Florida Keys - May 2007

Keys 2008

One of the great guides in the Keys, Bill Welder on the Keyed Up, with a client from Asheville, NC.

Here is my second of the day on 5/21 as the fight begins.

Here is my first tarpon of the trip. Not the clearest picture, but not bad while also driving.

Here the tarpon is boatside.

The tarpon got a little wild when I grabbed his mouth to remove the hook.

Here he is posing for a quick picture before release.

Then on the evening of 5/22, things got wild!!! Every year, there are a couple of times when the Palolo worm MAY hatch. The conditions have to be perfect for the hatch to occur. First, the hatches only happen only within a few days after the full moon in May or June. On top of that, there has to be an outgoing tide around dusk AND the weather has to be calm. Throw one of those parameters off, and the hatch does not happen. However, when it does, tarpon come from miles around to gorge themselves on these small worms as they flow though the tide out to sea. We were extremely lucky to experience this and jumped 5 tarpon in 1 1/2 hours and landed 3. Pictures below...

Tarpon rolling on the worms.

Tarpon busting the surface.

The little worms these huge tarpon were feasting on.

Tarpon on the fly.

Boat that was anchored beside us fighting one of their fish.

The kids on this boat got in on the action as well.

This dinghy came out to watch the action.

My tarpon jumping as the sun is setting.

One of the tarpon I caught.

Here is another picture of the tarpon.

Tarpon jumping on 5/23.