Tarpon in West Bay?

[bbowman]

Was wading south shoreline about 1/2 mile from SLP this morning. Waist deep water, hard sand bottom. Turnd around and saw a BIG, multiple feet long fish just under the surface. It slowly wandered off, didn't see it again. Grayish, silver maybe a little green, big scales. I thought tarop? If not, any ideas? Do tarpon wander into the bay? It got my heart rate up in a hurry.

[coachlaw]

I've caught 2 tarpon in Titlum-Tatlum. Nothing that big though. Biggest was 30 inches. In years past, many people came here to fish tarpon, including F.D.R. and John Wayne. Pollution pushed them out of the bays, according to most people I've talked to.

[richg99]

Years ago, a friend and I were fishing near Jamaica beach. Something like that hit his lure; jumped and broke off. We thought Tarpon!

Later, he noticed the big gars that showed up in his deck light at night. Might have been a big gar. Big scales, big size, move slowly. I'd much rather it was a real tarpon, though. richg99

[bbowman]

Thanks for the input. Didnt know there are big gars in the bay. Probably never know for sure what I saw but sounds like gar or tarpon is most likely.

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[FlyPelican]

Booze cruising the canals in JB one night last October...saw a huge gar suspended over a light just under the surface. Easily 6 feet...maybe 7. He just disappeared as we got closer.

[WestEndAngler]

I'd bet it was a gar rolling.

[Robalo]

I've hooked (not 'caught') a 5' plus under the causeway in 1984, seen another one in Dickinson Bay in 1986 chasing bait by a spoil island/reef I was fishing, had a small school of big ones in the pocket near base of N. Jetty in 1988 scare the sheeet outta me and hooked 4, caught 2 in Port O. All the ones I've encountered were moving FAST, never slow, so you likely saw an alligator gar like Coe and Fly said above.

[SLPass-Assasin]

We have owned a house in Sea Isle since 1967 and still fish West Bay 30-40 times a year. There have always been tarpon in West Bay and still are today. Most sightings will be behind SLP but I've seen them all over the lower end of the bay. I even saw a school of about 15 in the early 2000's in Snake Island Cove about mid-day in very late September. Most sightings have always been in mid September through the middle of October. I have never fished exclusively for them as it's so hit or miss finding them but they are there on occasion. By the way these aren't little tarpon either.........have seen schools of them 4-5-6 ft. long guessing some of them well over a 100 lbs.. Read this site 2-3 times a week , just don't post much but I wanted to share what I've seen regarding tarpon for the last 50 years or so in West Bay.

[imhammer]

Seen lots of big gar in the bay. Caught one about 5' on a topwater a few years ago

[coachlaw]

To me the key info in the original post was that it was silver. Gar are brown IMO, but there are plenty more gar than tarpon I'd bet.

[SCHU]

Don't gar have spots near tail? Wen they roll, they give off bubbles...

[Bayou Burner]

A friend of mine caught a baby poon a few nights ago in Offats bayou recently.

Hooked one in Chocolate about 10 years ago, a 4+footer. Never had a chance. One strike, jumped, gone!

[westbaytroutassasin]

I just spotted a school of pretty big Tarps by Virginia point last weekend. Threw to them but no takers. I had seen a few years back and posted about a large fish I spotted along a reef in west, really big one fitting your description, The guys all agreed it was more than likely a big gar but couldn't be sure. When your wading they do get that heart rate up a bit when the fish is equal to or bigger than you. LMAO

[inthegulf]

I've seen several 4'+ gar. There is one in Sea Isle that is pushing 5'+ if not more. He rolls back by the boat ramp every afternoon I kayak back there.