Tampa Tarpon Report is the Tampa Bay area's tarpon fishing headquarters 1855 FLA-TARPON. TTR provides tarpon fishing reports, facts, tips, hot-spots ,tarpon fishing charters and tarpon tournament news  to Tampa Bay, St Petersburg and Boca Grande tarpon anglers. Get up to date tarpon fishing reports, tournament results and postings from South West Florida, the Tarpon fishing capital of the world!

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Tarpon Fishing Reports 2011

Tampa's Shamrock Fishing Charter reported good tarpon action on Tampa's north end of the Skyway Bridge. After tarpon fishing the Skyway's crowded south end for over an hour with no results, captain Sean Hagen pulled up anchor to tarpon fish the Skyway's north end.  Upon dropping anchor north of the north end dolphins on the incoming tide, Captain Sean and Chicago fire fighter Kevin Luder immediately began to see numerous tarpon rolling in the shadows of the bridge.

The word is out about the tarpon fishing along Tampa's south end Skyway Bridge. Tampa Tarpon Report has been recieving good reports since early March of tarpon being taken on the south end. Many of those tarpon have been well over the hundred pound mark.

On April 21st Captain Sean Hagen of Shamrock Fishing Charters noticed several poons rolling around their boat. Within 20 twenty minutes Kevin jumped his first tarpon ever! A 150 pounder, unfortunately the bruiser poon left Kevin with nothing more than a happy memory. Kevin quickly jumped another tarpon in the 70 to 80 lb range, but like Kevins first poon the fish pulled a Houdini leaving Kevin rushing with adrenaline.

After repositioning of the boat on the start of the outgoing tide Kevin jumped his 3rd tarpon, a smaller poon around the 50 lb mark. This tarpon made sporadic and uncharacteristic runs before heading under the boat, then pulling a u-ee and freeing itself during a rocketing midair jump and violent headshake. This behavior raised suspicion of a potential shark threat. The shark threat was confirmed 10 minutes later when Kevin hooked his 4th and final poon of the day. Like the last tarpon this poon was also around the 50 lb mark, the perfect size for hungry bull sharks. After a good jump, Kevin's 4th poon made for the boat with a 7-8 ft bull shark in tow. The small poon came out of the water and almost into the boat as the bull shark side swiped the boats port side! The tarpon and bull shark then made a crazy figure eight motion before the bull pinned the young poon against the boat's gunnels and raked him with a toothy grin. The tarpon at this point was about half way out of the water and half way into the boat. Captain Sean lipped gaffed the poon and pulled it out of the sharks mouth and into the boat. After a quick run to the Skyway's center span and a few pictures of Kevin and his first tarpon, the young poon was recuscitated and swam away!

TARPON ARE NOT THE ONLY FISH BITTING AT TAMPA'S SKYWAY BRIDGE!

Tarpon fishing at the Tampa Sunshine Skyway has really began to pick up.Tarpon in the 50-150lb range are being taken on both ends of the bridge. Most tarpon anglers have concentrated tarpon fishing on the South end shadow lines. Free-lining live threadfins has been getting it done for Tampa's Skyway tarpon anglers. Incoming or out-going has not made much of a difference as long as there has been good tidal flow.

 

Vist www.tampa-fishing-report.com for more great Tampa & St Petersburg inshore fishing reports. Up to date Tampa area inshore fishing reports for tarpon, snook, redfish, trout, cobia, shark, grouper, kingfish and more!

 

PTTS - Professional Tarpon Tournament Series