Tarpon Tactics: Where, When, & How To Catch The Silver King
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Tarpon are one of the hardest fish to hook into…
And even harder to land.
They are strong, thrash and jump, have super tough mouths, and fight extremely hard.
But the excitement of landing a tarpon is a feeling like no other!
In this episode, Capt. Tyler Kapela breaks down all of his best tips, tactics, and guide secrets to hooking up with more tarpon.
You’ll learn:
- The best spots to catch tarpon
- What baits work for tarpon and the secret to hooking them
- The gear you need to be successful
- What times of the year are most productive to fish for tarpon
- The biggest mistakes anglers make when fighting tarpon
- And much more.
If you want to land more tarpon this year, then you’ve got to hear this!
Check it out below!
You can watch the video version of this podcast below (which I definitely recommend), listen to the audio version by clicking the play button underneath it, or listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Tarpon Fishing Tactics [VIDEO]
Click here to join the Insider Club
Tarpon Fishing Tactics [PODCAST]
Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Click here to join the Insider Club
Related Podcasts:
- HOW TO FIND 90% OF ALL FEEDING FISH IN YOUR AREA (90/10 FISHING RULE)
- THE ULTIMATE PRE-TRIP PLANNING BLUEPRINT (USING ONLINE MAPS)
Timestamped Table Of Contents:
- 1:54 – Tarpon move around a lot so where do you find them?
- 2:33 – The insane migration of tarpon
- 2:50 – Can tarpon live in golf course ponds?
- 3:54 – Juvenile tarpon spots
- 4:25 – Tarpon seasons
- 6:19 – Best spots to fish for tarpon early in the season
- 8:08 – Bays, beaches, and bridges (what to look for)
- 10:40 – What is a daisy chain and why it’s important?
- 14:08 – Exact spots to find tarpon during peak season
- 16:44 – Biggest mistakes to avoid to land a tarpon
- 17:34 – How the weather affects tarpon
- 20:25 – Why night fishing is so productive for tarpon
- 22:10 – When to change up your bait
- 24:32 – How to present your bait for more strikes
- 26:40 – How to cast outside of a daisy chain
- 34:47 – Using a cork as a bait presenter instead of a strike indicator
- 35:56 – The secret trick to keeping your live bait in place
- 38:15 – What size hook to use for tarpon
- 39:45 – The bait that nobody uses but should
- 40:04 – Best tarpon rod features
- 40:45 – Why you should bow to the king (and what NOT to do)
- 43:18 – What size reel you should use for tarpon (get it here)
- 46:02 – How heavier line can save your fish
- 47:50 – The importance of drag management during a tarpon fight
- 50:02 – This is how to avoid sharks when fighting a tarpon
- 56:41 – What size of crab should you use?
- 59:32 – How you hook the crab matters big time
- 1:05:30 – If you only have a small window to fish, this is when you need to go
- 1:08:01 – The best way to prepare your crabs for tarpon bait (the crab dab)
Conclusion
Tarpon are easily one of the most sought-after fish to catch by anglers…
And Capt. Tyler Kapela seems to have it dialed in!
Be sure to follow Capt. Tyler on Instagram for updates on where the tarpon are and who’s landing them.
And if you want to catch your own tarpon, book your Hit and Run Fishing Charter with Capt. Tyler here!
Do you have a great success story about catching a tarpon?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone that really wants to catch a tarpon this year, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
P.S. Want access to our best fishing spots and tips, plus discounts to our online tackle store? Click here to join us in the Insider Club!
Related articles:
Related categories:
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).
Now this was one heck of a great Podcast. So many great lessons I keep finding on SS. This needs to be published again. Fantastic.
caught a tarpon when i was 7 years old with m Ucles. Which i had the photo to prove my case. Anyway i fell like im coming full circle. and i need un expert to help me.
This is so packed with info that I had to watch it twice and I’m going to listen again with a note pad. GREAT guest!
Thanks Marc! Glad you enjoyed it!
uni knot tip to keep live bait on hook was the money tip since tarpon fishing is scarce in my area
Amazing stuff!!! This is the one I have been waiting for. Hopefully Salt Strong askes Tyler to join the coaching team AND he accepts. I learned more in this one-hour podcast than I ever did in 20 years chasing them on my own. Thank you so much. I do have one question though when fishing the beaches: I have figured out that when they’re ‘grey-hounding’ just let them go because they won’t eat, but will you only fish them when they’re daisy-chaining? How about the ones that are moving in a definite direction, but not with the speed of grey-hounding fish. Ya…I struggled last year more than ever; especially trying to learn fishing for them in Clearwater instead of St Pete.
Every fish is worth a cast. Grey hounding tarpon will eat but you have to lead them by a lot and the strike zone is small. Fish that are moving into the current are much more likely to eat than fish that are swimming the same direction as the current. Whether they’re moving fast, slow, in a certain direction, meandering, or daisy chaining you have a shot. You just have to pound them so
E times.
One of the beat videos you have done. The captain seems to be a first class guy. Thanks
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Always great when you interview one of the ‘Real Deal’ guys that do it for a living. What a fountain of knowledge Tyler brings to the table… And, you just scratched the surface.
Thanks Art!
Really good podcast and lots of good info. One question. You didn’t talk about artificial lures for tarpon off the beaches. Any thoughts on what lures work and any changes to the technique or tackle.
My go to lures are a DOA bait buster and a hogy (or zman with similar style). Leading the fish and not lining them first like I mentioned in the podcast are key.
Great stuff! I love that uni stopper idea!