Tarpon season is in full swing along the west coast of Florida. Tampa Bay has lots of hungry tarpon around the Skyway Bridge and around the Gandy and Frankland bridges both at night and day. Sarasota Bay has tarpon near the Ringling Museum and other deeper basins surrounded by grass flats.

Tarpon are cruising the gulf beaches from Clearwater to Boca Grande looking for live greenbacks and unsuspecting blue and calico crabs for a quick meal.

I had quite a thrill this early week as I was reunited with my fishing mentor Capt. Bobby Buswell for the fishing trip of a lifetime. Capt. Buswell and I were tarpon fishing off Venice Beach using corks and live greenbacks when Buswell, 80 years young, hooked and brought to the boat a 90 pound tarpon for pictures and a release.

Buswell and I spent the rest of the week running tarpon charters along the beaches of Boca Grande. We consistently scored with tarpon using small blue crabs and green backs for bait. The best time was in the afternoon on the outgoing tide. The morning incoming tide was harder to get bites but we got hook ups by staying a long way off the moving schools and making long casts.

Boca Grande has changed dramatically from when Buswell and I ran tarpon charters together there 35 years ago. There are lots more boats and way less courtesy to other anglers. Fishing moving tarpon schools along any beach means moving slowly, approaching the tarpon quietly and making long casts to front edge of the moving schools.

Schools of tarpon can be fished by more than one boat if each boat will take their turn casting. If you do not get a bite let the next boat have a shot, go around the tarpon school slowly and wait for your next turn at the fish. Do not run along with the tarpon using your big motor or your electric motor. That sound will alert the fish you are there, start the fish running and make it much harder for anyone to get a bite.

Tarpon will be around all the way through the summer and into early fall.