Tampa Bay Tarpon

A few months ago, I had the good fortune to get a last minute invitation to fill two open slots for an afternoon of Tarpon fishing in Tampa Bay. As I’d never been tarpon fishing before, it sounded like a fun afternoon on the water and an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

My son, Nick, a USF student filled the second slot. He’s a fishing & hunting nut so I knew he’d fit right in. We arrived at the boat ramp late afternoon to torrential rain, not a good sign. During a break in the rain, we made a run out on the bay but were quickly chased back in by lightning on the horizon. Finally the weather broke and we were able to get to our spot. The tide was flushing crabs out of the bay and it was Nick’s and my job to net up as much what we could for bait.

After anchoring the boat and getting a couple of lines in the water, we had a fish on in a matter of minutes. Nick was first up and being coached by the experts on how to fight the Tarpon. Unfortunately, he had a left handed reel and was straining to keep control. When the fished jumped I realized why he was getting tired. This fish was unlike anything I had ever seen. The experts guessed its weight at well over 100 pounds. Having been a fresh water fisherman all my life, a 30 pound fish is a monster to me. We put up a good fight but after 20 minutes of working the fish in close to the boat, we snapped the leader and the tarpon was gone. Two tarpon hook-ups later, we outlasted the fish & brought one to the boat for its close-up.

What a day! Nick said it was his best fishing experience ever. We agreed its something we would definitely try again.

Posted by: Sid Talsma

Sid, a LEED AP and Senior Project Manager with Hennessy, has been a vital part of the Hennessy team for the last three and a half years.  Sid is currently working in the field at Hennessy's largest project ever the Pinellas County Public Works Emergency Responders building.