More than any other month, August is the time to try for tarpon in South Carolina’s coastal waters.
These migratory fish may arrive sooner than August if the weather is hot enough, but historically, the greatest concentration of silver kings is found here in the last — and hottest — month of summer.
Bulls Bay is always a tarpon hotspot because of its ample bait supple. Tarpon will chew on mullet, crabs or other forms of seafood, but they love a big school of menhaden, and these baitfish blanket Bulls Bay all summer long. Experienced fisherman may do battle with two or more tarpon a day, but even a single shot is worth a day’s effort.
Capt. Mark Phelps of Shore Thang Charters caught more than a hundred tarpon when he guided near Sarasota, Fla.. Now, he targets them when chartering out of Charleston.
“Pretty much any inlet on our coast can hold fish at any time,” he said. “Ports south of Charleston like Hilton Head or St. Simons might hold tarpon (longer), but we have a steady run of concentrations of tarpon that move through, offering plenty of opportunities to hook up.”
Anglers should fish inlets, sandbars and surf zones. Also, try deep holes and jetties, fishing a whole, live mullet on the bottom, using a long rod with a spinning reel spooled with 250 yards of 20 to 50-pound test. Use a 6/0 circle hook to avoid gut-hooking these fish, which are almost always released alive, in part because of their poor table quality.
Remember to use a quick-release anchor system so you can clear the anchor line in order to chase down a tarpon. Known for their jumping ability, it likely won’t be too hard to keep the tarpon in sight.
Sarasota is the home for the MOTE marine laboratory, which, according to Phelps, is conducting a tarpon genetic survey.
“MOTE marine is much like our DNR or the SC Aquarium because their marine biologists are research-oriented, and they also treat injured critters like sea turtles or dolphin,” Phelps said.
The MOTE research is ramping up because very little is known about the life history of tarpon, due to the fish being largely caught and released. This study should eventually decipher how and where these fish migrate.
Recreational fishermen can participate in the program by picking up a tarpon genetics kit, which are available at some local tackle shops. Each DNA sampling kit includes abrasive scrub pads cut into single-use sizes, a pencil, instructions, waterproof data slips and an alcohol-filled vial in which you store your sample. When handling a tarpon, simply take the abrasive pad and rub it on the upper, outer jaw of the fish until some silver appears on the brush. That material is your genetic sample.
Recording the length of the tarpon, the time hooked, the condition of the fish when released, plus the exact location of capture will enter a fisherman in an early-November drawing for a special prize. Adding this genetic kit to your tackle box will keep you ready if a silver king should come calling.
The 15th Annual Charleston Harbor Tarpon Release Tournament will be fished out of Toler’s Cove Marina on Aug. 15. Organizer Cantey Smith stresses conservation by recognizing a legal catch as soon as your swivel touches your rod tip, with the fish being released immediately afterwards. No photo proof is required, since fishermen are not competing for any cash prizes; they’re simply after bragging rights.
The tournament is traditionally fished in August during the slack tides two weeks after a full moon, as tarpon are lazy feeders hanging out on the bottom waiting for a meal to appear in the current. Getting bait using a cast net is easier during slack tides, and the calm waters also aid in spotting rolling tarpon, which is when anglers can “read” the fish’s definitive flash.
Fishermen typically plan to anchor in their best spot for the entire day. Many anglers will head north from Charleston to Bulls Bay, or perhaps south to Deveaux Bank, leaving some to fish the inlets and rips associated with the barrier islands surrounding Charleston.
I fished this tourney with Smith and first mate David Ingle last year, and while the tournament boat received lots of calls about tarpon sightings and hook-ups, no one in the field landed a tarpon.
Smith, a sponsor of the East Cooper chapter of CCA compares trying to catch a tarpon on tournament day to catching a blue marlin on any specific day — one reason this event is largely based on camaraderie and conservation.
Tournament rules stipulate that the first fisherman to report a legal catch on VHF Channel 65 is the winner, unless more than one tarpon is caught. Then, the tournament winner is the boat with the most releases.
Also, any angler who kills a tarpon must eat the fish at the awards dinner!
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