Florida targeted fish

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus · silver king

Passes, beach sandbars, harbor mouths, and nighttime bridges. Boca Grande Pass is the most famous congregation on earth.

Season on this coast

April through August is the migration. May–June is prime in the passes.

Slow
Fair
Good
Prime

How to fish them

Pass fishing is a controlled drift with crabs. Beach tarpon want a quiet presentation in the trough. Bridge fish eat at night under the lights. Always revive a jumped fish before release.

Typical size. Juveniles in creeks to 40 lb; migratory adults commonly 80–150 lb.

Bait

Live crabs
Threadfin herring
Pass crabs
Large swimbaits

Regulations

Tarpon is catch-and-release in Florida except with a tarpon tag. Do not remove large fish from the water for photos.

Captain’s brief

What’s biting, and where to start

Sign in and ask for a one-page briefing for a city, a month, and a target fish. Written for this coast — not a generic chatbot.