I'm Capt. Scott Hughes and I am the owner and operator of Blackwater Charters. I first became interested in tarpon fishing as a youngster. I grew up on the shores of Lake Okeechobee and I would commonly see tarpon rolling in the Calusahatchee River where the river connects with the lake. My fist trip to Boca Grande was around this same time period and my dad and I would camp on the beach next to the phosphate dock and we would dream of hooking the monsters than would lay under the lights at night. I didn't land my fist tarpon until I was about 20 year old and ever since I've been hooked on tarpon fishing. For the past 13 years I've made a living as a fishing guide specializing in tarpon fishing on the West Coast of Florida. I have successfully pursued tarpon from the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, 10,000 Islands, Southeast Atlantic Ocean and Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande. In 2001 I relocated my business to Charlotte Harbor from the 10,000 Islands because of the quality and length of the tarpon run in Southwest Florida.  Although I can target tarpon for 12 months out of the year I mainly fish for them from April until November.  The rest of the year I fish for snook, redfish, speckled trout and a variety of other species that inhabit the flats of Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound.

Beach fishing for tarpon near Boca Grande

     Catching a large adult tarpon is the catch of a life time and anglers from all over the world will travel great distances to accomplish this dream. Florida is a top destination for trophy tarpon fishing with the southwest coast and the keys being the mot popular.  This website is designed to help anglers learn more about more about fishing for tarpon on the West Coast of Florida.  I will cover fishing for tarpon in Charlotte Harbor, Tampa Bay and the 10,000 Islands in detail and will compare and contrast each estuary as well as touch on the biology and history of fishing for tarpon in Florida.

Fishing for tarpon in Southwest and Central Florida

Fishing for tarpon in Southwest Florida

Fly fishing for tarpon in Boca Grande and Charlotte Harbor