By Ben Hale…
If you have ever dreamed of catching monster Tarpon, but have never known where to go, look no further than the Boca Grande pass in Florida. The Boca Grande Pass in the spring is the Tarpon Fishing Capital of the World.
Each spring, The Boca Grande Pass is a regular resting place for these migrating giants and if you are there in late April, through May, you are in for a Tarpon fishing experience of a lifetime. My experience while fishing the pass was one that I will never forget.
We stayed at the Boca Grande Resort which is a great place right on the water with comfortable accommodations and a staff that couldn’t have been nicer. They arranged for us to fish with legendary tarpon guide Mark Futch and we were not disappointed. Mark would pick us up at the Resort dock at sundown and we would motor out to the pass for a full night of incredible action.
We set the boat at the head of the pass to drift through and dropped several lines featuring live shrimp down to the bottom. The wait wasn’t long as the feel of a gentle tug on the line was the sign to set the hook. When the hook was set, all hell would break loose as these fish immediately take to the air to shake the hook and when you have a 100 plus silver king on the end of your line, it is really something special. We caught some true monsters on that trip with one fish estimated to be at least 160lbs.
One of the best things about fishing the Boca Grande Pass is the fact that you basically fish at night so you have the whole day to experience all of the other things Boca Grande has to offer. We played golf all day, took an afternoon nap, had an early dinner, and headed out to fish for monster tarpon at night.
Tarpon Fishing in Boca Grande is one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime. Nowhere else on earth is there such a concentrated field – and large ones at that. The tarpon in Boca Grande Pass average 85lbs, but 200lb fish are landed here as well. From the novice to the professional sports fisherman, anyone can catch a mighty “Silver King” in Boca Grande Pass. It is the experience of the Captain that makes the difference.
http://www.thebocagranderesort.com/fishing.html
