Screwed up!
We fish for 7 days
Leave on a Friday evening-return on a Sunday afternoon..
Decent motel with dock is within trolling distance of a major bridge where we fish..
Tarpon average 125# with last years largest 165#
Full moon or New moon to catch best tides..
Best Part: Trip total averages $450.00 per man-all inclusive-gas,motel,food,bait,licenses,specialty tackle,etc.. That's for the week!
Serious, die-hard fishermen, contact me. If you are a heavy drinker or skirt chaser, this is not a trip you would be interested in. Mid-May to early June..

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michauxii,

Sounds like you are as hard core as I am! I can not do this trip as I am starting a new job on Monday and taking a week off that soon would not set a good impression...too say the least!

Do you ever fish Galveston for Tarpon? Season runs June to October. I went out with Mike Williams who is the area tarpon guru and got skunked.....$500 boat ride.

All we did was go off about 2 miles from the state park, threw in large dead shad on Penn 6/0's with 200# mono leader tied to a balloon and then waited. We had some bites but no hookups. We did see some schools running but you can't catch a running school, but one guy sure tried..he chased that darn school for miles!

I would love to go again but I am not interested in paying Mike or any other guide for that matter to drive us out and park the boat and wait for $500! I have my own gear, not great stuff but good enough.

I am hardcore and born and raised fishing salt water in Florida. Have been landlocked in Dallas for too long and have been trying to learn fresh water fishing..but quite frankly it is not very exciting. I try to go to Cabo San Lucas once or twice a year to go Marlin fishing. 2 people 5 nights hotel and 4 full days fishing for $1000 pp, not including meals or air. Take a look at http://www.jdbryant.com/Family/cabo-nov-2002/index.html and http://www.jdbryant.com/Family/cabo/index.html

Anyway, if your interested I can go just about any weekend. I am in Dallas (Flower Mound) and could head out Friday afternoons and return early on Monday morning to squeeze in as much fishing time as possible.

Let me know if your interested.

J.D.



[This message has been edited by jdbryant (edited 04-02-2003).]

JD, I've done the $500.00 Galveston tarpon thing a couple of times.It's OK,but too, it's the reason i started making the Florida trips. I spend well under $500.00 for 7 days of tarpon fishing in Florida-and catch fish;lots of fish..
We fish one particular bridge(the one that's within trolling distance of our motel!). It's kinda like crappie fishing under the 155 bridge on Lake Palestine. We put the trolling motor on low, get about ten yards away from the outside piling and "flip" a 15" ladyfish or silver trout up against the piling. On many-over half- the trips, we never wait for over 3 minutes until someone has a hookup. Then we hit the trolling motor on high and try to keep the fish away from the bridge. 20 to 90 minutes later(depending on the size of the previously hooked fish) we start all over again. And usually within 3 minutes we repeat the process. It is"Awesome."
We generally fish at night. The bridge has overhead lights so it is plenty bright. The outgoin tide is the time to be there. Action can be non-stop for 4-6 hours.But when the tide stops, you can just about pack up.
The bridge is roughly a mile long. No fishing is allowed from overhead. And there is absolutely NO competition. I hired an excellent local guide for my first trip-that's how i learned this technique.Several of the local guides know about the great fishing along the bridge,but their clients want to fish during the day. So, we generally have it ALL to ourselves.
I'm not knocking the Texas Gulf Coast. I dearly love to wade fish the Gulf side of Rollover Pass for trout. But the Florida water is SOOOO clean and clear. Simply beautiful.
When we get tired of catching tarpon, we will run down to Boca Grande Pass and fish the Phosphate Docks. Excellent snook and redfish location. Goliath hammerheads frequent the Pass and feed on hooked tarpon. I have a picture of a true monster of a hammerhead cutting a 150# tarpon into- ten feet from the boat. I'm somewhat hesitant to wadefish that particular area!
Anyhow,shoot me a private E-mail and maybe we can get together for a Texas coast trip sometime in the near future.

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I am definitely interested in this trip, however I won't know if I can go until I find out if I got into graduate school. If I get into school, then I am planning to go on a fishing trip anyway and this would be a dream trip. If I don't get into school then I can't afford to take a week off from work. The schools claim that I will know by mid to late april. If this is too short notice or if the spots are already filled I will understand, but keep me in mind. I will keep an eye on this post and I will add another reply to it when I find out about school. I have also done the Galveston trip and since then I have been trying to find the time and opportunity to go on a real tarpon trip. Its the one fish that I would most like to wrestle with, hopefully I will get the chance soon.
Cap

CapnBama,Thanks for the interest. Sure, i'll keep you in mind. As you said- this is "the trip of a lifetime" for anyone who has not made a Florida tarpon trip and needs to stay on a tight/moderate budget.

Tarpon guides at Boca Grande Pass charge $450.00 for two clients and the trip lasts 4-5 hours-one moving tide.

Your reply does give me the opportunity to update the post a little bit.

To answer your main question: Yes, we need to make arrangements as soon as possible. I have always "booked" a motel suite or a "canal house" well in advance. And that needs to be done ASAP to make sure we have confirmed lodging. $200.00 a man..

In the past i have taken my 19' bassboat and my extended cab truck. This year it's gonna be either/or.. This trip one feller will supply a decnt size bass boat,another can furnish a full size truck and i guess the third guy can throw in $100.00 extra for boat/truck maintenance. We do change the oil and filter on the truck and lower unit lube on the boat before heading back to Texas. Fair?

Couple more particulars: This trip is designed for "hard core" enthuiastic fishermen. It is NOT for someone who wants to"get away from Momma" and drink prodigious quanities of cold beer and chase"skirts."

Several fellers have emailed and wanted more information/particulars. Sorry to be tying up so much space-but this might be helpful:

This trip is not to be construed as an all expense paid "guide trip". Yes, the $450.. or so does cover ALL expenses! However,it is much more like three friends making a trip to Fork or Texoma.

Everyone has to pull their weight for the trip to be successful. On a typical afternoon one man might be catching bait,the next guy cooking lunch and the third cleaning the boat etc...

We generally go out at 4:00 PM. Catch bait-- use Sabiki rigs or small shrimp to catch "greenbacks" threadfins, silver trout, and ladyfish. If we are fishing Boca Grande Pass, we buy blue crabs at $1.50 a pop. Generally fish most of the night. Come in, clean boat and gear, sleep 8-9 hours(you'll need it!) and repeat cycle.

If the tarpon are there as they usually are, we hit them for 3-4 days. Then we can decide to go after some truly monsterous Snook or decent redfish. One day is generally reserved for hammerheads and bull sharks.

CapnBama-shoot me an Email for an update..

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