FI?HES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 169 



eleven inches in length, weighing 198 pounds. It was found that 

 one of the hooks had a slight hold in mouth, and that one of the 

 " skirmishers " had switched round and entered the back of the fish 

 below the head, and held him. Tarpon fishing is in its infancy, and 

 we trust that some of your piscatorial experts will invent appropriate 

 tackle, try tarpon fishing, and teach us greenhorns how to capture 

 th*"^ Thov nffpr a fine field for ^xp^ri merit. 



Tarpon seem to confine themselves to a fish diet, and I have yet 

 to hear of one noticing a crab bait. The bait universally used is a 

 portion of, or a whole, mullet. On one occasion my friend, Dr. F. , 

 was fishing for large mouthed bass at the head of the Homosassa 

 Kiver, and as they would not rise to a fly, he used a minnow for 

 bait. He soon ascertained that he had about six lineal feet of tar- 

 pon at the other end. At first the fish paid no attention to the trac- 

 tion of a light split bamboo trout rod, but he ultimately started off 

 at lightning speed, the reel humming as it never did before, and il. 

 Doctor was minus a leader. He rigged his line again, used a min- 

 now as bait, made a cast, got a strike, and, to his astonishment and 

 disgust, another tarpon had appropriated the bait, and in an instant 

 he was minus his tackle. From that time to the present the Doctor 

 has refrained from using minnows for bait where tarpon exist. 



Nearly two years since your valued correspondent, "M.," was 

 trolling with a spinner near Sannibal Island for channel bass, and 

 toward evening he found that he had hooked a larger fish than he 

 bargained for. After a tussle the fish was landed, and it proved to 

 be a tarpon weighing thirty-eight pounds. Last summer, I had a 

 large and strong spoon bait made by Hill & Co., of Grand Rapids, 

 Michigan. I only used it on two occasions but failed to secure a 

 strike. Next summer I propose testing it again, for I feel assured 

 that the silver king cannot resist such an attractive lure. 

 fcThe capture of the noble tarpon is worthy of the notice of experts, 

 and if they wish an exciting experience, a new revelation, I would 

 advise them to visit southeastern or southwestern portions of the 

 State during the winter, or the lower St. Johns during August and 

 September. If they should engage in tarpon fishing in this riven 

 whilst waiting for a bite they can indulge in the capture of channel 



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