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