy they go once hooked and how strong they are. I do fish a lot of clear to moderately clear water, but I also get a good amount of murky water conditions too while traveling around and after lots of runoff. So this gold digger color is something I now always have ready for action when faced with darker water.
Luke, jr tarpon are great fun but I noticed you were in a different boat. I am in the market for a kayak for fishing and so far like the Hobie Compas. What were you on in this video and do you have any thoughts?
Tim
Hobie’s are tough to beat for fishing kayaks. I was fishing off my L2Fish paddleboard, which I believe is tough to beat for paddleboard fishing. Here’s a link to see a review I did on it a while back: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/l2fish-paddleboard-review/
I use my flyrod a lot on those Juvenile Tarpon. Lures they really like are the 3/0 Clouser in Green and 3/0 Puglasi in Green or Black. Good tip on the Golddigger with the exposed hook. Hooksets are difficult due to their very bony mouths.
Thanks for sharing the tips on fly selection! I’ll make sure to bring my flyrod out there next time.