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Spend the day with a true Florida fisherman as he describes his search for the “best” fishing spot in Tarpon Springs!
Its early morning, the sun reminding the world that night is not forever. The smell of salt air brings a smile. I glance out across the water, its smooth glassy surface glimmering in the first few rays of the new day. The sky is a big, beautiful, blue, and as I glide across the surface, I leave one world behind and enter another with beauty unmatched. Fishing the flats in Florida is one of my most favorite past times. It gives me a chance to clear my mind and regain my focus. And if I am lucky, land a fish or two in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. We are talking about Tarpon Springs, on the west central coast of Florida. Chances are if you have heard of Tarpon Springs, it was probably due to their world famous sponge docks. It is a small town on the Gulf of Mexico, sprawled across both banks of the Anclote River which empties into the gulf. Well today we are not in search of sponge, we are searching for Snook, or reel burners as I like to call any large game fish. Trout, Red Fish, and Cobia are also common to this area. Put simply, if it swims in the gulf you will find it at Tarpon. I have decided to fish the flats in the south region. The tide is coming in and the mangroves are more accessible during high tide. I have spotted what looks to be logs or tree limbs about three feet underwater. Snook often lay in groups of three or more close to or under mangroves and resemble logs. I have poled my boat to within one hundred feet of them and plan to drift past them while I dance a plug across their noses. There is nothing quite like that first cast. You have found your favorite spot, and know you have a full day of fishing in front of you. But still you hurry. The sound of that plug plopping down in that water has been haunting you all week. You can’t wait to get your line in the water for a chance at that reel burning experience you crave. A few hours have passed since that first spot which, incidentally, turned out to be exactly what I had seen, logs. I am drifting the flats now. Letting the wind slowly push me across them. I am still working a plug but also have a rod with a live pinfish drifting under a float. I think of the cold beer chilling in the cooler, how that first swallow will mix with the salty taste in my mouth, ahh, nothing like it in this world. I reel in my pole and clean off the grass clinging to my plug. That’s when I noticed the other pole, the one with the bobber. It was spitting out line like an old lady with a mouth full of chew. I grabbed the pole and closed the bail as I let the line disappear into the water. Then BANG, I set the hook. And let me tell you, all hell broke loose. My pole bent in half as if it was hinged, but it held. It was man against fish now. The screaming of the reel was music to my ears. I kept the line taut while I battled this unseen monster. I could only reel in a few feet at a time before it would turn and run, determined to make its escape. When it was all said and done, I had landed a thirty-seven inch cobia. Although a fine table fish, I could not bring myself to keep such a magnificent creature. I took a quick photo and let it live, perhaps to catch another day. As the day went on I bagged four nice trout, a flounder and a large bonefish, all fine for the table. The sun was beginning its day ending descent, turning the sky into an array of the most beautiful oranges, pinks and yellows imaginable. I took a moment to reflect on this outstanding day. Outstanding not just because of the fish, but because for a while, however so short, I was free.