A school of tarpon arrived in Lake Mysteriosa yesterday and we were there at sunrise to greet them. They were mostly 50-60 pound class but there were some older ones too, including one of about ninety pounds landed by Jeff Wyman after a 45 minute battle. Bill Chorske jumped four before the action slowed under the high sun. That’s Bill in the photo at left. Today Bill and I went back to the Black Lagoon to mess with the juveniles, (it takes one to know one,) and jumped a whole bunch, landed a few, broke a few off and picked up a couple of bonus snook. All the fresh water from Arlene has reduced the salinity, stunned the baitfish, and the tarpon love it.
The guiding season is about to slow down even though some of the best fishing is happening at this time of year. I’ll be going to the Cape for stripers on July first, I’ll be back on the thirteenth, my friends are bugging me to go to Homassassa in late July for Giants and then down to Big Pine and the Content Keys for bonefish and permit. Mitch, one of my USA Shooting teammates, lives on Biscayne Bay and wants me to bring my skiff over there to chase bonefish, and I’m still dangling that Montana Worm in front of my brother Alan, for October. My friend Kris has offered me his Mountain Redoubt in the Delaware Valley for August, it would be great to spend some time on the West Branch, my old stomping grounds, fishing trico’s in the morning and the pale evening duns at sunset, not to mention the white fly hatch on the upper Susquehenna for smallmouth. So many fish, so little time! Once again it’s been a great season, we’ve probed deeper into the tarpon realm than ever before, it hasn’t been easy but it’s been rewarding! We’ve jumped tarpon on every go-out since the first of April, totaling nearly a hundred hook ups. Many thanks to my brother Alan, Tom Hartman, Tony Robertson, Jeff Wyman, Dr. Dan Newman, Keith Calhoun, Jerry McKnight, Shannon Norris, Tim Rutledge, Dino and ‘Big D’ Messina, Bill Chorske, Mike Rolek, and all the rest of you who toughed it out on the slow days. Thank you all for your dedication, your sportsmanship and your love of fishing “far and fine with the long rod.” Stay in touch because, despite the wealth of opportunities, on most days this summer, I’ll be right here in Everglades and ready to fish.