Kayak Fishing the Silver King

by Randy Morrow

Alex Tejeda from Miami caught this monster on a live crab in Biscayne Bay. Photo by Andy Mill, the famous Keys tarpon guru. 

It’s spring in the Keys, and that means tarpon season is kicking into gear. It may sound risky, or even foolish, to target such large fish from a vessel as small as a kayak, but, with a little planning, it can be done safely and sensibly.

The first thing to realize about tarpon is that there are two basic types - smaller, “resident” fish in the range of 10 to 40 pounds, and larger, migratory fish that weigh 50 to well over 100 pounds. Tarpon are a very slow growing fish, and the smaller, resident tarpon tend to be loyal to an area during the early years of their life. This is great for us kayak fisher folk because the same fish will be in the same areas for many years, and as long as they don’t get too much fishing pressure (hint, hint), we can revisit these hangouts and find them over and over. And by the way, these juvenile tarpon hot spots are some of the most coveted information in the local fishing community, so when you find one, ZIP YOUR LIP! In contrast, the larger, migratory tarpon arrive in the spring and hang around until mid-June, when they continue their migration up the coasts of Florida. Fishing these two types of tarpon from a kayak requires different methods, which we’ll cover now.

The small tarpon are usually pretty willing to eat well presented artificial lures and flies. My favorite lure at the moment is a 5” soft jerk shad on a 3/0 wide gap worm hook. It floats, and can be kept just above and in front of a fish for an extended period without sinking. But, I hear reports of many different artificials working well, as long as they stay high in the water column. I recommend staying away from treble hooks, though. It’s tough to plant a treble hook in the bony jaw of a tarpon, and tough to safely remove from their mouth at boatside. If the fish are in deeper water, I might switch to a paddletail or grub tail, but usually with a very light 1/8 oz. jig head—again, to keep it from bombing to the bottom. I’ll usually rig any of these with a rod length of 40# fluorocarbon leader, because I do plan to land and release these smaller tarpon, and the 40# gets the job done nicely. If you want to throw a live bait, a big fat shrimp is almost guaranteed to get a strike. Hook the shrimp through the horns on the front, drop it in front of a poon, and hang on! The problem with shrimp is that snappers will many times get to it before the tarpon, and then your cover is blown as you fight the snapper. Night fishing at local bridges is also very productive for the smaller fish, but plan your outing with safety as a top priority. Wear your PFD. Have a bright, waterproof headlamp with fresh batteries. Don’t anchor in stiff current, nor where boat traffic will run you over. 

Targeting large tarpon requires some forethought. Night fishing in a kayak for these brutes is asking for trouble. Please don’t take this task lightly! I strongly recommend fishing for these monsters during sunrise/daylight hours, with a buddy along in case things get dicey. Wear your PFD. These fish can commonly be 120 to 150 pounds and have strength and endurance that is shocking to the uninitiated. A big tarpon can easily tow you out to sea, or tow you miles from where you hook them, and this could last for HOURS in a light vessel like a kayak. Even though you’d love to get a picture with a monster poon to show your buddies, it’s not a good idea. Fighting a tarpon all the way to exhaustion means the fish probably won’t survive the ordeal. And another player will show up sooner or later as you wrestle your big tarpon - MR. SHARK (as in 300-pound bull sharks and hammerhead sharks up to fifteen feet in length). If any of you doubt the seriousness of what I’m saying, just YouTube tarpon / shark / Florida Keys and you’ll see what a shark will do to a tired tarpon next to a powerboat. Now imagine that type of thing in a kayak. Yikes! So I’ll rig my leader pretty light - 20# - and plan for the raspy jaws of the tarpon to wear through the leader after a few runs and jumps. Better for the angler and better for the fish. Another method is to use very thin hooks (“mosquito” hooks) and just tighten down your drag and point your rod tip at the fish and let them straighten the hook with their next surge. The same artificial baits will work for the big tarpon, and the trend lately is definitely smaller, both in lures and flies. But, for some almost guaranteed action, live bait is hard to beat. My favorite live baits for the big fish in the channels are live pinfish and blue crabs. Since the big fish are usually in deeper water, I’ll rig a small float about 3 feet up the line from a 4/0 hook and drift the crab or pinfish along with the current in an area where the fish are rolling. Also, I like a monofilament main line for this to cushion the shock of the fish’s head shakes. Keep your attention focused, because a big tarpon can easily yank the rod right out of your hand in this situation! 

Other than sharks, big tarpon are the strongest, largest fish that us kayakers can target close to shore. So, eat your Wheaties, grab your heavy rods, and go have some fun with these hard-fighting sport fish from your little plastic boat! 

---

---

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Randy Morrow - FishMonster Magazine