This is the month that I wait for all year long, the beginning of tarpon fishing season along our beaches. While tarpon are gathering along our beaches, snook will be doing the same thing in passes and in the surf. Reds will be actively feeding along mangrove shorelines, in potholes and along sandbars in bays and backcountry areas. Deep grass flats should also have lots of variety with trout, bluefish, pompano and more.
 

Tarpon fishing along our beaches will kick off early in the month and come on strong by the middle of the month. You might also find them in bays early in the month as resident tarpon and early arriving migratory fish gather in bays and backcountry areas. Look for them rolling or “laid up”, sitting just below the surface, when it is calm. Migratory fish will be traveling in a lane just off our beaches. In the Sarasota area, many tarpon schools are heading south towards Boca Grande Pass, but some will be northbound towards Tampa Bay. Look for tarpon schools at first light along areas of rocky bottom. The area from Point of Rocks on Siesta Key south to Grassy Point on Casey Key is one of my favorite areas.
 

Most tarpon will follow the same route, so once you’ve spotted a school, set up in that area and another school may be traveling the same route. To be successful at tarpon fishing you have to be patient. Use trolling motors sparingly and don’t run your outboard within a couple hundred yards of tarpon schools. Set up in front of schools of tarpon and take a shot at them as they pass you. After they have passed you, let them get a couple hundred yards past you and then you can leapfrog around them and get another shot further down the beach. I prefer to run offshore of tarpon schools when setting up for a second shot at them. I use a 12-weight fly rod with an intermediate line for fishing deep water (10’ to 20’) and a floating line with an intermediate sink tip for fishing shallow water from 3’ to 7’ or 8’. I use a 20 or 25-pound tippet of mono or fluorocarbon with an 80-pound fluorocarbon bit tippet. Top producing flies are Enrico Puglisi baitfish patterns, bunny flies, Toads and Deceivers. Black or dark flies work best, although chartreuse may work well in the middle of the day.
 

Keep your eyes open for tripletail and cobia while fishing the coastal gulf for tarpon. Cobia may be cruising on the surface, following rays or hanging around crab trap floats and buoys. Tripletail may be hanging around crab trap floats, buoys or floating debris. Tarpon tackle with is perfect for cobia, but you might want to carry an 8 or 9-weight fly rod for tripletail. A floating line with a crab pattern, shrimp pattern or a bendback, like my Flats Minnow, will work well for tripletail.

Snook season closes this month so any snook caught must be quickly released. The closure from May through August protects snook when they are congregated in passes to spawn. You’ll find snook in passes, in the surf and around docks and bridges close to passes this month. Snook spawn during the strong tides surrounding the full and new moons when their fertilized eggs are carried by the tide. Flies fished on intermediate sink tip lines work well in the surf and around docks and bridges. Small white flies work best at night and those flies may also work in the surf. Clousers, Deceivers and Enrico Puglisi baitfish patterns will also work at night around docks and bridges and in the surf.
 

Reds and big trout will be found in skinny water feeding along mangrove shorelines and around sand and oyster bars. Due to more water on flats and more plentiful baitfish, reds will spend more time feeding on the flats. With more water on flats, reds may be harder to find. In the winter when tides are very low, you may only need to fish 30% or 40% of the water to find fish but when there is a lot of water on the flats you’ll need to fish 100% of the water to locate fish.          A Clouser fly, which fishes like a small jig, can be used to cover water to find fish. A spoon fly is another good fly to cover water to find reds. When fly fishing, start with shorter casts and lengthen your casts to cover water rather than make long casts first. Although you may be blind casting to locate fish, you should always have a target when you cast. Focus on nervous baitfish, mullet schools, seams where grass and sand meet and shadow lines along mangrove shorelines. You might be able to sight fish for reds over light colored bottom, such as sandbars and potholes.
 

You’ll find trout, ladyfish, bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats close to passes. Cast flies on intermediate or intermediate sink tip fly lines ahead of your drift to locate fish. Once you’ve located them, you can shorten your drift to the area where fish are concentrated. You may also find bluefish, pompano or Spanish mackerel in passes. Cast with flies on intermediate lines or drift with the tide and use faster sinking lines in deeper portions of passes to find fish. Bluefish and mackerel will also strike fly poppers. I use Clouser flies tied with Ultra Hair when targeting toothy fish or fish with rough mouths. You might also need to use heavy fluorocarbon (60-pound) or tieable wire to prevent being cut off by toothy fish.
 

There are plenty of options this month. If battling a big tarpon isn’t your cup of tea, then there are lots of fish to be caught on the flats. I’ll be tarpon fishing this month unless conditions won’t allow it. Whatever you choose to do, remember to always limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

(941) 923-7799

E-mail snookfin@aol.com