THE TARPON KING OF THE PIRATE COAST

Tackle and Tips for Catching Tarpon

EDITOR'S NOTE: Very little has been written about the tarpon along Georgia's Pirate Coast where the legendary Blackbeard once pillaged for wealth and treasure, and pirates once ruled with tyranny and fear. But this undiscovered-tarpon hotspot is without question one of the best places to catch the most tarpon in the shortest time. In a day-and-a-half of fishing, we had eight chances to catch tarpon, and we brought four fish to the leader and one fish along the side of the boat. This week, we'll look at the secrets to catching tarpon along the Pirate Coast and talk to Greg Hildreth of Brunswick, Georgia, the King of Tarpon on the Pirate Coast. He'll tell us where to find tarpon and how to catch them.

Question: What is a typical day of tarpon fishing like?
Answer: At first light, we go out looking for our bait. We like to use the Atlantic menhaden, which is commonly called a pogie. We find the bait by trying to spot pelicans diving on large schools of fish. I'll often turn off my big motor and even my bait wells so I can drift over the bait without spooking them and then throw a cast net to capture the bait.

Question: What type of cast net do you throw?
Answer: I throw a 10-foot Betts Super Pro net. This net is really heavy, carrying 1-1/2 pounds of lead per inch on the lead line so it sinks really fast. Sometimes I can catch my bait in 9 feet of water. On other days I have to throw my net in 30 feet of water. So, I need a net that will get down quickly. I'll usually catch 40-50 baits per cast. I like to keep 30-35 baits in my livewell. Then I put the rest of the bait in a 48-quart cooler. I use the dead bait to chum.

Question: What is the best size bait for catching tarpon?
Answer: I like a bait that is 5- to 7-inches long.

Question: How do you set your rods out for tarpon?
Answer: I use two live baits that will be down about 6 feet from a cork for my surface lines and keep these baits far away from the boat. These baits stay on top. I also keep four baits back away from the boat. Then I put two baits about a foot from the bottom. I usually fish live baits on top and dead baits on the bottom. I cut the tails off the dead bait to keep the bait from spinning in the current.

Question: What pound test line do you use for your main line?
Answer: I prefer 50-pound-test Triple Fish for my main line and 150-pound-test Triple Fish for my leaders. If I'm fishing on the bottom, I'll have an egg sinker up the line and then a barrel swivel. If I'm fishing on top of the water, I won't use the lead on those rods. Coming off the barrel swivel, I tie 6 feet of leader on, and at the end of the leader I use a Mustad pattern 7766 tarpon hook. I rig two rods that fish on the surface, and I have two rods that fish on the bottom. I keep the reel engaged and put the rod in a rod holder. Then when the tarpon takes the bait, it hooks itself. Using this method, I don't gut hook as many tarpon or kill as many fish.

Question: Do you have baits swimming in mid-water?
Answer: Yes, I do. I'll hook a pogie through the nostrils and cast it out rigged like the top lines but without the cork. This way the pogie can swim free in the middle story of the water. My surface lines will be about 40 yards from the boat and directly behind the boat. My free swimming lines will be about 20 yards behind the boat, and my bottom lines will be on either side of the boat.

Question: How easy would it be for a first-time angler to bring his own boat and catch his first tarpon?
Answer: The Georgia Coast is full of sandbars and shoals. If you don't know where they are located, you may run aground and get in trouble. I suggest that you hire a knowledgable guide the first time you fish here.

To learn more about fishing with Captain Greg Hildreth out of Brunswick, Georgia, call (912) 261-1763.

TOMORROW: WHERE TO FIND AND CATCH TARPON