Key West Tarpon Fishing

Looking for a great tarpon fishing opportunity, you’ve found the right spot for Key West tarpon fishing. Just off the southern coast of Florida lies an amazing island chain. Key West is at the end. The islands are accessible by car and are a short little drive from South Florida. Not only is Key West a saltwater fishermans dream, it offers a ton of other amenities for your non-fishing partners as well so be sure to bring them along.

If you’re an angler with a heartbeat, there’s no doubt that at one time or another you’ve probably heard of the annual tarpon migration. If you haven’t, than here’s a little history lesson for you. Tarpon can be caught in Key West year-round. However there is a special little time of year when these bruts of the water congregate in massive numbers along the florida coast and Key West. The absolute best months for Florida tarpon fishing is from March thru July. Nobody really knows where these migrating schools come from or where they go when they leave. Much has been said around that fact. However they don’t all go “home” so to speak. These migrating beasts are older, the younger generation tend to remain until they reach maturity. Laying around in the back country and flats. One thing is for sure though, they show up here, year after year, in huge numbers. The first schools of these migrating tarpon typically show up sometime in January around Miami. Time goes on and sometime in the early part of February schools are spotted throughout Key West. Over the next 3 months, these schools disperse into smaller schools and soon flood the entire Florida coast and the expanse of the Florida Keys. After July, these huge tarpon schools slowly disappear back into parts unknown leaving behind the next generation of these great monsters and their older siblings making for a light tackle angler paradise. There, if you hadn’t heard of the annual tarpon migration, now you have. Bottom line is this, Key West tarpon fishing is bar-none the absolute best place in the world to sight-cast to large tarpon during these migratory times. Key West is famous for it’s tarpon fishing during the migration every spring.

Fly fisherman come from all over the world to cast to these fish on the flats. Others fish for them on light tackle gear in Key West Harbor. During the thick of it all, April, May and June are by far the best months for Florida tarpon fishing in Key West. If you are a light tackle fisherman, be ready. Most boats use by-catch from local shrimp boats to stir up the waters and get that tarpon biting. Bring a friend, go with a group, multiple hook-ups are not uncommon and oh what a sight when you’ve got 2 or 3 fish on and all wanting to go different directions. Just remember, the person getting spooled takes priority until enough line is brought back on the reel. Experienced guides will get the job done for you so don’t freak out when the boat starts to move in the other direction away from your fish while your line is screaming. Just hold on, your turns coming.

For anglers who do come to Key West, a tarpon trip to Key West Harbor is one of the more popular ones. If you’re lucky enough to snag a full day, don’t forget all the other lovely species you may come in contact with. I’d suggest tarpon fishing for part of the day and when you’ve hooked and caught your fill till your arms hurt, have your guide turn his attention towards putting you on some of the more tasty morsels that swim in that area. Some of the best tasting seafood you can ever imagine putting in your mouth can be found while Key West fishing. Try your luck at catching some of that for dinner.

Key West Tarpon has to be one of the most sought after fish that roam these waters. These tarpon can grow to over 200lbs. The average fish though that you will see during the migration will be in the 70 to 90 pound range. That’s not to say that the 100-pounders aren’t on the prowl cause they are definitely there as well. Trust me, you’ll know when one of these bigger fish are on by the fight he puts up. They don’t give up easy. Keep in mind that there are a few different methods that you can use while Key West tarpon fishing. It’s your choice, but I will say that fly fishing for tarpon is not for the beginner in my opinion. If you’re in it for the hook-ups, light tackle is the way to go.

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