Hello fellow anglers June in S.W. Florida It is silver king time once again in S.W. Florida. The big schools of the migratory tarpon are in our area. Along the coastal beaches and up into the estuaries looking for food. They can be targeted in the passes from Venice to Ft. Myers. They can be finnicky feeders they may eat crabs, squirrel fish, hand picked shrimp, or even pin fish just to name a few. Then there are the artificial lure hard plastics soft plastics to many to even mention. In the passes it is helpful to have good bottom and side scan sounders. ~This helps you know where the fish are. Along the beaches you can find the little pods of tarpon that break away from the masses. You can stalk and sight fish these fish find them and observe them and throw live or artificial baits to them. You can do the same thing inshore also find a small pod that has separated itself from the large school. Then you can follow them and site fish them using whatever method you have chosen. These methods to me are less stressful, when you get into the passes there is less room between the boats. If you are stealthy you could have the pod to yourself for a while before you have company wanting to target the same fish. For me I have played with the tarpon and have had my fun. I would like to stick one on a fly rod and get a few jumps before it throws the hook or breaks me off. My Pops taught me not to spend much time trying to catch something that is not much good for eating. I have never met anyone that has eaten a tarpon. I do know that sharks like to eat them, they are a good bait for shark. But they are protected and you need a tag to harvest one. But a fresh mullet or jack fish will get the job done. And this time of year there are plenty of large sharks around to play tug of war with. The two that I personally like to eat are a three to four foot long black tip or a two foot bonnet head. And this month the snook should be on the move to there spawning areas. So on the points around the harbor mouths of creeks where there is food. There should be plenty of white bait it is summer time, and they would be the best bait for the snook. Reds and trout on the edges of the sand bars and the big sand holes on the flats. And if you are one of those guys that like to head offshore there should be some nice yellowtails around the one hundred foot mark. And permit should be around the artificial reefs too. So if you would like to come along with Capt. Bart Marx and learn some of these tactics. Give me a call at 941-979-6517 or e-mail me captbart@alphaomegacharters.com I also do what I call is a training session where I come on your boat for a day of training with your boat and gear. And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{