A First Introduction To The Keys... And A Tarpon Of 130lb! Read Dave Plummers Florida Report!

As I said I was quite looking forward to this week as I had Paul Stevens, a new employee of Angling Direct Holidays, out here for the week with me. The plan was to show him, everything he needed to know about Florida, and everything that it has to offer.

Once he had arrived and unpacked, we took the short trip to the local supermarket and stocked up on supplies for the week, it was then back across town for the fishing license’s, then back home for a proper guided tour of the house, boat and surrounding area. I cooked us up a cracking (if I say so myself) full English for tea, and we chilled out in the evening with a couple of beers, chatting fishing, tackle, tactics and stories. All I had left to show Paul now, was the fishing and we were both pumped up and ready to go!

We awoke in the morning ready for the first session of the week, we motored for about an hour to a favourite mark of mine, its right on the edge of a flat where the water is shelves off into slightly deeper water. Fishing 3 deadbait rods, with mullet as bait, we managed to raise 9 takes, and land four fish, as I have said before trying to hook Tarpon can be so frustrating! The best of these fish was a big Tarpon of around 130lb, which led Paul a right merry dance before finally being brought to the boat, not bad for Paul’s first fish on the Keys! He also followed it up with a big Lemon Shark which was the best part of 110lb.

We would have stayed out a bit longer, but weather halted our session, as the storms rumbled around us, we headed back home. All in all it was a great first session and a great first introduction to fishing the Keys.

Until tomorrow….. Dave.