May 2015

5/27/15 Half Day May Tarpon Fishing in Islamorada

Had a half day today we got out early at 6 again.  Bought some bait yesterday evening as baits been tough and my stockpile is running low so glad to have some fresh ones.  We set up locally and we were in ’em again.  Caught 2 nice fish in the first hour both of 60 and 75 lbs.  After that we had a cuda eat us off a couple times.  Tarpon slowed down we sat another hour then we finally hooked another big fish of about 120 lbs around 8:30.  Quite a fish he towed us around for a while.  We landed him and funnily enough we were trying to get him up for pictures and we got tip wrapped and the braid snapped while i was leadering the fish.  Now the fish wasn’t quite done yet but I was able to keep him on the hand line for 10 minutes until he gave up and we got a couple good pictures then released him unharmed!  Quite an experience like leadering up a big blue marlin!  I have an evening trip tonight my last scheduled evening.  I will likely be doing some short notice evening trips later in June and July when I have appropriate bait and tides as fishing can be very good that time of year though I like to take it easy and only fish when I think it will be good in the evenings.  Will still be fishing just about every day, June is fairly booked up but July is practically wide open – one of my favorite months to fish!  3 for 3

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

52715tarpon

5/26/15 Late May Florida Keys Tarpon Fishing Report

Well the winds are continuing to howl.  Today was blowing 20-25 mph all day.  We got out early and did the same routine I’ve been doing the last week and it paid off.  We got a nice fish early on within 20 minutes, about an 80 lber.  I didn’t get any pictures but we did get him boatside for some good pictures for the clients.  After that we had a cuda eat us off and then the tide quit so we ran into the backcountry.  I didn’t find much for tarpon in the backcountry and was light on bait which was tough to find back there.  But we caught some nice sharks and then bent the light rods to catch some ladyfish for bait.  But never got on the tarpon we caught a couple more big blacktips in the last hour though there was a school of fish back there just had to get lucky and get on them as they were not showing very well.  Tomorrow I have a morning half and an evening, last scheduled evening trip as of now though I may likely do some later in the summer when things slow down a little.  It can be a good time for that and not nearly as much pressure which I like.  1 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk

5/25/15 Tarpon Fishing in the Florida Keys on Memorial Day

Well the boat traffic wasn’t quite as bad as the last two days thankfully today.  But the wind was howling a gale.  We left out early and I had bait leftover from the last couple days.  We set up nearby and had the last trickle of incoming tide, I was hoping it would of been falling already but not the case.  Difficult to fish with weak current going into the wind.  Though we did jump a fish right away he did not stay buttoned, and another 20 minutes later we got the hooks in a big 150 lb tarpon.  He fought hard going all over the bay and around markers and through the bridge eventually.  Not many jumps he was slow and methodical, saving his energy.  He went in between bridge pilings which got very interested.  He did it twice and I had my anglers jump up onto the spacer between the pilings and ran the boat on the other side to pick him up and we were able to keep the fish on.  We got leader on him though he was no where near ready to just lay over.  Eventually we went back around the bridge pilings and got the line caught in some barnacles which we weren’t able to get out of so we never got a good picture of him.  But a technical leader release.  What a fish we will remember that one for a long time!  1 for 1

Capt. Rick Stanczyk