We started out looking for the sunset bite on the Snook and it didn’t take long. We located the first bunch of Snook on the Lowrance side scan unit and dropped our offering. Almost immediately we had the first hook up and the Snook came boat side just as the sun was starting to set. The sunset made some excellent photographs I’m sure that will be admired for a long time after the guests return home. The bite continued until the sun went down.
We saw a few Tarpon rolling and so we knew it was time to switch over to the Tarpon set up and start changing focus. We set out the first drift and we picked up a few Tarpon moving in the area on the side scan again, but they didn’t take the offerings. We had just started our second pass as we were setting out the line A Tarpon smacked our bait. Slamming the rod around in the rod holder. We knew it would not be long and it wasn’t a few minutes later the rod doubled over, and the drag was screaming under the pressure. The fight continued, and Chris settled in with the fighting belt. A leader touch and a few more runs and the Tarpon made a sudden erratic run and the line went limp. By the looks of the cut leader we suspected that a shark had ambushed our Tarpon from over the Deep ledge in Government cut.
We decided it was time to switch gears and head inside for Chris to take advantage of his bass casting skills and try for some Tarpon around the Lights, Docks and Bridges inside Biscayne Bay. Almost every light had tarpon in the 20 to 30 pound class range Casting small plastic paddle tails on light leader was the most effective, getting multiple follows and hook ups next to the boat. We jump several Tarpon around the bridges in the Bay and the lights. We also hooked a mix of jacks before ending another successful night of Miami Snook and Tarpon Fishing.