False one or two tarpon roll and other days the reflection on the water from a school of tarpon showing their mirror like bodies will practically blind you. With that much silver who needs gold. Make sure you have quality tackle when targeting tarpon. Most anglers are using all circle hooks these days when tarpon fishing. Circle hooks do not harm the fish. Tarpon have a bucket shaped mouth, which is hard, and abrasive, so make sure you set the hook as it penetrates the mouth’s bony structure, otherwise they will spit the hook and your tarpon will be gone. The art of setting the hook with circle hooks is just that, an art. Be prepared to let the fish take your offering and WAIT until you feel the fish start to tighten the line. That is an indicator the hook point is lodged. At that point, swing the rod back one or two times firmly setting the hook in place. Do not attempt to set the hook like some guy on television using a noodle rod, to enact drama into the hook set. Your hook set is very important and your first point of introduction to your most recent adversary, the tarpon. Just to recap, when your beach fishing around other boats it is best to work together with one another. All is takes is one boat operator racing through a school of fish to screw the entire pod of fish up for the rest of the day. Everyone can get their shot at getting their baits into the schools of fish, if they show patience and stay quiet. Electric motors are a must when stalking fish on the area beaches. Loud outboard motors can be heard for great distances, scaring the fish. When you release your fish, take the extra time to make sure the fish is revived and in good shape before you release it. Take a quick photo of the fish in the water. Do not drag the fish onto the boat at any time, these fish are large, strong and will break bones, your bones. Tarpon fishing is very addicting. The fight of a tarpon at the end of your line is among the most awesome of experiences known in the world of sportfishing. They are known for their initial jumps and their powerful long runs. Fished properly, they as a species will deliver for decade’s unmatched excitement to all who wish to pursue them, for years to come. When you go tarpon fishing be sure to bring polarized sunglasses, sunblock, a hat, rubber soled shoes any color but black soles and plenty to eat and drink. If you are susceptible to sea sickness make sure you take something to fight that off the night before your trip. During the summer months in Florida the sun is HOT! Do not let the sun ruin your fishing experience, take the necessary precautions to block out the suns rays. If your hiring a tarpon fishing guide make sure you get all your questions answered before booking the trip. You have to be able to get along with your Captain so make sure your personalities mix well otherwise you could be in for a long day. If you don’t ask the Captain a question you may have he or she will have a hard time trying to read your mind. So be open and express to the Captain what you are looking to achieve and they will do their best to provide you with the most fantastic tarpon adventure of a lifetime. I suppose if we have to have an addiction catching “ Tarpon Fever “ is one addiction we would all love to have. Do not forget your camera. Tarpon put on quite a show daring you to capture them 10 feet in the air putting on a show like you have never seen before. If Boca Grande and the surrounding area is a fishing destination you want to experience you can go to the Boca Grande Guides Association website and book a certified reputable guide that will do everything in their power to make your tarpon trip a successful one. www. bocagrandefishing. com. Contact Merry Beth Ryan at 941- 544- 5023 Merry Beth Ryan Fish & Wildlife Photography tarpon

False On another occasion I had two guys that believed they were up and coming PMTT pro’s. They had all the best gear, the newest lures, the best line, logo jackets and shirts, etc. They probably even had special musky fishing underwear, but I didn’t ask. I knew it was going to be a tough day when they disagreed with my lure suggestions, wanted me to fish in areas where I thought the fishing would be poor, and proceeded to tell me basically that I didn’t know what I was doing. After a few hours I stopped and asked “ so why did you guys hire a guide if you won’t listen to anything I say?” Their answer was, “ we just wanted someone to run the boat for us while we fish”. No kidding! I certainly don’t consider myself a “ know it all”. In fact, I’m humbled by musky on a regular basis, so I know that I’ve still got a lot to learn. Fishing is after all problem solving. Continuous learning and improvement will give you new tools that will help solve the musky puzzle. Learn more by subscribing to a musky fishing magazine, join a musky fishing club, surf the Internet for articles on musky fishing, or join an on- line musky fishing forum and read or post questions. There is so much great information available on the Internet, and it’s a valuable resource for all fishermen i. e., the publication you are reading right now is a perfect example. Also, you will find if you fish with other anglers that are better than you and “ go to school” on them. And, if you pay for a musky fishing guide, take advantage of the situation and learn everything you can. Don’t pass up opportunities to learn, if the guide is as good as he thinks he is, he will answer all your questions! Conclusions I hope that you read this article and think to yourself “ hey, maybe that’s me?”, then put some of my advice to work. If it is you, and you think you’re ready to take the next step in your musky fishing, then consider these additional tips that I have learned while guiding people on musky. I share these tips with my clients and I think that they will help you to improve your fishing success. ? Use Quality Gear – successful fishermen buy quality fishing gear and maintain that gear to keep it in top working order. This includes buying good quality rods and reels that can handle the type and expected size of the days catch. It also includes good quality line, hooks, split rings, and leaders. Quality gear is often times the difference between putting fish in the boat and stories about the one that got away. ? Stick With Confidence Lures – I’ve seen View From the Front continued from paage 42