dryfly Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 adc and I fished with four others in Cuba for a few days. I had a bugger of a time with the bonefish--caught a few--but adc cleaned up one the bones. I fished for tarpon three times....first day in the river and managed one small one...on day #2 I fished in the chuck and managed a ~10 pounder in some mangroves...jumped five times. They are spectacular leapers. On Saturday adc and I attended the river once more. He ended up fishing for rollers in a small side chanel...he caught 'em on dries--poppers. (He can tell you about it.) I missed four in a row and hooked a 4-foot pig that I managed to break off! Grrr...operator error. Ain't hard. Finally hooked this "baby" tarpon that taped at 43 inches and was between 25 and 30 pounds--small by tarpon standards. But by my standards it was just fine. I wanted to catch a decent tarpon on this trip and I could not have asked for more. Sweet. Makes me happy ... except that I could deplete my life's savings chasing tarpon and die in poverty. Quote
maxwell Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 sick fish dude! thanks for posting...congrats!!!!! Quote
ÜberFly Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 adc and I fished with four others in Cuba for a few days. I had a bugger of a time with the bonefish--caught a few--but adc cleaned up one the bones. I fished for tarpon three times....first day in the river and managed one small one...on day #2 I fished in the chuck and managed a ~10 pounder in some mangroves...jumped five times. They are spectacular leapers. On Saturday adc and I attended the river once more. He ended up fishing for rollers in a small side chanel...he caught 'em on dries--poppers. (He can tell you about it.) I missed four in a row and hooked a 4-foot pig that I managed to break off! Grrr...operator error. Ain't hard. Finally hooked this "baby" tarpon that taped at 43 inches and was between 25 and 30 pounds--small by tarpon standards. But by my standards it was just fine. I wanted to catch a decent tarpon on this trip and I could not have asked for more. Sweet. Makes me happy ... except that I could deplete my life's savings chasing tarpon and die in poverty. Way to go! Nice fish and I'm jealous as hell!! P Quote
Weedy1 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Congratulations Clive, glad you guys had a good time. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 It's pretty nuts that they call baby tarpon to pretty much anything under 50lbs.. great fish Clive Quote
monger Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Nice baby Clive! What weight of rod were you using? Quote
bloom Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Nice going....you look like you fit right in there. Quote
walker1 Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Good job boys! Very nice pic of the elusive tarpon. Quote
dryfly Posted March 12, 2008 Author Posted March 12, 2008 Thanks. I was most pleased. We fished the Rio Hatiguanico: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6373441 I was using a 10-wt Dan Craft and it was a chore to move this fish which took 32 minutes from hookup to landing. It made one long run and then came in and dogged and sounded for minutes on end. It would come close and run out 30 feet and then dive down and dog it. At times I could not budge the beast and am having trouble imagining moving a 80-pound tarpon with the 10-wt. Just amazing. I need to try this again. Quote
Guest bigbadbrent Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Thanks. I was most pleased. We fished the Rio Hatiguanico: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6373441 I was using a 10-wt Dan Craft and it was a chore to move this fish which took 32 minutes from hookup to landing. It made one long run and then came in and dogged and sounded for minutes on end. It would come close and run out 30 feet and then dive down and dog it. At times I could not budge the beast and am having trouble imagining moving a 80-pound tarpon with the 10-wt. Just amazing. I need to try this again. think of a 120+ lb tarpon on a 12 weight.. how bout that thing..wow Quote
bigbowtrout Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Piss poor fish handling, looks like a barbed hook and the other photo I bet is of the fish on the ice. Wow was it a jet boat that got you out there? how's the global warming in that part of the world? Sweet fish Clive congrats and I can't wait for your trip photo's Quote
birchy Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Awesome job Clive!! How'd that compare to some of the bigger pike you've caught on the fly?? Quote
Jeffro Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 you finally caught some of the elusive tarpon eh Clive. Good on ya! You'll be glad to hear that the ice is already deteriorating down south here really fast and you'll easily be able to catch a pike that could grapple that tarpon into the mud soon! Hope the trip is good to ya and we'll have to get out pikin' Definitely jealous of the trophy (at least by my standards)! And let Al have the small baitfish p.s. you must have done some fake and bake before you left, cause you look half mexican in that photo...lol, Quote
Gary Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Good for you. I have dreamed of one of those for over a couple decades now. Yep number one on my list of things to do before.... yeah colour me green! A baby one like that would do. Quote
JMasson Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Thanks. I was most pleased. We fished the Rio Hatiguanico: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6373441 I was using a 10-wt Dan Craft and it was a chore to move this fish which took 32 minutes from hookup to landing. It made one long run and then came in and dogged and sounded for minutes on end. It would come close and run out 30 feet and then dive down and dog it. At times I could not budge the beast and am having trouble imagining moving a 80-pound tarpon with the 10-wt. Just amazing. I need to try this again. Nice little tarpon, Clive. They are a blast to catch and hopefully I can hook in to one when I get down to Florida in May. It's been a couple years and I can't wait!! James Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted March 13, 2008 Posted March 13, 2008 awesome. Maybe someday the funbuster will let me go on an epic trip like that. Quote
beedhead Posted March 13, 2008 Posted March 13, 2008 I can only droooooooool. Awesome...good for you!! Quote
ggp Posted March 14, 2008 Posted March 14, 2008 Awesome fish...I'm still trying to pick my lower jaw up off the floor! Quote
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