Hello readers, today we're going to tell you about a fish known for its aerial powers, the megalops atlanticus, commonly known as the Tarpon or Silver King. Rodmaps went to meet it twice, in 2013 in Mexico and in 2016 in Belize.
This fish can greatly exceed two meters in length and weigh more than 100 kilos. What we notice first is its very impressive armor of silver scales, especially when it is sunny. Its jaw is particularly hard, it is a bone in its own right.
It can open more than 140 degrees. The latter has a series of tiny teeth that resemble a rasp or thick sandpaper.
Its dorsal fin is also unique, triangular in shape but with a needle-like appendage that runs along part of its back. What is also shocking are his huge round eyes, disproportionate to his size!
Like all predators, it will tend to position itself around schools of fish, one of its favorite prey is the mule.
On Youtube, you can find an impressive number of videos that will show you the tarpon hunts, during the migration of schools of mules, on the beaches of Miami.
For small specimens, they hide near the coast in the feet of mangroves, in the mangroves, which gives them ideal hiding places to escape their main predators, bulldog sharks and hammerhead sharks.
If you are looking for thrills on light rods, fishing for tarpon babys in the mangroves is for you! Generally fishing in mangroves is done in a shallow depth, surface fishing is then indicated.
It is a fish that reacts very well to stickbaits and poppers. The attacks are lightning because the tarpon executes impressive leaps of more than one meter above the water. They also react very well to small suspending jerkbaits, bucktail jigs.
If you are looking for large specimens, several options are available to you. The first is to travel up freshwater rivers in Belize until you reach mini causeways. We have noticed on several occasions that very large tarpon love the influx of fresh water above the mouths.
Another option is to fish for them offshore, between 500 and 3000 nautical miles from the Atlantic coast, in open water observing the activity of the birds which concentrate on the schools of forage fish. An ultimate solution is to fish them from the beach with large topwaters depending on the flow of the tides.
Some places lend themselves well to it, the Gabonese beaches or those of Costa Rica.
Discover our other articles on exotic fish: peacock-bass, golden masheer, snakehead
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