Got Back to Seagrove yesterday afternoon after some fantastic Tarpon fishin' at Indian Pass. I spent the day today working on tackle and swapping everything around so I can get back to Red Snappers and Kings off Grayton for the next few weeks. I called a couple of the other captains that fish here and got the same report from all of 'em-- "lots of fish, pretty easy catchin". I figure my spots have had a break for a month so they all should be packin' pretty good! I hated to leave the "Pass". The Tarpons are there in force this year. They showed up a little later than usual but are in as thick as they get right now. The usual population of fish in the 100 t0 130# range showed but also a lot of small (for there) 50 to 75#'s and a bunch of HUGE ones over 200# as well. {%image_id=11138%} This fellow had just finished fighting a big fish before I took his picture, He fought it for 4 hours and 55 minutes on a Penn 706 spinning reel packed with 40# mono. He never handed the rod off or put it in the holder but put forth an effort rarely seen. He may be a kindergarten teacher in real life but he's my new hero- The fish was no longer than a lot of the big ones (around 8') we catch but had the biggest girth I have seen in doing this for 12 years every summer. I never got to touch the leader. Got my fingers within inches of the swivel probably a dozen times but the fish just wouldn't come any closer. The fact that it jumped twice clear of the water at 4 hours showed it still had a lot of fight left- the line broke when the fish made a run around the bow faster than my (very tired) angler could follow. So no one wants to argue size I'll just say it was over 250#----- The fish of a lifetime for sure---. His poor Dad got a 60# fish to the the boat right before this fight started- his first Tarpon and what should have been a big deal--- his son kinda stole his thunder when we had other boats pulling up to us trying to film the big 'un. {%image_id=11136%} A more "regular size" one at the boat with a proud angler. As always I never get to take any Tarpon pic's since when they get close I have to be ready to grab the leader and then hang on for dear life. The above pic is the only one any body has sent back so far. {%image_id=11137%} Got Some pretty nice Tripletail pictures tho! This fellow had 2 nice ones and a gal along for the first trip in her life caught a fine Tarpon as well! {%image_id=11139%} This was the view behind the boat Sat AM- my last all day Tarpon trip- as we got run in for a 5 hour rain delay. Made it back out about 2;30 in the afternoon and put 3 in the air- one about 100# that threw the hook on the first jump, 1 'bout 130# that taught my 15 year old angler a few things before throwing the hook on the 6th jump and another "oh no" fish over 200# that broke off after it's 3rd 250 yard run and 6 jumps. While I hated the young man didn't land one I do believe he is pretty well hooked on Big Game fishin" !!! Having a fish bigger than you explode on the bait at the end of your spinning rod will do that to a person ! I've got 3 weeks of fishin' here and then I'm going to try to get back to the "Pass" to put a few more in the air at the end of August. Capt Larry Pentel