Tarpon has been the focus of Capt. Billy Miller and me this week. The tarpon bite has been consistent with some days spectacular.

Capt. Billy and I were joined by Jason Beyer and Brad Weary for a “Hooked on Fishing” tarpon shoot in Tampa Bay. We had bait well full of live threadfin herring and blue crabs as we headed to Egmont Key to look for rolling tarpon.

The tarpon were rolling in the channel and in the 90 foot hole of the north tip of Egmont. Normally we use corks and suspend the bait under them, but being the water was so deep in the channel we were free lining all of our baits.

When we saw the fish roll we slowly moved toward them and cast our baits into the action. Weary had an immediate bite which took the bait with no real hook up. Right after that Beyer hooked up what turned out to be a 6 foot bull shark that gave him a 30 minute battle before release.

On the next set up, Beyer hooked up again and landed an 85 pound silver king. We took a DNA sample and released the tarpon.

Michael Baccich caught and released a 100 pound tarpon fishing with his brother Steve Baccich, Dave Amis and Capt. Billy Miller. The fish was hooked of St. Pete using white bait under a cork.

On two other trips this week Miller and party caught and released seven tarpon each day with 10 to 15 hooked.

Tarpon fishing has been good at the Skyway reports Larry Mastry. Mastry and crew released two tarpon and hooked four more fishing the incoming tide with threadfin herring. Also included in the catch were a 20 pound kingfish and two bull sharks.

Capt. William Toney says red fishing action is good in Homosassa. Fish Creek, Pea Pass and Mason’s Creek are the hot spots on the incoming tide. Toney likes a gold spoon or live shrimp under a cork for bait.