Looking for Poons

After the long stretch of fishing trout, snook, and redfish throughout the fall, winter, and spring, I’ve turned my attention to hunting tarpon this summer. I’ll spend some time up the Peace River as well as along the upper east side of Charlotte Harbor. Because I run a small skiff, I’ll keep my distance from the open water that compromises most of the area around Boca Grande Pass. For the most part, I don’t want to make the run home when the wind picks up. Too, I want to stay away from the crowds. So far, I’ve seen some tarpon in both places although not with any consistency. However, I’ve definitely seen more rolling fish up the Peace river. I’ve probably seen just about as many gators. I’ve been pretty far and have jumped a few baby tarpon around five or six pounds. For sure, the earlier the better. Moreover, I’m hoping that as we begin to get some more rain we’ll start to see more tarpon come out of the rivers and canal systems and make their way onto the flats.