If Tarpon fishing is your thing, Then break out your tarpon sticks and head out into charlotte harbor. Tarpon are being found in Charlotte harbor near the myaka river and pirate harbor.

The tarpon are of mixed sizes from 50lbs to 100+ lbs. Fish with small thread fins drifted behind the boat, Use with or without a float. Use a 60 series reel like the cabo 60 spinning reel 50lbs power pro fishing line with a 60 to 80lbs florocarbon along with a 7/0 hook.

Drift two lines behind the boat and have a rod ready to cast to a tarpon that may roll beside your boat. Look for pods of bait in the area and start your drift above the bait so that the wind or tide pushes your boat over the bait area.

update 4/22/08 several tarpon have been taken in the 20ft.. hole using live threadfin hearing and bait buster lures.  the tarpon have been running around 70plus

capt mike mahan

KEY WEST, Fla. — Mike Mahan and Rob Moore of Team Andros knew they were lucky to be fishing on Day Two of the Quiznos Madfin Shark Fishing Series. Only the misfortune of Team Lake & Bay’s Bo Johnson and Bryan Holeman allowed them to make the cut after Day One. [ESPN.com]

Here are some more pics from the Madfin tourney.

Call this one “40-plus pounds of bad attitude.” This Charlotte Harbor, Florida, tarpon, taken on an offshore-size Black Salty by Capt. Mike Mahan and Capt. Robert Moore, did everything but jump in the boat. Yours Truly just returned from an action-packed 8-day adventure to the Sunshine State, attending the annual meeting of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association and, outside of the confab, spent every possible minute fishing. The highlight of the trip was the trip with guides Moore and Mahan, along with my good friend T.J. Stallings, national sales director for Blakemore/TTI (makers of Blakemore fishing lures and Daiichi “Bleeding Hooks.”) Those hooks (the 3/0 Circle Chunk Light version) and live Black Salty baitfish nabbed, in only a half-day of fishing, a Florida Grand Slam of redfish, snook, and tarpon. Look for many more photos of this incredible trip, and others, in the days to come. Meanwhile, contact Moore at captrobertmoore@comcast.net and Mahan at mnmahan58@yahoo.com.

We offer 1/2 and full day charters. For back country flats fishing in Charlotte harbor Fishing for Tarpon, Snook, Red fish and Trout.

We will customize your trip to suit your needs. Live bait, Artificial, and Fly fishing.
All fishing equipment is provided including fly gear.Come join me for a day of fishing.

Capt. Mike Mahan
941-628-0694

Tarpon Season  April-August

Book your 2008 Tarpon fishing boca Grande Pass

I love fishing. I don’t really care what kind of fish, it’s all fun! But some are more exciting to catch than others. Again this year I was invited to compete in the third “Mad Fin Shark Series” on ESPN and it was a blast! If you haven’t seen it yet,  Catch all the new show on ESPN2 sunday morning’s at 9;30 am est.  Check out the website for more information. [ESPN.com]