Baby tarpoon trip assistance

[Scott V]

I plan on flying to Florida and would like to spend a day fly fishing for baby tarpon in the mangroves. Can someone recommend a good guide with fair prices. I am hoping to save a little money by fishing on a Monday or Tuesday. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Also when is a good off season time.

Thanks.

[koffler]

I've fished with Geoff Colmes out of Islamarada a few times and he does everything including baby tarpon trips on the west side up in the mangroves. Good fishing is happening now and will continue to do so through mid to last June. The only problem I see is that the guides down there are not what I call cheap or even affordable and I've never seen midweek reduced rates in all my life. Especially this time of year which is prime time. Good luck.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Baby tarpon are always around, kind of like bonefish.

April through October is the best time for them unless you are lucky and hit a warm spell in the winter.

Where are you going to be in Florida?

http://www.kiene.com/articles/flyfishingforbabytarpon.htm

[jbird]

Scott

If you have some navigating skills and are able to read the tides, you could rent a boat and do it yourself on a budget. But do yourself the favor of hiring Scott Collins (Carls guide) for a couple days first.

Tarpon breath air so they are pretty easy to spot. Scott can show you the difference between happy fish (fish that will bite) and travelling fish. I was there in early october and there were tarpon almost everywhere you looked, but the weather took its toll big time on my trip.

With the prices of air fare, guides, gas, etc...theres almost no such think as a "budget" vacation anymore. You might want to look at the yucatan area for a less expensive experience.

Jay

[Scott V]

Thanks for the info guys, I kind of knew I would be looking at around 400-500 for a guide. I just want to get away for a couple days and go after tarpoon. I'll contact Scott Collins, does he have a web site?

Bill, I wasn't planning on going anywhere in particular, just need to get away for a couple days, and would love to see a tarpoon in person. Doesn't even need to be a big one, I just want to see one.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Scott

You can probably fly and stay in Cancun for about the same as Florida.

We go there every year now for about 15 year with groups from the shop.

Guide with boat, drinks, lunch from your hotel is $375 day for one or two.

Huge shallow lagoon north of Cancun we fish....Isla Blanca.

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/IBPhotoGallery_files/_MG_6237.jpg

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/IBPhotoGallery_files/VillasManglar-Cancun-Leo%20Gutterres%20-%20June%2011,%202005%20020.jpg

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/IBPhotoGallery_files/Image%20Holding%20File%20020.jpg

Best months here are April though October....middle of summer is best.

Baby Tarpon, Permit, Snook, jacks, Barracuda, Snappers, Sheepshead and Seatrout. Lots of sight casting in shallow, clear water.

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/IslaBlanca.html

[Scott V]

Scott

You can probably fly and stay in Cancun for about the same as Florida.

We go there every year now for about 15 year.

Guide with boat, drinks, lunch from your hotel is $375 day.

Huge shallow lagoon north of Cancun we fish....Isla Blanca.

Drinks included, I'm sold, thanks Bill Cancun it is.

[Rick J]

A great place to stay in Cancun is Villa Manglar - really nice and quiet and relatively small

http://www.villasmanglar.com/

villasmanglar@villasmanglar.com

I have stayed there twice - once with my brother and once with Bill and a group - both times set up through Bill's shop - the owner, Armando Gasse, is a great guy and can set you up with a guide. He treats you like family. He invited my bother and I to view great diving videos he has made Bill is now using another outfitter but I think he would still vouch for this place.

Armando is a renown diver and we had an option when we were there to go out on a boat and swim with whale sharks but could not schedule it right!

IF you stay there check out the wall of photos in the office - a bunch of us are on it and say hi to Armando for me!!