Tarpon

Season in Upper Texas

TPWD Sea Rim tip sheet: tarpon in the surf in summer. TPWD: most often caught off the beachfront. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Off the beachfront and jetties in summer (TPWD).

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

Edible but not usually eaten in Texas (TPWD). Texas allows harvest only above a very large minimum length; report landings to TPWD's tarpon observation network.

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 TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.

Sources

• TPWD Sea Rim State Park fishing tip sheet, PWD LF P4504-055I (1/26), with a surf/marsh season column per species (Official source)
• TPWD species profile: tarpon (Official source)
• 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 Upper Texas