Talk to any tarpon angler in South Florida, and the words oceanside and backcountry will be thrown around. The intricacies of tarpon fishing, how many fish you saw, how many you hooked, and the style of fishing can be summed up with these two words. But for someone new to the pursuit, what do they mean, and what are the differences between each style of fishing? Now you can catch tarpon in places throughout the country, but these terms are specific to South Florida, the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Florida Keys. To better understand the nature of Florida tarpon fishing, follow along as we break down the differences of oceanside vs backcountry tarpon fishing.
Oceanside Tarpon Fishing
At a high level, oceanside tarpon fishing takes place on, you guessed it, the ocean. If you’ve ever seen a video of long strings of fish cruising down white sand in crystal clear water, this is oceanside tarpon fishing. Fly anglers target these fish on their annual migration to the Florida Keys down the Atlantic Coast from Biscayne Bay to Key West.
When the migration is on, it’s not uncommon to see hundreds of tarpon a day as they head south in big schools. With so many fish stringing down the coast, you’d think you would hook fish all day, but that is rarely the case. Oceanside tarpon anglers are gluttons for punishment, myself included. Tempting yourself with the visual of schools of 20 or more tarpon sliding past the boat, only to come up empty-handed, is a painful process. So, how do you hook these fish?
Techniques
As tarpon migrate down the Atlantic coast, they run the gauntlet. As soon as they hit the flats of Biscayne Bay, they encounter skiffs, and the number only grows as they head south. Compound this over years and years of migrations on these tarpon have PhDs in avoiding a fly. Add to that these fish are migrating to spawn, and swimming over to eat your fly is not exactly top of mind.
You’re best bet is to throw worm flies for oceanside tarpon. These little, red worm fly patterns imitate a palolo worm. The palolo worm plays an important role in a tarpon’s migration and spawning routine. After the worm hatch, many tarpon will head offshore to spawn. In other words, tarpon love worms and will eat a worm fly even when the hatch is not going on.
As strings of oceanside tarpon make their way in range, cast the fly in front of the fish with a decent lead. Then place the rod under your armpit and begin a steady two-handed strip. The stripping pattern makes the fly move in a slow and steady pattern, just like real worms move. To improve your chances of hooking a fish, choose a clear tip or all clear fly line. If you make a bad cast or need to cut a string of fish, you have a better chance of not spooking the school.
Backcountry Tarpon Fishing
The backcountry is a general term for the Gulf side of the Florida Keys and Florida Bay, including the Everglades. This mix of islands, shallow lakes, rivers, bays, and channels holds tarpon and ones that are generally much more willing to eat. The only downside is that there are not as many fish in the backcountry, and you have to know where to look.
Compared to oceanside tarpon fishing, where you can anchor up a boat just about anywhere and tarpon will swim by, backcountry fishing is a hunting game. Those who have mastered it have spent decades exploring the endless cuts, holes, and banks, knowing which areas hold fish on which tides. If you’re trying to learn it yourself, the best advice is to spend as much time on the water as possible.
Techniques
As mentioned, tarpon in the backcountry are much fewer and farther between. You may get five shots a day compared to 20 or more oceanside. However, if you do everything right, chances are that a majority of those shots will convert into eats.
The main thing to look for when backcountry fishing is areas where migrating fish have to come through and laid-up fish. Areas like banks and channel edges will get tarpon migrating down the edges as they make their way south and join up with their oceanside counterparts. Here, you can fish with bigger shrimp patterns and baitfish flies. If you come across a tarpon, get the fly in front of them and strip it, then hold on and wait for the bite. You can still spook these fish, so be cognizant of your leads.
When targeting laid-up fish, shallow water lakes, a hole in a flat, and mangrove edges can hold fish. A laid-up tarpon is a fish that is sitting still, resting usually a foot or two below the water’s surface. These fish are typically found alone, although small groups of two or even three fish are not unheard of.
As they rest, they are in a sleep-like state or trance. That said, one wrong move or loud noise, and they will snap out of it and bolt, leaving you fishless. Stealth is paramount; spot a fish, make a move, and carefully get your fly in position. You want to land the fly as light as possible and about two feet in front of the fish. Then move the fly in front of the fish and wait for the take.
What’s Better
In the debate of oceanside vs backcountry tarpon fishing, there is no one way that’s the right way to fish. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. If you want to see a lot of fish, then fishing the oceanside flats is probably your best bet. For those looking to get away from boat traffic and other anglers, consider fishing in the backcountry and hunting for a few fish. Whatever you choose, it’s still tarpon fishing, and that’s what matters.
