Well, we are in the thick of tarpon season in Boca Grande, FL. And as it has happened for several years now, the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series (PTTS) has kicked off their six week onslaught against the tarpon and the Boca Grande Pass. Hopefully, this will be their last season, but it's too early to know for sure. If there's one thing we do know, Joe Mercurio, the founder of the PTTS is tenacious and will go down gnarling, swinging, and biting. And that's fine. In a way, you have to admire is perseverance… even if it does seem misguided to us. Make no mistake, we are not fans of Joe, nor of his supporters, nor sponsors, but we do know a cunning adversary when we see one.
Rather than get into the nitty gritty of the goings on between the PTTS and SaveTheTarpon.com, we’ll just direct you to the SaveTheTarpon website and blog where you can read to your heart’s content about the fiasco that has become of our local tarpon season due to the tournament series, bad feelings, and unsportsmanlike techniques. Read all about it here: www.SaveTheTarpon.com
What I wanted to discuss in our forum is more about what we see currently in Boca Grande Pass, and what we see coming down the road. Tarpon fishing is still an incredible experience in Boca Grande. We are world renown for our fishery and the seasonal migration of tarpon through Boca Grande Pass. What the PTTS has brought to our area, is not something we are proud of, nor something we encourage. It is simply something that we are dealing with until we can be rid of it. Supporters of SaveTheTarpon, the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce, and the Boca Grande Fishing Guides, along with thousands of supporters, are working towards legislation that will work towards ending these kill tournaments. By changing the designation of Tarpon in Florida to a Sportfish, to banning the jig as a snagging device in Boca Grande Pass, and trying to stop the “hover drifting” that constantly harasses and stresses the fish, the groups are working to stop what the PTTS calls fishing.
It looks like we’ve got Joe and the PTTS on the ropes; through boycotts of PTTS sponsors, letter writing campaigns, youtube and social media publishing, as well as support from environmentalists, scientists, and FWC commissioners, the method of jig fishing appears to be coming to an end. Mercurio has filed a lawsuit against SaveTheTarpon citing a $500,000.00 loss since the group was formed. Sponsors have been dropping the PTTS like a rotting fish. He has changed his method of determining his tournament winners – from dragging the fish across the pass to a weigh sling, to now attempting to measure the length and girth of the fish boatside to determine its weight. He has changed his tune a bit to imply that the PTTS is about conservation, and that the group brings in an economic boost to the local economy. However, few are buying what he’s selling. The tarpon are still drug around through the Pass, the method of fishing still involves jigs and foul hooking fish, and when the PTTS sought membership with the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce (with all they claim to do for the local economy), the Chamber denied them membership. What does that say? When the local Chamber of Commerce denies your business membership, do you suppose that means they feel you are more of a detriment to the community than a resource? Something to ponder.
In any case, the real conservation groups continue to work towards legislation to end this method and manner of fishing, as well as the tournaments that promote this behavior. It may not end tomorrow, but we know that this battle will not stop until jigs and jig fishing are out of the Pass. We look to states like Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, et al (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snagging) to promote our case, and it looks promising.
So don’t let all the ruckus stop you from considering tarpon fishing in Boca Grande Pass. Currently, we work around the jiggers and do our best to accommodate our clients with a memorable trip. Our morning trips are available, but we discourage going out early in the morning on PTTS tournament weekends as it chaotic and terribly disheartening. Once the jiggers have chased the tarpon out of the Pass with their flats boats and outboards, the jiggers disperse as their method of snag fishing doesn’t work unless the fish are concentrated. Once they leave the area, the tarpon come back to feed, and that’s when we look to take our clients out for a productive, yet, ecologically responsible tarpon trip.
Our guides fish in the traditional, live bait manner of fishing. We do not hover over the fish and chase them to and fro up the hill and back harassing them. Our Captains begin their long drift as the top of the Pass, then coast with the tide down the length of Boca Grande Pass. Bait is presented to the tarpon as the boat floats over the pods, the engine running at a constant level not startling the fish. When a fish takes the bait (squirrel fish, Pass crab, or shrimp), the Captain will guide the fish outside of the Pass so as not to interfere with the other Captains’ drifts. If, however, the drift does not result in a hook up, the Captain takes the boat to the outside of the Pass, and then makes his way back up to the top for another drift. It is a very organized, safe, and responsible way to fish.
GCCB Guides, as well as all Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association members fish with heavy tackle and live bait. Tarpon are caught when the fish bite the bait and crush the bait in their mouth. The fight is roughly 7-15 minutes. Our goal is to give our client the experience of catching the tarpon, but at the same time, imposing only the least amount of stress necessary so that the fish remains healthy and strong. Once the leader reaches the tip of the fishing rod, the Captain or First Mate will remove the leader from the tarpon. The fish is never gaffed, drug, or pulled out of the water so that it has the best chances of survival after the release. (Light tackle results in long, exhausting fights for the tarpon in which the fish becomes tired and often results in death. Between fatigue and potential shark attack, many jigged/snagged tarpon end up washed up on the beach too weak, or too damaged to survive.) As we strive for conservation, we act responsibly in how we sustain this industry.
We will continue to work towards a Boca Grande that is open to all fishermen who believe in conservation of the resource. We will continue to fight for legislation that bans the exploitation of this great fish. And we will continue to uphold our beliefs, our history, and our obligation to Boca Grande and the mighty Silver King.
We look forward to seeing you on the water and we hope that you’ll have the opportunity to experience this great fish in a way that your children and grandchildren may experience them as well!
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