My grandson Owen has caught fishing fever. He calls me up and says: " Hey Pops I want to catch a tarpon" Easier said then done. I get my Mako 171 prepped and ready. ( I replaced the trailer lights) Out of the ramp in Bokellia at odark thirty. Out through Shell Cut, head across to Bull Bay. Dead flat calm. A large school of greenies appears. I sabiki up a large baitwell full.

Motor out to Boca Grande pass. Its just a little past the peak of the season. Still plenty of boats out. We get in the drift. They are on the surface and on the bottom. I give Owen a Terramar rod with a Stradic 5000, 40 # braid and 40# fluorocarbon leader. Palm size, very healthy greenie, back hooked.

Around 20 minutes of drifting and resetting. We got 2 hits, I presume sharks . After about an hour, Owen gets a substantial hit. I fire up the boat and start maneuvering. He gets a jump and the hook comes out.....fuck. Rebait, back in the drift. No action. I decide to motor on the ocean side down to Captiva. Re rig with a DOA bait buster. Looking to sight cast if we see any along the way. Just off Caya Costa about a mile from Captiva pass I see the action on the surface. Owen gets up on the deck and he starts throwing at a school .

Not able to get a hook up. Undaunted we head to Captiva pass. Put the 5 O circle hook and stab a greenie. We again see them. However after an hour, no hook ups. Its around 1030 am. Owen says: "Cheeseburger in Paradise time." Head over to Cabbage Key. Great lunch.

Next its off to the Bokellia bar. Start throwing topwaters. Water has got lots of crappy weeds. We get 2 bluefish and 2 small trout. Enough. Driving home I hit a large downpour. Car wash and boat wash.

Tarpon continue to be elusive for me. However, Owen's last words to me were: when are we going again?

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Sounds like a good time

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"For at least two thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice, and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity, idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf or religious and political idols." - Aldous Huxley

About 15 years ago went to Keys for vaca around July 4th with a friend who had a boat. Took wife with us and went fishing off the west (?) end of the bridge (pretty close to Robbie's in Islamorada) and in minutes had a good sized one on the line..

Wifey had a blast.. First 'real fish' catch..

Only found out after that they feed the tarpon at Robbies.. 'Like shooting fish in barrel'... just saying...

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There are NO white people at all in the Bible... take all the time you need with that...
Please stop feeding the trolls - they will go away if you do...