Thursday, April 28, 2022. A Tarpon, At Last.
Today, Jack, Ben and Dave got to the boat as the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. There was just a sliver of moon in the sky. The water was calm and the air was still and warm. The tide tables showed that the bottom low tide was happening as we hit the water. Instead of motoring over an hour to get back to the spot where we had seen more tarpon, and caught sharks, Ben suggested we at least try to fish the spot near the marina during the 1-2hrs around the bottom of that low tide, and then move to other areas if there was no action there. After anchoring and putting out the lines, just like we had two days earlier, but with the sun just staring to climb into the sky, Jack’s rod took a hard strike and line started screaming off the reel. Suddenly, about a 100’ from the boat, a huge tarpon shot out of the water and into the air. That tarpon had jolted the line repeatedly while Jack struggled to get his thumb on the spool and then turn off the clicker, a backlash had developed on the reel from the way the tarpon had repeatedly jerked the line before the drag could be engaged. Then as Jack tried to engage the drag to prepare to set the hook, the tarpon threw the hook and disappeared.
Everyone was both stunned and astonished by the sudden and violent presentation that ended almost as quickly as it had erupted. But then, within 5 minutes, Ben’s reel began clicking rapidly. Ben jumped on the reel and got his thumb on the reel to apply a little pressure to prevent a backlash. The fish then started to pull line of the reel rapidly. Then as instructed by Captain Teddy, Ben kept the rod straight up facing the running fish, and slid the drag forward. Sure enough, the fish pulled the rod tip down, and then Ben set the hook. The line then went limp, but Ben reeled to pick up the slack and then reset the hook. This time, there was an explosion in the water 300’ out, and the tarpon shot 3’ out of the water into the air, and the back down with a splash.
YouTube clip of setting the hook
And there was no question then that the fish was well hooked and on the line as it raced from the port side of the boat to the starboard side, jumping a few more times trying to throw the hook. Ben then had to buckle down and match wits and muscles with the tarpon for a half hour, Ben periodically gaining on the fish, bringing it close to the boat, and then it turning and running back out, pulling line back off the reel and pulling the stern of the boat around. Captain Teddy pulled the anchor early in the fight to allow us to move with the fish. The fish eventually tired to the point where it could be brought along side the boat where it lay on it’s side rather than upright. Captain Teddy motored slowly into 2’ of water and dropped the anchor while Ben kept the fish along side the boat.
YouTube clip of tarpon at the gunnel
He then climbed down into the water to unhook the fish and get it ready for us to take pictures. As soon as he grabbed it’s lower jaw, it decided it wasn’t done and made one more run of about 30’ before Ben got it turned back around and by the boat. Captain Teddy then got a firm grip of the jaw and cut the leader. The hook was deeply imbedded, but he uses hooks that will rust out within a few weeks. He then had Jack and Ben climb down to hold the fish while Dave took pictures. Then Dave joined Jack and Ben to lift the fish out of the water for a group picture. It took the three of us to lift it out of the water.
We measured the fish, which was 34” in girth and 76” in length. Captain Teddy said it looked like a 160# fish, but there is a calculation you can use to estimate the weight (girth squared times length divided by 800= 110#). By measurements, that fish had the same girth as Ben’s waistline, and it was 9” longer than Ben.
Everyone’s adrenaline levels were spiked by the excitement of the landing that tarpon. Captain Teddy plucked a couple of scales off for souvenirs and then spent 10 minutes reviving the fish before it could swim off under its own power.
In all the excitement, Ben forgot that he had his iPhone and AirPods in his shirt pockets when he got in the water to hold the tarpon. Fortunately, the AirPods worked fine, but unfortunately, the FaceTime camera and screen digitizer on the iPhone were functioning erratically, making the phone unusable. Although the iPhone XS is supposed to be the first water proof iPhone, it apparently isn’t fully IP-67 waterproof, especially if you squash it with a big tarpon.
With the two strikes in rapid succession that lead to Ben’s landing the first fish, everyone was expecting Dave to get his fish shortly, and then Jack would get the next. Unfortunately, the rest of the morning was a repeat of 2 days earlier, with no more bites. We moved again to two other spots just outside the marina entrance where several other boats were fishing for tarpon, but alas, we had no more strikes on our baits, and we didn’t see anyone else catch one.
We called it at 2pm and returned to the marina. We went to settle with Captain Teddy, who was expecting all cash or check. He wasn’t equipped to accept credit cards, and we weren’t equipped to pay by all cash or check (who carries checks around these days?). Jack had failed to inquire about terms when he booked the charter. So Jack and Dave drove to the nearest CitiBank where Dave could withdraw the cash necessary to cover the bill, leaving Ben as collateral. They fortunately returned before Ben had to swab any decks, gut any fish or do any of Captain Teddy’s book keeping in barter for our charter.
Janet, Bonnie and Sharon did a nature walk, learning about the local flora and fauna. It started off very pleasant, but the temperature and humidity rose quickly through the morning, so everyone was glad to get back to the air conditioned Air B&B after the walk.
In the evening we returned to the Seed to Table The menu was diverse enough, and the prospect for Jack, Sharon, Dave and Bonnie to dance again were the primary factors for returning there. Captain Teddy had suggested another venue called Cooper’s Hawk, which is a winery venue which has a very fine restaurant, but the $40 entree prices and emphasis on expensive wines was a little too uppity for us. Tonight, there was much less of a crowd, although it was by no means uncrowded. We still had trouble finding a place for the six of us to sit together. Tonight we ended up downstairs, which meant we had to place our own food orders and pay for them at the venues, and get our own drinks. But we didn’t have to leave a tip. The food was still delivered to our table via the food carriers being able to track the physical location of the beepers they handed out with each order. They must have tracking devices like the Princess Medallions that allow them to pinpoint the location of the numbered pagers with a couple of feet precision. Another unique bit of tech involved the beer counter. The draft beers are dispensed not from a conventional tap, but from a bottom tap which pokes up through a hole in the bottom of the plastic disposable cups fitted with a metal washer and magnetic flap. As the beer fills the cups from the bottom up, there is little head and perhaps less mess. At the least, it looks very weird to see the cups seeming to fill spontaneously. The magnetic flaps on the bottom of the cups are collectible.
The dance band and venue was a little different tonight. They had a small rock band playing upstairs, but there was much less room for dancing. Dave and Bonnie ended up dancing the imported dry goods department as we worked our way to the door. Jack and Sharon had left earlier to take care of another errand that needed to be run before checking out of the Air B&B in the morning.
When we got home, Ben got out a blue tooth speaker. Jack and Sharon were able to show off their new Tango moves. Dave and Bonnie also did a little dancing in Air B&B’s great room, which proved to be a better dance venue than the imported dry goods aisle anyways.
Tomorrow, everyone checks out of the Air B&B. We have loaded most of our stuff back into the RV. Ben was able to get the RV air conditioner working by swapping the 15A garage circuit breaker for the 20A dishwasher circuit breaker since there was no dishwasher ever installed in the kitchen. Ben did make a Apple Store Genius Bar appointment in Naples for tomorrow to get his iPhone replaced. After that, we head north east to visit cruise friends from our 60 day South America Cruise Kathy and John, who live in Mims, close to the Kennedy Space Center, about 5 hours away.
