Tarpon Fishing

[ACinEastTN]

I will be honeymooning in about four months, is that even a word? We plan to go to Mexico and I plan on fishing some while there. The question I have is about the hardware neccessary for these fish. I don't know if a 10wt. tod will be enough or is 12wt. too much. Also, what length should I be using. I know the reel is very important in fighting fish this size. Would it be wise to divide my funds up to accomodate a more espensive reel and less so for the rod? Any recommendations on reel brands and length/wt for the rod would be great.

[Rockyraccoon]

Will you be selling any of your fishing gear before or after the honeymoon?

I mean, it's better than just letting it collect dust.

hehehe

[DrewDelashmit]

The size of the tackle really depends entirely on the size of the fish that you are chasing. If you are targeting babies (up to 30lbs) in a place such as Campeche an eight or nine weight is perfectly adequate. If you are planning to target bigger fish, I would suggest an 11wt. I find that people, especially when not used to handling tarpon size gear, can handle an 11 much better than a 12. There is really very little difference in the way the two weights fight fish, but people are usually more accurate casters with the 11. A 10wt can be a great tarpon tool, but on large fish I feel that they can only be used effectively by experienced tarpon fisherman when fighting a fish. No matter what, I would only get a 9 ft rod, in fact it is hard to find a tarpon rod that isn't 9 ft.

A good reel is very important when fighting tarpon. Abels, Tibors, Van Staal are all great reels. There are also other good reels that aren't quite as much money, Nautilus comes to mind. The most important thing to have is a smooth drag that has a drag knob that can be easily adjusted during the fight. I often will allow a fish to make its first run and series of jumps on a lighter drag setting and gradually add pressure as the fight progresses.

Go to the shop and talk to Byron and Paula. I am sure they can find an outfit that will fit both your budget and your needs. Post a report and some pictures when you get back.

Drew Delashmit