If you have ever had priviledge of hooking up on a big tarpon then you know exhilaration and thrill of testing yourself in battle against one of most sought after gamefish in world. This distinction is easy to see at first glance as tarpon starts a series of spectacular acrobatic leaps in air that will have your heart pounding, your rod bending and your drag screaming. You better hold on!

Since tarpon's habitat is so close to shoreline, fishermen of all types and skill levels can catch them. They can be caught from jetties, passes, docks, bridges, beaches, piers and rivers. Tarpon can be caught while using many types of tackle, rods, baits, lures and rigs either while fishing from a boat, canoe, kayak or walking and wading from shoreline as tarpon work up and down beaches.

Live bait fishermen's bait of choice is 'dollar crab'. A small live blue crab about two inches across its carapace, hooked through one end of it's shell or underneath through a swimmer leg. Other extremely effective live baits include pinfish, threadfin herrings and pilchards. On days when tarpon is being finicky in it's tablefare selection, try these for best results, and oh, by way, don't forget about a live mullet. If you can get them, use them. Flyfishermen are not left out either. The stealth of casting right fly can sometimes be trick to hooking up.

But Just What is a Tarpon?