# Apache report 7/25-7/31 TARPON! (long)



## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

looks like i beat brian(b3butner) to the computer tonight so i'm gonna go ahead and spill the beans, he got himself an estimated 130 lb tarpon on friday, with help from everybody on the pier and especially yours truly, who waded out and tackled the monster so another guy could get him in the gills. To start from the beginning, I had just caught a decent spanish and was lowering a new bait into the water right beside his rig and boom there was a huge splash and he happened to be standing right there and started yelling tarpon. I started frantically getting my bait back in and didn't get to see the second jump either. Then he worked his way all the way down the pier almost to the beach but he had to come back up because he only had two or three wraps left on his spool, which meant about 600+yds of line out. He got back to the end as fast as he could and worked on him from there for about 45 minutes before finally getting enough line back to start working toward the beach again. His son and I both went to the beach ahead of him and started clearing people out of the water. Then while bryce was still getting people out of the way they lowered the rod to me and i got to fight him for 5-10 minutes while waiting for brian to get there. We had some serious drag on the fish and he was still taking line. After another 10 or 15 minutes bryce said me and joel were gonna have to go grab him so I pulled everything out of my pockets, took my shirt off, turned my hat around and got ready. I saw him in the breakers and we waded out to him, i tried to grab him by the mouth but he was still too big and he pulled away from me. I was afraid he'd pulled the hooks so i just ran and jumped on him. THe fish was every bit as long as I am tall, and probably longer and I go 6' 2". joel grabbed him under a gill plate and I let go and grabbed him by the mouth and we pulled him onto the beach for some quick photos and and to let brian and bryce each get a scale. They were about 3 inches across. We kept the fishes mouth in the skinny water the whole time except when we pulled him up for a group shot and never lifted him. Then i grabbed his mouth and brian his tail and we walked him into the water. He pulled away from us and we watched him swim off, it was an awesome experience. The rest of the week was awesome too, 3 kings monday and one lost, 7 tuesday, a Jack Crevalle wednesday, i think 2 kings thursday and one lost, a king and tarpon friday and one lost, 1 saturday and several spanish every day. The flounder were biting well too, dad and I got 7 monday, he got 4 tuesday, 2 thursday, 4 friday and dad, three cousins and an uncle got 7 saturday. I think those numbers are right. Wasn't my week but it was still awesome. I also floated my throw net on menhaden three times and that was really cool, especially since my net weighs about 25 pounds. All in all a great week and an experience i'll never forget. i've got a few pictures if i can find my software and put it on this computer, and brian has some great ones of the tarpon.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

pics









































I'm the one in the white backwards hat. In the first one i'm in the process of tackling the fish, then he's getting a scale off and then we are walking him back in the water.

Thanks to Kristin DeVol for the pictures.


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

forgot to mention the part where the police came up because somebody hadd called them and said we were landing a great white shark. We had to show them pics and the scales to get them to believe it wasn't a shark. Turns out they didn't even know what a tarpon was.


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Great job there men,great job !!



> Turns out they didn't even know what a tarpon was.


That's really a shame because tarpon have been hitting king rigs down there for well over 25 years that I know of.Go on the Surfside Pier and look at the mount one of our club members caught.Usually mid-July to Mid-August,you have a realistic chance to see one either rolling off the pier or hitting a rig.

On a sidenote,those big ole gray blackeyed 8-10' starving minnows,that hang out under those cleaning tables, sense all that thrashing from a wounded meal.Could have been a mess.


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## Stakeout (Aug 1, 2005)

*post pics*

great catch.. and RELEASE

couldn't access the pics though...

in case you care to.. you can use this site to post them.. FREE signup.... and you can link to them.. http://www.myfishingpictures.com


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## b3butner (Oct 1, 2003)

Yes, it looks like Jamie the "Destroyer" has beat me to the punch. What can I say? It was the greatest week ever. I was fishing with my son and best friend Bryce. (Who by the way got his first ever King right after my Tarpon. It was a 20lb. beauty.) I had a King early Tuesday. Got a nice Jack Crevalle Wednesday. Lost a 25-30 lb. King on Thursday. Then came Friday. I had caught this fish in my head many times and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Low and behold, it worked. From seeing it take the bait all the way to feeling it swim away after the battle. You know God blessed me by letting me see this majestic creature. Then again by letting me touch it. So I let it go so that others might enjoy what I just had. Who knows, it might be me again years from now. It might be a world record by then. If somehow I could get scales out to it and weigh it I certainly would claim it, but it would have to swim away.
Now let me tell you about where I fish. I fish Apache Pier. I fish with the greatest group of fishermen in the world. They are young, medium and older. They are friendly, helpful and courteous. They are funny, knowledgable and just plain cool.
Then there is Max from Apache. He cleared the "T" and kept us a clear path. I had help from every fisherman on that pier. I had help from people on the beach.
In closing I would like to especially to thank the Tarpon Wrangling Team of Jamie & Joel.


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## Blues Brother (Jul 18, 2005)

Ok, here are the pics!












(There's my King thrown in for good measure  )


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## bluerunner (Jun 30, 2003)

great job bryce, now let me see if i can get mine to load


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## fish4kings104 (Feb 1, 2004)

Nice Fish!!! Looks like fishing for the grandstrand has picked up this year alot King wise  . Cant wait for the fall tournament.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Nice Minnow. I don't think you would have had the crowd that close if it were a Great White.


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## fisher446 (Aug 7, 2003)

Yep that had to be the greatest week of fishing that i have ever been involved in. From the dozen or so kings, to the jack and tarpon, it was al a blast. Wish i coulda been out there for the tarpon but someone has to work.......
I think i might just take another 2 months off of fishing, aslong as i can catch 3more kings in a day. lol.....


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## noah (Aug 11, 2004)

Police mistook Tarpon for a Great White. The Irony.

I suppose Abraham Lincoln clarified it best when he said, "These Thruths Shall become Self Evident"

Nice Silver King Catch though Brian! Congrats


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## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

Great job, I put the fish on the list.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2005)

Incredible!


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## shark fisher (Nov 22, 2003)

Now THAT'S what I call A GOOD FISH.
Congrads, and I wish you many MORE.
Can't wait till I get my turn to try and land one.
Glad to see you release it unharmed quickly too.
Wish I could have seen you land it myself. And thanks to All those who helped out, that was great team-work and sportsmanship.


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

That whole ordeal kicks some serious butt.....Congratulations, guys, on a helluva good job.


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## Blues Brother (Jul 18, 2005)

bluerunner said:


> great job bryce, now let me see if i can get mine to load


Go to imageshack.us I think it's the best.


PS here's a pic of the Jack Crevelle:


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2005)

Awesome Report !!!!


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## keekee (Jun 25, 2004)

Way to Cool! Way to go dude! Im glad you all had a good week! I also hope it stays that way till I get back down there in Sept!

And I will agree, you wont find a better bunch of guys and gals to fish with!!!!! Everytime I have hooked a big fish off that pier everyone has been great! 

I did see "B" in the back of that king pic! Did he get a King yet?

Again Congrads!

Brent


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## macadoo (Aug 3, 2005)

Brian and Bryce,
The pictures look great, Hope we can have as much luck during the fall tourney. May have to look into taking the camper this time.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

What a fantastic catch especially from a pier and the having to beach the beast. That is most defenatly a catch of a life time. 

Congrats on a great catch.


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## Dixie719 (May 12, 2003)

WOW!

Great Report and congrats on them feesh!

Catch of the year so far in my book!


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## Blues Brother (Jul 18, 2005)

keekee said:


> Way to Cool! Way to go dude! Im glad you all had a good week! I also hope it stays that way till I get back down there in Sept!
> 
> And I will agree, you wont find a better bunch of guys and gals to fish with!!!!! Everytime I have hooked a big fish off that pier everyone has been great!
> 
> ...


Oh, boy, did he ever!  

B is usually one of the last people to pack up, and one day after everyone else had already gone in, he was still out there fishing. At 7:30 his reel went off, so he fought the fish, and whatnot, and gets it to the pier. B sees it's a King, and thinks, "Oh no. there's no one to gaff it for me!". So he flags down a random tourist, and tells him to hold the rod and to not touch anything. So B goes to get his gaff, and he gaffs the fish. So now, we joke with B and tell him he doesn't need anyone to gaff his fish, he can do it all by himself!


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## keekee (Jun 25, 2004)

Thats cool!!! I will make sure I ride him a little about it this fall!!!!! I like "B" very nice person!

Ask him to blow his fish call for ya!

Brent


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## Blues Brother (Jul 18, 2005)

keekee said:


> Thats cool!!! I will make sure I ride him a little about it this fall!!!!! I like "B" very nice person!
> 
> Ask him to blow his fish call for ya!
> 
> Brent


Yeah, B's a great guy. By the way, the last time I was there (in June) B used the fish call!


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## fireturk1 (Jul 26, 2004)

*Awsome!*

B..E...U....T.....full! Congrats Bryan! I wonder if thats the same fish we saw eating the dead pogies we cleaned out of the bait tank the Sat. before? We saw the tarpon swirling on the dead bait, but would never come to the live bait. BIG fish. Again, congrats!


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## macadoo (Aug 3, 2005)

Hey Bryan, Do you and Bryce need a place to stay for the Tourney in Sept.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Nice, nice fish. Congratulations.


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## keekee (Jun 25, 2004)

Blues Brother said:


> Yeah, B's a great guy. By the way, the last time I was there (in June) B used the fish call!




I was down in June when he used it! Not sure if we have meet? I would say so, but not sure yet?

Brent


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## b3butner (Oct 1, 2003)

macadoo said:


> Hey Bryan, Do you and Bryce need a place to stay for the Tourney in Sept.


I'm really not sure yet. We were coming with Aaron and Big Mike but I talked to Aaron last night and I don't think he is going to be able to come. What are the dates again I have forgotten.


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## keekee (Jun 25, 2004)

Sept 23rd, 24th, 25th.

Anyone know what the sign up day is?

Brent


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## macadoo (Aug 3, 2005)

Not sure yet. Will find out next week when I am there. Usually it is around 2 to 3 weeks before which is on a holiday.


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## macadoo (Aug 3, 2005)

here is the web page I was talking about on the pier.... http://www.Finestkind.com. check it out.


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