Tarpon

Season in Alabama

Peak months: Jul, Aug.

Great Days Outdoors: tarpon hooked every summer from the Gulf State Park Pier and the beach, mostly July through early August. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Gulf State Park Pier and the beach, July to early August, often on live bait meant for mackerel (Great Days Outdoors).

Inlets, jetties and just past the breakers where menhaden and mullet schools are.

What to look for

Rolling fish at the surface, menhaden schools being pushed.

Bait

Live menhaden (pogies), Large live mullet. 8/0 non-offset, non-stainless circle hook (required in SC for natural bait at 4/0 and up) on 100 lb fluorocarbon leader, fished near bait schools.

Leader

80 to 100 lb fluorocarbon, 3 to 5 ft.

Common mistakes

• Fishing without bait schools around
• Pulling a big tarpon out of the water for a photo

Landing

Do not lift or beach a large tarpon. Keep it in the water, gills submerged; cut the line near the hook if it is gut-hooked.

Handling

• Very strong; jumps and thrashes
• Rough mouth

Keep big fish in the water (Florida requires it for fish over 40 in); support smaller fish horizontally under the belly with wet hands.

Keep or release

Release is the norm; Alabama harvest requires a tag (Great Days Outdoors).

Recipes for tarpon

Typical: 40 to 60 in, 40 to 60 lb. Large: Over 100 lb. SC record 154 lb 10 oz (1987).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the AL limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Alabama Marine Resources Division before you keep a fish.

Sources

• Great Days Outdoors, David Thornton, June 12, 2019: beach fishing hot spots for any budget, summer (Alabama coast) (Angler knowledge)
• SCDNR species profile: tarpon (Official source)
• Carolina Sportsman: tarpon have arrived along the SC coastline (Angler knowledge)
• Carolina Sportsman: 100-pound tarpon landed from Apache Pier, Myrtle Beach (2019) (Angler knowledge)
• SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)

All the fish of Alabama