# Tarpon Bottom Rig



## Seapuppy (Jul 17, 2005)

Recently there was a report of tarpon on the Florida board.
I asked the question below,maybe someone out there has some ideas how to rig for them from the surf.

Tarpon Rig
I fish on the NC outer banks,mostly out of Ocracoke Inlet walkin' the sandbars fishin' for red drum.I noticed you said someone on a pier hooked one.How should I rig for tarpon from the surf.I have regular visits from them in Sept-Oct as they follow the mullet run south every year.Been spooled twice(600yds-25# test) & another time one jumped in the air twice throwing the hook about 400yds out.I have been using whole finger mullet on a 10/0 big game hook snelled to 150# test,about a two foot leader to a fishfinder/sinker.
Also have sighted them in the surf out in my boat,is there any type of lure or rubber bait that drive's them to strike?
Any other ideas?
thx
Pup 

Below is a post on Tradewinds MB from 10-11-04

Tarpon on Vera Cruz (Ocracoke Inlet)

Posted By: seapuppy <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, 10/12/04 @ 4:41 p.m. 

I fished the bar Sat-Mon did fair caught 11 drum Sat.3-35"'s,3-27"'s & some 2-5# black drum.Sunday only 1 27"drum,Monday about 10 small drum & some more black drum. 
But!!! the real fish story was Sat. afternoon I hooked what we(Me & Norman Miller of The Rascal) think was a 5' Tarpon.It hit on a whole finger mullett on my largest rod(600 yds 25# test)Just about burned my thumb off at first(was bailin' water on the reel my thumb got so hot!),I finnaly got it to turn at about 300 yards,it came back on me & after a short run in it turned again till I was out about 400 yards.I tightened down on the drag to try & turn it again when it jumped out of the water at least 6-8 foot!made another short run & jumped out of the water again this time shaking the hook loose.The fish was 400 yards out & was silver or white so I wasnt real sure what I had hooked.Monday Norman was fishing right in front of me on the bar(can I pick a spot or what? lol)& we discussed the encounter over the radio.He was positive it was a tarpon.Just goes to show,you never know what can end up on the other end when you cast a bait into the "Cruz" 
Pup
btw-No Bull sharks sighted,lucky for them !

Also got spooled last year also in early September last fall.
thx for any ideas 
Pup


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Pup*

Sounds to me as though you're fishing with the right tackle.. The surf can be a real handicap to catch one,if he's got plenty of deep water to "get gone" in.. Some folks recomend mustad circles 13/0.. In part,I agree,especially when livebaiting,you just set the drag at 8lb of pressure with 20-25lb line and put the rod in the holder,50-80% of the time,he'll hook himself.. When bottom fishing,I'd use the same setup as you,bury the hook as hard as I could on the strike and pray a lot..   I have used that setup in a boat and caught a couple bottom fishing,but never caught or hooked one from the surf.
Never caught one out of the surf,but have seen one first hand,in the 80lb range,off Cape Point.. He was using drum tackle and was lucky because there was only one big hole running through a bar which surrounded a big slough.. The fish ran out to the bar and I would guess got confused,didn't find the hole,and turned.. He wound up turning and it was a back and forth deal for about 45min before he landed him.. I think the bar was his allie,cause he only had 275 of 17lb test,mustad circle,and the fish was at 80lbs.. Another bigone was caught in the Hook area this yr. I didn't get to witness this one,but am sure it was simular situation,with simular tackle..
Friend of mine in Fla uses a mullet paterned,sinking,mirrorlure to cast at them with.. A calico crab on a float (since it is illegal to pocess a crab less than 5" cross the horn in NC) or live mullet on a float would work as well,but to use that you would probably have to be in your "float tube" to present the bait..


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