CHAPTER III 



HOW TO CATCH TARPON 



HAVE I sufficiently introduced the tarpon itself ? I hope so. 

 The fish shown in the frontispiece was caught in March, and 

 was therefore in poor condition. They improve rapidly 

 towards the end of April, and are heavy with spawn late 

 in May. Strips of mullet four cut from the white belly 

 of each are the orthodox bait for tarpon, yet an autopsy will 

 reveal only an occasional fish, small crabs being by far the 

 more usual food. When a tarpon is seen rising slowly, head 

 and tail like a salmon, it may be regarded as on its way 

 to the bottom to feed, its movements when routing among the 

 rocks and weeds being notified by the string of bubbles that 

 rise to the surface, much like the otter's chain. 



In Boca Grand the tarpon is fished for close to the 

 bottom, but elsewhere it is sometimes caught near the 



43 



