Tarpon are so easy....

[DaveR]

I'm going up to the home of the giant drum for a real challenge and gonna fish big uglies on the fly. I have a pretty good idea on patterns and tactics and know where they are so I'm off tomorrow to flail away for a couple days. These fish are notoriously picky so I expect not much more than a bit of heat exhaustion and off the chart frustration scale. If you know a sure fire tactic other than soaking my flies in Gulp juice I'm all eyes.

[BearsFan]

Don't drive more than 7 over the speed limit.

[DaveR]

And definitely don't drive 16 over the speed limit on the Veterans. I got damned lucky and had a fisherman pull me over. Got off with a warning. That was the first break of my 390 mile trip for 1 butt ugly fish.
Break number 2 . Dropped my Blackberry in the cockpit that had about an inch of water in it. It immediately turned off and I figured it was fried. Started the 30 mile drive to get a cheap replacement, looked over and the damned thing was on. I cooked it on the hood of the family truckster for a while. Guess that did the trick until the salt has it's way with it. Break number 3. After a 0330 start to the day and all day on the water I decided to rest before flailing about in the evening. Turns out I left my kayak cart at the boat ramp. I only know that because it was there, right on the ramp, when I came back 2 hours later.
Break number 4. I finally got one of those damned fish to eat a fly. Must have thrown at 50 fish, using 10 different patterns. I had a hot pink shrimp in the box so figured what the hell, nothing else was working. I saw a cruising fish and actually saw the take. Then it was 10 or 15 minutes of a fight. They are kinda like fighting a big turtle. No long runs, just a heavy fish that are hard to turn. While trying to get it on the Boga one last lunge parted the knocked op tippet. Those oyster beds are hell on leaders.
So, mission accomplished. It ain't easy, in fact down right infuriating but now that I know for myself it can be done on those fish I can rest easier.
Ok, time to start thinking bonefish!

[BearsFan]

Bonefish might be too easy for you as well. I castnetted one in a canal on Teirra Verde when I was about 10.

[DaveR]

There ain't no "too easy" about it. Yesterday was very frustrating. I am not, however comparing bonefish to black drum. Long accurate casts are not necessary and the water is much like chocolate milk. For a clumsy bastard like me that is indeed a silver lining.back to those damned tarpon tomorrow!
Oh, I'm tying up some Dave's Dashboard Shrimp for my next trip north!