High-grade the day for a near-sure bet on giant Keys tarpon.
By
Pat Ford
Updated: April 29, 2013
Spring Run: Each year, thousands of tarpon show up in Florida Keys waters in an ancient migration that anglers have eagerly anticipated for decades.
Silver Fliers: Tarpon are prodigious leapers when hooked, almost always putting on an incredible acrobatic display.
Live Bait Reigns: You can catch tarpon many ways, but it’s tough to beat live bait, and live crabs are one of their favorites. Tarpon will eat many types of finfish too, of course, but crabs offer an advantage in that they don’t attract barracudas, as live fish surely can, plus you sometimes catch a permit on a crab.Joe Mahler
Live bait is the most productive way to fish, and big crabs are preferred because the jacks, snappers and junk fish leave them alone.
Bucket Mouth: A huge mouth enables tarpon to suck baits in as they swim by, but they’ll crash baits with great force at times.
