01-17-2002, 06:24 AM
January 16, 2002<br>Tarpon fishing this evening started slow and then turned on like a light switch being flipped. Haulover Inlet is the place. Live shrimp the bait. We started with a light east wind that picked up throughout the evening. Our first couple of drifts produced no hits. Finally at sundown, a spanish mackerel hit our shrimp and was quickly landed and released. More drifts with no hits had us wondering whether or not the tarpon were going to cooperate this evening. The only thing we could do was to try the various productive areas of the tarpon hole. We finally picked the right line to drift and were rewarded with a 75# tarpon at 7:00 pm. OK, time to start catching 'em. WRONG we were going to have to wait and search some more. At 8:15 pm, the switch got flipped and our wait was over. Every drift we made from that point on with the exception of three was rewarded with a tarpon strike and hook up. The tide was coming in strong, and the tarpon sure know how to use it to their advantage. The 30 - 60 pound tarpon kept my angler, Jim Lefevre busy. We finished the evening landing and releasing 5 of the 6 fish we hooked. The wait was well worth it and Jim is looking forward to his next trip. The average size of the fish will continue to increase as we get further into the season. Here is a helpful hint. You can improve your hook up ratio by using Eagle Claw L197 5/0 circle hooks. Give me a call at 305 620-5896 to schedule a trip and experience the fun and excitement of catching the SILVER KING.<br><br>Captain Dave Kostyo<br>Knot Nancy Fishing Charters<br>www.rnfl.com/knotnancy<br><br>