How to Catch Tarpon

How to Catch Tarpon Dan Hernandez: So this is first stop of the afternoon. Last week’s episode we’re fishing right in the same area where we hook up monster fish and it was like this. It was the first day we’re here. It was toward the end of the day and today we started out. This is Day 2 for us and we’re still up right the same area and it seems like as it gets closer to sunset because there’s a full moon going on, the fishing has been getting better so hopefully that’s a good sign. Oh there’s another tarpon back there. So I hope we have a good sign and we’ll get some more food and just slowly winding it in and then working it back. And we got some offshore breeze which is pushing us back from the current. Normally if we don’t have this breeze we could just drip with the current. You got a couple line down the water with the white things there right now. We have the cast and work its back. I enjoy and make some more fun. We’re going to work with the bait so you drifting them and so with you. It’s just beautiful right here fishing on the edge of the rain forest in Costa Rica. We’ve got a tarpon hooked up on a dead bait or throwing around or just drift fishing. There’s another one right there. Cliff: I try to get that one. Dan Hernandez: Dripping out or dripping this one bait—oh he’s way up there. Drip in one bait and then throwing some other fishes with the other rods. He is taking a lot of line. He is way up on straight to the east. It’s a long way off. See I’m using here, I got torque 200 Reel, 30 pound test case in red line and got one of my rods, the Dan Hernandez that was a custom rod. Since it’s going to jump again it’s the way up there. So here it goes, come on, come out of the water. This fish is all around us here, Cliff? Cliff: Yeah, a lot of them. Dan Hernandez: Back then he’s going to jump, he’s just running, running, running. What we’re trying to do is we’re going to close some of the gap between us and the fish so the other one right up the river and we lose them and we just clip the boating gear a little bit. Let’s get a little bit closer and that way the rod is too high. It’s not like normal fishing that I’m used to like tuna fishing where you're lifting the rod way up and winding down. Here you just lift really short and when the fish jump you just point the fish at the rod so you got some suck line so he can’t throw the hook. So here it is right on the surface. He is not tired yet though. So just right here you just roll it. This torque I just really pick up a lot of line every time you turn the handle, fish tarpon all around us, just amazing. You just see all those real splashes you hear in the background both all the Tarpon, just coming out the fish lid right here. He’s in a jump right here, it’s right here by the boat. There’s my 130 pound litter. He’s shaking his head. There he is right here. Left, left right to the left. He’s going to jump right here come on. Come say hi to my friends. Good! Here it goes, he’s jumping in. Cliff has been telling me every time he runs to the right you want to pull the left. Just by pulling the other direction that the fish is going so right now he’s going to the right a little bit so I’m just going to pull to the left. Keep the rod low, short pump. Try and keep that rod tip away from the boat. Lift on. I really can’t take her as leader. You got it this time. Do you need help? Cliff: No! It’s okay. Hang this. Dan Hernandez: That’s a 100-pound fish. Cliff: Yeah, it is. Dan Hernandez: Do you need pliers? I'm just going to hold them on. Cliff: No I won’t get it we’re going to— Dan Hernandez: Cut from the mouth? Cliff: This is—when he comes that way—and then I’m get the hook out. Dan Hernandez: Let’s bring him up really quick, trap hook. This is a bit tarpon we just got. Monster fish, take reel a case in red line and Dan Hernandez Ugly Stick but it’s been enough. Here it is. Cliff: This is a big fish Dan Hernandez: That’s a big fish. This is the fish that we just caught. Cliff, thank you man! It’s a beautiful fish. I'm just kind of to let you know and he’s ready to go. There he goes. Alright Cliff, that’s tiptop and over 100 pounds. This fish is a lot easier. That last fish, the rod that I was using is made for like 20 or 25 pound test. Fish rod ready for 30, you can use up to 40 on it that’s what we had on this. We had 30 pound test caging rig line, 130-pound leader circle hook and this is a pin circle hook on here made by Eagle Claw and we just did the job on that fish. It’s beautiful outfit to use Dan Hernandez well of course. Just we’re so good, Cliff thank you man.