Feature Story by Chester Moore

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Megalops atlanticus

WITH AN EPIC LATIN NAME LIKE THAT, a fish needs some awesome attributes and in the case of the tarpon, there are plenty.

The tarpon is arguably the most prized inshore/nearshore gamefish on the planet, and they happen to live on the Texas Coast with an uptick in catches in recent years.

The following are 10 tarpon truths that will increase your respect for the species and have you ready to do battle with the “silver king” this summer.

1. Mega Record: The Texas state record tarpon was caught in 2017 by Michael Shane LaRue II. It weighed 229 pounds and measured 90 inches. The minimum length for tarpon is 85 inches with a daily bag of one. It is essentially a catch-and-release only fish and that’s a good thing.

The 85-inch limit allows for potential new record fish to be caught as it would take a fish likely even larger than that to break the current record.

2. Tarpon Movements: According to Texas A&M’s Texas Tarpon Tagging Initiative which is cooperating with other tarpon research, two tarpon were tagged with numbers “8616” and “8618” in October of 2018 near Galveston.

“After a year of no detections, tarpon “8616” was detected off the coast of Corpus Christi in October of 2019 and then again off the coast of South Padre Island in November of 2019. Tarpon “8618” was also detected a year later near Matagorda Bay in October 2019 and then again off the coast of Corpus Christi in November 2019.” As you can see, tarpon like to move.

3. Juvenile Tarpon: Young tarpon are common residents along the Lower Coast year-round and can also be found on the Middle and Upper Coasts.

Every year anglers catch young tarpon near Lake Jackson, Matagorda and around the Galveston Bay complex. According to TPWD officials, little is known of the tarpon’s spawning activity or growth.

“Tarpon of 6 to 18 inches have been found in river mouths, lakes and bar-ditches and sometimes in polluted areas. Young tarpon often go into the brackish water of small marsh channels, while adults may swim far up the larger rivers of South Texas, perhaps in search of food. Most commonly found off the beachfront in the Gulf.”

4. Tarpon, Texas: Ever heard of Tarpon, Texas? Known as Port Aransas for the last 100 years, it was named for the main economic driver for the island city.

Beginning in the late 1880s thousands poured into the area to catch huge tarpon and for years thousands gathered to witness the annual “Tarpon Rodeo” tournament.

Similar accounts are found in Port O’Connor, Freeport and Port Arthur.

A tag and track study by Texas A&M Galveston, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Louisiana State University has received funding funding from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Pelagic Fisheries Institute, and the Lyons Charitable Foundation with Mark Lyons. It is revealing some amazing data on Texas tarpon movements.
(Photo: Courtesy Shane Stephens)

5. Old Fish: Tarpon are long-lived fish. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the lifespan of a tarpon can be in excess of 50 years. The oldest tarpon in captivity lived to be 63 years old.

6. Tarpon “Rolling”: Tarpon will often “roll” like alligator garfish. This is because they have the ability to get air from the surface, much like a garfish. This allows the species to live in areas with low dissolved oxygen levels, which in waterways with more stressed than ever, comes in quite handy.

7. Spawning Mysteries: According to officials with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, spawning remains the most unknown variable of the equation, and one of the most important.

“Protection of spawning sites is vital to maintaining the tarpon fishery, because without the future generations that result from spawning there would be no tarpon fishery at all. We know that spawning occurs in late spring through summer, and the limited information available suggests that tarpon spawn over 100 miles offshore, where they presently receive no protections.”

8. Tarpon Vision: According to Fish Costa Rica, tarpon have amazing color vision with five types of cones cells in their eyes.

“They can see into the ultraviolet spectrum even further than birds and insects that have four types of cones cells in their eyes. In case you are wondering, humans only have three types of cone cells.”

Oh yeah and we forgot to tell you. There are no tarpon in Costa Rica. We often think of the Pacific side but there is also a Caribbean side to the beautiful nation that has a great tarpon fishery.

9. Tarpon Will Take a Fly: Tarpon will take a fly and are high on the list of everyone who flyfishes in saltwater.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials, on May 11, 2001 Jim Holland Jr., guided by Captain Steve Kirkpatrick, caught the first tarpon with fly fishing equipment over 200 pounds. It weighed 202-pounds, 8-ounces and was caught on a 20-pound tippet.

I have yet to catch one on the fly and would be happy with catching a tarpon embryo, much less a monster of such proportions.

10. Tarpon Problems: There is much research being done on tarpon right now. Little is known about them in comparison to species like speckled trout and redfish.

One major conservation issue that needs to be looked at is netting. Tarpon are caught as bycatch by pogy boats, especially in Louisiana where the bulk of that fishery exists. There are also issues on the Mexico side of the border. I have spoken with scientists doing shark surveys down there who have seen tarpon on the market alongside many other species.

No one is sure of the extent of either of these problems but they, along with water quality, development of habitat are concerns for this great species.

In my opinion, if we get tarpon conservation right in Texas, everything will benefit. They are survivors in some ways and delicate in others and by working hard to ensure their survival, we can also secure a bright future for our other beloved fisheries.