Boca Grande Tarpon Fishing With Captain Erick Joseph
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Welcome Aboard :I'm Captain Erick Joseph A full time Boca Grande Fishing Guide.
Boca Grande is known worldwide for being the tarpon capital of the world. Beginning in April, depending on water temperature, a large migration of Tarpon. will come from the south and start their move into all the bays and passes looking for food and shelter.
Fishing Boca Grande in the spring is one of the best times to fish for Tarpon. This is the time of year we have the most fish and the best weather to catch them. When fishing the beaches where large schools of Tarpon move up and down the beach, I use live bait most of the time consisting of small crabs and thread-fin. " artificial bait works well at times" it’s a game of chase and wait. This style of fishing is very exiting as you will see pods of rolling monsters that average 100-130 lbs.
Another way to fish for the great silver king Tarpon is to head for the Boca Grande pass. Again we use live bait, and a technique called jigging . Over the last years this technique has caused some controversy, an more than a few feuds among guides and conservationist as many consider it snagging. The pass does hold large schools of fish, and at times it is full of boats so this can diminish some of the excitement of the chase .
“ Hill Tide ” the most sought after dates.
An event during the new and full moons of May, June, and early July During these tides, hundreds of thousands of crabs better known as Pass crabs let loose and let the tide carry them out to sea right through Boca Grande Pass. The tarpon know it and head to the Hill to stage a feeding frenzy like you have never seen. It’s truly a phenomenon. This presents a remarkable time to have many hook ups the feeding Tarpon will rarely turn down a live crab.
Another approach is to chase them up in Charlotte harbor away from the crowds, where you can use artificial or live bait. I still find it a real thrill to hook a tarpon that is over 6 feet in length while it jumps over 6 feet in less than 2 feet of water.
Also, Day or night fishing the bridges is very productive as they are known to use the pears to ambush the many types of bait that is flushed trough by the tides. live bait works great however its a great time to trick them into striking artificial s. Some nights we are the only one fishing the Boca Grande Tarpon and we have them all to ourselves.
As late June comes around and the world famous Boca Grande Tarpon tournaments wind down, many of the seasonal fisherman begin to leave the waters of Charlotte Harbor and its estuaries. At the same time the Tarpon also begin to leave, but thousands of fish stay and June - September by far the best time to catch a fish of a life time.