[Dogfish Dan]

About 3 weeks ago I was surf fishing at the ORV section of the Fort on a Tuesday afternoon. I was shark fishing with frozen croaker heads for bait. Something hit the bait and buddy it was on like donkey kong. It immediately took out about 300 yards of line on the first run. I thought I had a whopper shark. I fought it for half an hour before I could even tell what it was when it jumped. Took me a full hour to land it. Keep in mind I'm 6'5" so this is a BIG tarpon. Well over 6 feet long and at least 150lbs. I couldn't even pick it up all the way for the picture, it's tail sticks way out in front of me. It was the first Tarpon I've ever caught and probably will never catch another one like it for the rest of my life.

12 foot Ocean Master Cape Point Special, Daiwa Sealine SHA-50 reel, 500 yards #50 power pro and 100 yards #40 big game mono on top, #80 shock leader, 8oz lead, oversize drum rig with 10/0 Owner SSW circle hook snelled on #400 hard mono, FROZEN Croaker head for bait.

 

[dena]

All I can say is DAYUM.
Heck of a fish.
Definitely a once in a life timer.
Way to go.

 

[Space]

Holy SHIT! Was out that way last week.......

 

[gshivar]

Great catch! AND especially from the surf. I have seen right many hooked from the surf but only one landed back in the '70's on a squidder. That fish was caught on the Bald Head side of New Inlet(aka Corncake inlet) not far from where you were. Catch of a lifetime in NC. - glenn

 

[23mako]

Unreal catch. And you were prepared for it! That thing would have spooled all my rigs!

Glenn - Corncake inlet...You ever listen to The Coastal Cohorts?

 

[poppop1]

I have 3 Cape Point Special rods, glad to hear they can take a beating, beautiful fish, you're young, you will catch another someday, wish I could have seen you land it, congratulations, and thanks for posting!!

 

[Drumdum]

Catching a tarpon is a hell of a catch to start with,but to catch it from the surf!! Awesome catch,way ta go!!!

 

[KB Spot Chaser]

Way to go man a good friend of mine and myself put six on the beach last August and jumped 14 with standard drum tackle but flouro leader

 

[Drumdum]

Way to go man a good friend of mine and myself put six on the beach last August and jumped 14 with standard drum tackle but flouro leader View attachment 24713

Ya'll got it going on down there.. In 40plus years I've only seen one taken from the beach here.. Nice job guys..

 

[KB Spot Chaser]

Ya'll got it going on down there.. In 40plus years I've only seen one taken from the beach here.. Nice job guys..

Thanks Kenny definitely means alot coming from a man of your experience wisdom and talents, the hardest part is staying buttoned with the lead slinging between the swivel and double nailknot 50 to 80 flouro connect, Dad got one as late as October 17 while catchn big drum

 

[kraus]

Congrats Dogfish!

 

[surf_lander]

Impressive catch there, Dogfish.

 

[greg12345]

nice work dan & also kb spot chaser, impressive

 

[Garboman]

Nice work fellas.

Never seen one caught off the beach on the OBX, although I not as old as DD so the odds are down considerably.

Only seen a few decked on piers, most of the Tarpon jump off after hookups on pin rigs and that's with no additional chunk of lead flailing around when the get airborne.

Back in the Day the Red Head and I made up some special 20/0 Circle hook rigs for bottom baiting the Tarpon off of Rodanthe Pier. I never managed to catch a Tarpon in NC.

Chucky Boy had one that was way over 200 pounds that he brought to the T after a hour and a half or so of fighting it back in 1996. A young fella got a Tarpon earlier this summer of Rodanthe Pier, but they are fairly rare North of Cape Point.

On Frisco Pier back in the Day, a fella hooked into a 150 pounder and the Tarpon swam under the pier and went out the other side, Red Head snagged the line with the fish on and another fella just happened to have a spare rod with a half full 6/0 on it and the Red Head and I cut the original fisherman's line and double surgeons knot to the 6/0 and that fella fought the Tarpon for another hour of so, he actually went to the beach and followed the Tarpon for about a half mile North, probably you fellas down South would have put more heat on the fish, but he was using a pin rig with small live bait hooks...

That young fella who makes the pretty casting plugs from down your fellas way had the NC State Record Tarpon for a while that he took at Avon Pier a few years back.

Keep fishing Dogfish you will probably catch another one before the water cools off down your way, that one you had could have been the new NC record, you should check what the current record is.

I forgot but can someone reply as to why Tarpon roll? ....Where's that link guy anyway?

 

[Virginia_2_Maine]

^^ lol that link guy.

 

[SloppyTilapia]

Holy smokes! Awesome catch!

 

[Drumdum]

Nice work fellas.

Never seen one caught off the beach on the OBX, although I not as old as DD so the odds are down considerably.

As an old deceased pres once said I will not use my age to point out the inadequacies of an inexperienced youth like yourself..................