- Jason Prieto

With the weather starting to finally level out and cold fronts turning mild, the water temperature rises. With warmer water temperatures come big schools of bait. Not far behind the bait are the schools of Tarpon. Preparation is just as important as finding that secret spot when fishing for Tarpon. Since they are the strongest, biggest and smartest of all inshore species you have to be prepared.

Preparation starts before you ever leave the house. Let’s talk about what gear to use. You need a big spinning reel that will hold at least 250 yards of 50lb line, has a good drag system and is able to hold up to 30 lbs of drag tension. I like the Daiwa 5000 Exceller. Your rods should be in the 30 to 50lb range with plenty of backbone. 50lb Fins Braided PRT line will bring most trophy fish to the boat. I use 60 to80lb Ohero fluorocarbon line for leader but monofilament will work. Leader size will vary depending on water clarity and how picky the fish are. I tie a no name knot with no swivel and a Spider Hitch or Bimini Twist just above the leader. Be prepared for the big fish, you don’t want to lose it from tackle failure.

Once you have purchased and rigged the right tackle, it’s time to hit the water. Picking the days you target these fish is another very important tactic. A good place to start is to schedule your Tarpon trips on the weeks around the new and full moons. These are the strongest tides of the month and that is when you will have a crab flush. You can easily figure good tide days by purchasing a tide book at most tackle stores for about $12.

Now that you have got the right gear and you have picked the perfect day, all you have to do is find the fish! This can be tough at times, but not impossible. Most of the bridges throughout Tampa Bay are a seasonal home to Tarpon. Drifting a big Threadfin, Greenback, and Pinfish under the shadow line of the bridge is a deadly tactic that I often use. Big pods of fish are commonly seen just off the beaches. Sight casting is a very affective technique, but a stealthy approach is a must. The last areas to target the Silver King are the passes along the beaches. Tarpon use the passes as feeding stations.All types of baitfish are flushed in and out of the passes. A favorite Tarpon bait that is flushed by thetide is pass crabs. They are by far the favorite tarpon bait and are very plentiful in most of the mainpasses along the beaches.

Captain Jason Prieto is a native resident of Tampa and has fished Tampa Bay and its surrounding waters for the past 20 years. He is owner and operator of Steady Action Fishing Charters, which is based out of lower Tampa Bay. To book a charter, you can reach him at 813-727-9890 or www.steadyactionfishingcharters.com. If you would like to catch him on the radio tune into Tampa Fishing Outfitters Radio Show on Saturday mornings from 7AM to 9AM on 1010 CBS Sports radio. Tight lines!!!!