When 6-foot angler Wade Bales and 6-foot, 4-inch guide Capt. Michael Perry struggled on Aug. 27 to lift the huge tarpon for mate Paul Pile to photograph, they knew that this silver king was likely a new state record. Three quick pictures later, the fish was returned to the ocean where the tarpon surged away, heading out of Port Royal Sound and back into the Atlantic Ocean.
Releasing the fish means it will not be eligible for the South Carolina fish record books, but Perry said he’s confident it would have made the top spot.
“I have some experience with tarpon here in South Carolina and in other destinations, and I have seen a 160-pounder up close before,” said Perry, who has been a guide for 16 years in Florida, the Bahamas and now Spring Island. “This fish just seemed to dwarf that one.”
Fishing in a 25-foot Parker, the anglers were using pogies for bait using custom rods, Shimano TLD 20s and braided line with an 80-pound leader. About 10:30 a.m. was when Pile hooked up with a nice tarpon, but the frantic fish jumped completely out of the water and spit the hook.
Bales was standing in the back of the boat at 11 a.m. when the big fish struck.
“The reel started screaming, and I could not even get the rod out of the rod holder until the fish came to the surface the first time,” Bales said. “I about passed out when I saw the size of the tarpon, and during the 20-minute fight it jumped several times but was too massive to get all the way out of the water.”
The fish was close enough for them to touch the leader five times before Perry grabbed the fish by the lip to secure it.
“I’ve caught some big amberjacks before, but this fish pulled way more than they did and I was wore out by the time we landed the tarpon,” Bales said. “We normally don’t like to even remove a fish from the water, but this one deserved a photo – and we were so focused on releasing him quickly we forgot to take a scale as a souvenir.”
Perry explained that the 8/0 circle hook had found a perfect hookset inside the mouth, ensuring the big fish was landed.
Fishing on the backside of the August full moon was good this year, as Perry went two for four on tarpon this day followed by two for five the next day. Was it the best year ever for tarpon in South Carolina?
“No the best year was about five years ago for tarpon, but we seem to be building back up to that level again,” Perry said.
Presently the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Gamefish records indicate the state-record tarpon weighing 154 pounds, 10 ounces was caught in Hilton Head in 1987 by angler S. B. Kiser.
Click here to help Perry answer his question, ‘What do you think it weighs?’
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