Boca Grande Pass

     Boca Grande Pass is the inlet between Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. During the spring and summer months, thousands of anglers and tens of thousands of tarpon migrate to Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass. The tarpon use Boca Grande Pass to feed and mingle with other tarpon while preparing to spawn. The anglers migrate to Boca Grande Pass to test their mettle again the some of the largest and toughest tarpon in the world. The prespawn tarpon of Boca Grande are known to be the some of strongest due to the high protein diet of crabs that the tarpon feed on during the strong "hill" tide that occur during the new and full moons. The deep 70-80 ft of water and strong currents of Boca Grande Pass also makes catching large tarpon a challenging task. Most tarpon fishing in other areas is done in 10-20 ft of water.

Jig Fishing for Tarpon

      Fishing for tarpon with jigs in Boca Grande Pass is a technique by which anglers drop heavy jigs into the dense spawning schools of tarpon and intentionally and unintentionally foul hook the tarpon on the outer jaw or face. A large J or circle hook is attached to the lead head with a very short bite leader. Only mono or fluorocarbon line is used. The anglers locate the schools with a fish finder and position the boat directly above the school. The anglers are instructed to drop the 4-6 oz jigs to the bottom and reel up one crank. The tarpon are positioned above the jig and will bump into the clear line. The angler feels a bump on the line and is instructed to reel as fast as possible. The reels that are used are high speed 6.1:1 gear ratios and will pull the lead with the hook attached though the dense tarpon school until it catches on the face of the tarpon. It is a technique made very popular the past few years due to high profile tournaments aired on local and national television shows. Because one must position their boat directly on top of the schools of tarpon, it is considered very rude to fish for tarpon with jigs in the shallower depths along the edges of Boca Grande Pass. Jig fishing for tarpon isn't effective in depths of more than 30 feet. Its best to cast bait or just leave the tarpon schools alone if you encounter the schools in less than 30ft and your not prepared to switch from jigs to bait. 

     There are three reasons that I no longer jig fish for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass.  First, I don't feel like foul hooking tarpon is as sporting as fooling the tarpon into eating your bait.  Secondly, the popularity TV shows have created the impression that jig fishing is easy and consequently has increased the numbers of anglers who target tarpon with jigs. Some of these new jig anglers are rude and very aggressive with their boats. Lastly, the technique of jig fishing for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass is rude to other anglers who want to fish live bait. In order to foul hook a tarpon with a jig in the deep water of Boca Grande Pass, the captain of the boat must drive the boat directly on top of the tarpon schools so that the anglers can drop the jigs into the fish. This will run over the line of the live bait fishermen since the proper way to live bait the tarpon schools is to either drift though or cast into the schools.

Live Bait Fishing for Tarpon

  

  Live bait fishing for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass can be done a number of ways. The traditional guides and anglers use drift boats to slowly drift along the ledges. Drift boats usually fish the afternoon and evenings because they are less maneuverable when the pass is crowded during the day. The drift boats use very heavy line and J hooks. Drift boats use a number of types of live bait. Crabs, shrimp, squirrel fish, pinfish and mutton minnows are some of the baits that traditional Boca Grande drift boat use to fish for tarpon. Fishing off a drift boat is a good choice for the novice angler looking to catch their first tarpon. The boats are comfortable and the captain uses the boat and the heavy tackle to hook and manuaver the tarpon the to surface.

     You can also sight fish for tarpon in and around Boca Grande Pass with spinning tackle. When the tarpon move out of the deep holes of the pass they sometimes gather in relatively shallow water and the best way to catch them is by free lining live bait. Crabs and threadfin herring are most commonly used baits.  Spinning tackle is also a good choice for drift fishing when using a boat with a outboard engine. Outboard powered boats don't drift the same as the traditional drift boats so the fishing techniques are somewhat different but the theory is the same. The captain must position the boat up stream of the fishing and drift though the area where are tarpon are holding. Use enough weight to get the bait of choice down where the tarpon are and wait for the bite. Use either a circle hook or a J hook. With an outboard powered boat you do not use the boat to "set" the hook.

     I mostly use spinning tackle to sight fish and drift fish in Boca Grande Pass. I also have heavy braided spooled onto my old jig fishing rods for drift fishing during the "hill tides" when Boca Grande Pass is very crowded. When fishing for large tarpon in a fairly small place like Boca Grande Pass it is very important and respectful to others that you control your tarpon an leader it in a timely manner. The use of heavy tackle and using your boat to stay on top of your hooked tarpon is critical. There are a lot of sharks in Boca Grande Pass which prey on hooked tarpon. The use of heavy tackle helps keep the fight time under 30 minutes. Save the light tackle and lines for the flats.

 

 Jig fishing for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass.

Live bait fishing for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass.

Check out tarpon reports from Boca Grande:                Tarpon Fishing Report