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Ask any seasoned Citrus County angler to describe some of their toughest, most exciting and just plain fun fishing experiences, and odds are you will hear at least one tale of tangling with a tarpon. This massive fish is a prized species for recreational anglers, and some of the world’s largest have been caught here in Citrus County. Those who have had a tarpon on the line can easily attest to its position as the “Silver King,” as it is often known, of sport fish. The bright, silvery flash that anglers see when the massive fish jumps out of the water and at the end of their line is a sure sign of angling excitement.
Large Eyes, Bigger Bodies
The scientific name of the tarpon found in Florida waters is Magalops atlanticus. Their genus name, Megalops, means “large eyed,” a standout feature of the Atlantic tarpon (as well as its smaller foreign cousin, Megalops cyprinoids, the smaller Indo-Pacific tarpon).
Another distinguishing feature of the Atlantic tarpon is the fish’s large size and enormous silvery scales of its generally herring-like appearance. The backs of tarpons are typically greenish black or dark blue. Their bodies have nearly vertical sides and a superior mouth with an extended lower mandible that juts out below the lower jaw. They have a v-shaped tail fin, a high dorsal fin and pectoral and pelvic fins. Between 40 and 48 scales are present in the lateral line of the fish. Very young tarpons do not resemble the adult forms they will ultimately take; instead, they go through a larval stage in which they resemble an eel before growing into a smaller version of the adult tarpon.
Physiologically, one of the most distinctive features of the tarpon is its swim bladder, which is connected to the esophagus and allows the fish to take in oxygen directly from the atmosphere by gulping. Research has revealed that tarpon indeed must have access to air, versus simply breathing with their gills, to survive, and juvenile tarpon are obligatory air breathers. This special ability allows the species to thrive in oxygen-poor brackish waters.
Tarpon can reach over 8 feet in length and 355 pounds. The size of a tarpon is an indicator of its age, as the great fish are slow growers. They do not become sexually mature until they are approximately 4 feet long and 6 or 7 years of age. A 100-pound tarpon at the end of your line is likely to be somewhere between 13 and 16 years old. Female tarpon are often longer-lived than their male counterparts: Male tarpon can live over 30 years, but females may live more than 50 years. In fact, a Chicago aquarium had a female tarpon that lived until the age of 63, when it finally died in 1998.
Habitat & Distribution
Tarpon are migratory marine fish of the western Atlantic Ocean. They are found in areas ranging from ocean waters near the shore to estuaries and freshwater rivers. The largest population in the Western Atlantic dwells in the West Indies and the region of the Gulf of Mexico near Florida—including Citrus County. Their full range extends much farther, however, and they have been noted as far east as Bermuda, as far south as Argentina and as far north as Nova Scotia. Tarpon are found in the state’s coastal waters seasonally and peninsular Florida waters all year long. West Central Florida also serves as part of the fish’s spawning grounds, which also include the eastern portion of the state to Cape Hatteras, the Florida Straights and portions of the Gulf of Mexico.
Predators & Prey
As tarpon grow larger, so does their appetite and prey. At their smallest stages (less than five inches long), they devour larvae, plankton and the detritus drifting through the marine environment. Larger juveniles eat mullet, killfish, mosquitofish and other small fish. Adult tarpon prey upon many different kinds of fish, including marine catfishes, crabs, sardines, mullet, sunfish, anchovies and many more.
When small and more vulnerable, tarpon face a wide variety of predators, including other fish like spotted seatrout and ladyfish, plus alligators, pelicans, herons and dolphins. Other, older tarpon will also eat them.
If the tarpon can survive into adulthood, the number of potential predators drops significantly, with sharks posing the greatest threat.
An Alluring Catch
Anglers do not typically try to land these fish for food. But for an adventuresome fishing experience, tackling a tarpon is a perennial favorite. This dovetails into a successful and fun catch-and-release program in Citrus County and many other tarpon havens. Taking a tarpon requires a special permit, but enjoying the fight (which will likely include many splendid, silvery leaps into the air), snapping a photo and then releasing the catch to fight another day does not.
Citrus County has become renowned for record-setting tarpon catches. In May of 1982, Billy Pate changed the course of fishing history when he hooked a 188-pound tarpon in Homosassa using a fly rod and 17-pound test line. Then, on May 11, 2001, in Chassahowitzka, Florida, Jim Holland Jr., guided by Captain Steve Kirkpatrick, caught the first tarpon with fly fishing equipment over 200 pounds: a 202-pound, 8-ounce tarpon on 20-pound tippet.
Many different forms of rods and reels can be used to tackle some serious tarpon, but as with the record catches of Pate and Holland, the fly rod remains a favorite. Coupled with a flats boat and a knowledgeable guide, this is Florida fishing at its most dramatic.
Tarpon Educational Links