Baby and Juvenile Tarpon — what to keep in mind:
- This is a year-round bite. Unlike permit and bonefish, juvenile tarpon don’t wait for summer — you can find them in the mangrove creeks and back-country lagoons any month.
- Bow to the fish. When a tarpon jumps, drop your rod tip toward the water and keep tension while it’s in the air.
- Light tackle, more fun. A 7 to 9 weight rod is enough for baby tarpon and makes the fight feel like it should — long runs and jumps you actually get to enjoy.
- Small, natural flies work best. Baby tarpon patterns, mangrove baitfish imitations, unweighted — you want it to fall soft..
- Early morning and late afternoon are prime time. Low light gets them up and rolling near the surface, easier to spot and target.
- Watch for rolling fish. Tarpon come up to breath, that roll tells you exactly where to put the fly.
- Set the hook with a strip, not the rod. A trout set will pull the fly right out of that hard mouth, is better ti strip strip strip strike and keep the rod to the fish.

