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| | | Tarpon Tackle | | By CAPT. BRENT GASKILL |
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| |  | | If tarpon tackle is all those long stout rods with 4/0’s loaded with 50-pound monofilament racked up in your garage, then you’ve been around tarpon fishing for awhile. They only get dusted off and used this time of year for slinging shad. (If you’re not familiar with shad, keep reading)* If your beach rod is 9-feet long and has floating squidding line, a long leader, and a real cork float, then you’re a certified Old Timer to tarpon fishing. The whole outfit is designed to make a “cracker cast”. (If you’re not familiar with cracker casting, keep reading)* Tarpon tackle has evolved over the years and recent gains in technology have opened the door for many new anglers to the sport. Spinning rods are now the norm as they are easier to handle to make that critical cast. | |
To learn more about these current trends I spoke with Larry Mastry of Mastry’s Tackle, a name synonymous with tarpon fishing in the Tampa Bay area.
Larry suggests that the advent of braided lines is what really got the whole thing started. “The smaller diameter of the braids gave large spinning reels more line capacity than spooling them with mono” he began. The added casting distance of braid gave an even greater advantage. “40-pound mono just never cast very well from a spinning reel” he went on, “50-pound braid with the diameter of 12-pound comes off the reel smooth and easy giving that increased distance”.
Rod and reel manufactures have also kept pace with tackle to keep up with the braids. “Spinning reels are being built with more gear power and larger drags” Larry adds and “spinning rods have greater backbone combined with tips for better casting”. When making a decision on choosing the right tarpon rod Larry has a few considerations to think about. “I like an 8-foot rod for added distance” he says, “but a 7-footer will give you better leverage”. “A stiffer tip will give you a more solid hook-set” but concedes that a “lighter tip will pitch smaller baits better”. One things for sure, “you need lifting power with a strong but section when tarpon fishing”. “It’s very common to see people fighting tarpon for extended periods of time because they’re under gunned with tackle and don’t have the power of the rod to lift the fish from any depth.”
The last element of technology that has changed the world of tarpon fishing is often overlooked or taken for granted. “Better quality high carbon hooks that are sharp right out of the package have greatly improved the hooked-to-landed ratio” says Larry. It used to be that if you landed a third of the fish you hooked you were doing pretty well. Now most average better than 50-percent and no one carries a hook sharpener anymore.
Of course leader material also factors into the whole equation somewhere as well. Back with the old school ways leaders were often 7-strand cable, or 150-pound mono. “Now” Larry says, “the norm seems to be 80-pound fluorocarbon with the new spinning rod concept”.
Over the years fishing has changed. The old ways still work, but the new wave of better equipment has allowed more people to enjoy the sport of tarpon fishing. “Bigger fish have been caught because of better tackle” Larry concludes. “Everyone can cast a spinning rod and it has provided opportunities that weren’t available in the past.”
Mastry’s Tackle is located at 1700 4th Street South in St. Petersburg, 727-896-8889. Larry or Dale Mastry has a wealth of knowledge and experience with a family history of tarpon fishing in Tampa Bay and can assist in making any tackle decisions to fit your style or needs.
Capt. Brent Gaskill is a full-time guide in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at 727-510-1009. Capt. Brent’s web site can be viewed at www.summervacationcharters.com for more charter fishing information.
*Tarpon Dictionary
Slinging Shad- the act of casting six or eight rods out baited with dead menhaden in a full circle around the boat.
Cracker Cast- a method of casting live baits great distances by whipping it in a 360-degree fashion overhead. Similar to cracking a whip.
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