Tarpon Fishing – How to Fish for the Silver King

Tarpon can reach large lengths and weights, and when caught can also put up a great fight. For catch and release fishing, tarpon fishing is very popular in the Southern and South Atlantic states.

Tarpon - The Fish

Tarpon are fish with large scales and a lower jaw that juts out farther than the upper jaw. Their faces and body shape are very distinctive and are easily identifiable. The color of it is dark blue to dark green fading to a silver color on their bellies, giving tarpon other names that they are called by (see below). They also can be found in shadows of browns.

Tarpon are a slower-growing fish and don’t reach breeding maturity until larger. They are carnivorous fish, and put up a good fight when caught. While Tarpon may be eaten elsewhere, in the U.S., it is not a general eating fish. Most of the time, Tarpon are fished as catch and release only.

Facts and Notes about Tarpon

• In 1955, the Tarpon became Alabama state’s official saltwater fish.
• The scientific name for the Atlantic Tarpon is Megalops atlanticus.
• Tarpon can breathe air to fill its air bladder and use the oxygen from it.
• This fish also goes by the names ‘Silver King,’ ‘Silverking’, ‘Tarpum,’ and ‘Silverfish,’ among other names.

Where the Tarpon Can Be Found

Tarpon are Atlantic water fish, and can be found on both sides of the Atlantic. They live in tropical and subtropical areas and spawn at sea. It is popularly fished in the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico and Coastal areas.

Methods of Fishing

Tarpon are caught several ways. Conventional, trolling, fly fishing and flats fishing are all popular ways to fish for Tarpon. Certain areas have specific catch requirements and special permits for fishing/keeping Tarpon. Generally speaking, because of its low-value for meat and permitting, Tarpon is often fished as a catch-and-release basis.

This fish is aggressive and a great fighter. Flats fishing, fishing in shallow water in a flats boat/skiff, will make it easier to catch since there is less room for them to run. Tarpon are long-fighting fish so be prepared to fight long on the reel-in if the catch requires it.

Favorite bait used is actual dead/live fish or squid, shrimp and crab. Other terminal tackle used is an artificial fly as in fly fishing. Tarpon can be caught on any rod, which depends on the methods of fishing for them. Test line depends on the fisherman and can range from very light test to heavier monofilament.