What size reel do I need for tarpon?

What size reel do I need for tarpon?

Rods and reels Use a medium-heavy action rod with a 5000 series spinning reel or higher. Some anglers prefer fly-fishing for tarpon, which requires a 9-foot 11- or 12-weight rod and large arbor reel.

What pound line should you use for tarpon?

50-pound
50-pound test braided line is the standard for tarpon, and you’ll want to have plenty on the spool—250 to 300 yards.

How long should a tarpon rod be?

8ft
In a nut shell, Tarpon are probably the most over-thought fish there is. Spinning rods are a must, and the longer, the better. The typical rod of choice is an 8ft medium heavy action rod for a longer more accurate cast. Braided line has quickly made its way to the top among anglers, and 50lb to 65lb is the standard.

How much drag do you need for tarpon?

Set Your Drag Right 20-25% of your line’s weight will be good. Remember that knots will weaken the line as much as 25%. If you’re tarpon fishing with a 20 lb test line, set your drag at 4-5 pounds.

What bait is best for tarpon?

Best Live Bait for Tarpon Some of tarpon fishing bait are shrimp, pinfish, mullet and crabs. Stake out above areas that hold tarpon and drift your live bait down to the fish. Hook crabs in the corner of the shell and baitfish through the mouth.

Do you need steel leader for tarpon?

“Wire leader is a staple in my tarpon fishing,” says Smith. “With dead baits on the bottom and with live mullet, I use a couple of feet of No. 8 (93-pound-test) single-strand wire. Tarpon have no teeth, but when they clamp down hard on a mono leader, their mouths are rough enough to keep the leader from sliding.

Do you set the hook on tarpon?

You don’t need to set the hook hard with tarpon. Because of the tarpon’s hard mouth the best approach is to drop back about 10 feet of line and let the line tighten up or, for the inexperienced, just leave the rod in the rod holder until the tarpon is stripping line off your reel.

What bait do you use for tarpon fishing?

Some of tarpon fishing bait are shrimp, pinfish, mullet and crabs. Stake out above areas that hold tarpon and drift your live bait down to the fish. Hook crabs in the corner of the shell and baitfish through the mouth. The best bait for tarpon doesn’t spin in current, so pinch off the heads of shrimp.

How much does a 6 foot tarpon weigh?

about 100 pounds
Typically, a six-foot tarpon weighs about 100 pounds.

What is the best hook for tarpon?

A 5/0 hook is the best size hook for catching tarpon. That hook size is perfect for hooking all of the tarpon’s favorites like finger mullet or large threadfin herring, ladyfish, pin fish, crabs or silver and striped mullet without affecting their swimming abilities too much.

What’s the largest tarpon ever caught?

286-pounds, 9-ounces
The all-tackle world record (additionally certified as the 80-pound class record) for a giant tarpon is 286-pounds, 9-ounces caught by Max Domecq in Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, Africa on March 20, 2003.