Tarpon fishing
The tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a silver coloured predator who loves hunting for fish and crustaceans in lagoons, rivers, ports, estuaries and other shallow waters. They inhabit the coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Argentina and from Senegal to Angola . Tarpon can grow up to 2,5m and weigh over 150 kg (350 lb).
The silver king is without a doubt one of the most sought after game fish; not only because of their size, but also because of their incredible strength. Tarpon are famous for making spectacular leaps into the air during the fight.
Although a wide variety of fishing techniques can be used to fish for tarpon, the most famous and spectacular way to catch them is fly fishing in the flats.
Top Tarpon Fishing destinations
Distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical coastal waters on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, tarpon live in estuaries and near-coastal waters off river mouths and beaches, and in channels, passes and bays. The best tarpon fishing destinations are Texas, Southern Louisiana, Florida, Key West in the Florida Keys, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Costa Rica, Senegal, Angola, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone.
Other Fish Species similar to Tarpon
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Famous for its runs, - which is why they're also called the torpedo of the flats - bonefish (Albula vulpes) are the fly fishing favorite. They inhabit inshore tropical waters in Florida, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Riviera Maya in Mexico, Belize, Venezuela and the Seychelles, for example. Bonefish can weigh up to 19 lb (8.6 kg) and measure up to 105 cm (41 in) long.
MORE INFO >Bonefish
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The Crevalle Jack or Jack Crevalle (Caranx hippos) is a very popular sport fish that belongs to the Carangidae fish species. Horse mackerel, amberjack and giant trevally also belong to this family. Jack Crevalle can grow to a length of 120 cm and a weight of 30 kg.
MORE INFO >Jack Crevalle
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The permit (Trachinotus falcatus) is a sought after fly fishing game fish. They are usually found in shallow tropical waters such as flats and channels of the Atlantic Ocean. Permit also frequent offshore wrecks. This species is distributed from Florida, Riviera Maya in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua all the way down to the Carribean Islands and Brazil. Permit can grow to about 4ft (1,2m) in length and weigh up to 27kg (60lbs).
MORE INFO >Permit
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The northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a popular fish often caught reef fishing in the Atlantic waters of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and also the Caribbean. This sought-after game fish can reach 1 m and weight up to 50lb.
MORE INFO >Red Snapper
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Best Tarpon Fishing Charters
