Miami Tarpon Fishing and Key Biscayne Tarpon Fishing With a Pro Fishing Guide
Few experiences on the water match Miami tarpon fishing for action and excitement. As a charter fishing guide, I have spent a lot of time fishing for Miami tarpon in the Key Biscayne and surrounding areas.
It is a fishing opportunity that everyone who visits Miami, those with experience fishing or those with no fishing experience at all, needs to pursue.
Over the years, I have developed specific tarpon fishing techniques to give beginner and repeat tarpon anglers who frequent Miami the best shot at catching multiple fish. I do not see other boats in the area using these exact techniques, which I have found produce more bites, and I am happy to discuss exactly what we are doing to increase the odds. Give me a call, and I will be delighted to be your tarpon fishing guide for your charter.
What is so great about Key Biscayne tarpon fishing?
For me a lot of the appeal is the tarpon’s immense strength. The Silver King is mostly muscle covered with a sheath of exceptionally large silver scales. Powerful as they are, a tarpon will drift almost motionlessly conserving energy as it watches for its opportunity. When it comes, a tarpon explodes forward.
At other times, tarpon hunt on the move, charging through Miami’s cuts and channels with the flow of the current. Tarpon are always fishing for their next dinner. When tarpon hit their prey they are moving full tilt and their huge maw swallows its catch whole. Tarpon attack a lure or bait in the same way, barreling forward at close to full throttle. Sometimes even before they are hooked, tarpon feel the drag of the line they are suddenly pulling through the water and this will send a tarpon airborne.
Tarpon in Key Biscayne and Miami often exceed 50 pounds and during Miami tarpon fishing season the size average increases to 120 lbs with 200-plus pounders caught with some frequency in the months of January through May. Tarpon much bigger than that have been caught and some get 180 lbs. However, even a 20-pound tarpon is a fishing thrill to catch. Tarpon jump, twist and spin. A tarpon, whatever the size, leaps and whips its head back and forth to shake the tackle. I have seen good-size tarpon go head over tail. A tarpon has an exceedingly bony mouth, making tarpon harder to hook than most game fish. Your tarpon fishing guide will coach you on setting the hook if you have not experienced tarpon fishing before, but tarpon often manage to throw the hook despite even a very experienced fishing hand’s knowledge of tarpon. I tell charter fishing clients that when a hook is thrown the cause is the tarpon’s remarkable athletic ability. And that ability is part of the fun of getting a tarpon to charge your bait.
As an experienced fishing guide, I keep track of the tides and phase of the moon because when those conditions are played correctly our tarpon fishing opportunities improve. The right bait is important for tarpon. Also, fishing regularly for tarpon gives any fishing guide much better current knowledge about where the action is. Generally, for tarpon we will be playing tides and currents.
Call to lock a date. See charter rates, the flats boat, or Capt. Tom’s background.
Key Biscayne and Biscayne Bay grounds
Local fish often run around 50 pounds. Migratory fish from 100 to 200 pounds move into the bay from January through May. Even a 20-pound juvenile jumps and runs hard enough to test a drag.
A tarpon can sit still in a shadow seam, then eat a crab or lure and come out of the water shaking its head. That mix of power and close-in water is why Key Biscayne tarpon trips stand out.
Tide, moon, and wind decide the plan. Fish often work the dark edge just past bridge and dock lights. On the same water you can also look at snook on shadow lines or bonefish on nearby flats.
Season and trip style
| Window | What to expect | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|
| Nov - Jul | Main tarpon season | Day or night, tide-based |
| Jan - May | Larger migratory fish | Channels, bridges, bay edges |
| Jul - Aug | Night bite around lights | Dusk launches, shadow lines |
The calendar is a starting point. Actual timing follows tide and weather.
Sight-fishing and rolling fish
Tarpon roll to gulp air. That gives you a mark to cast to before the school moves. They eat mullet, pilchards, crabs, and shrimp, often in low light. This is a catch-and-release fishery. The trip is the jump and the fight, not a fish in the box.
Why a bay boat
For our Miami tarpon fishing charters we use a 22-foot bay boat that can get shallow in 16 inches of water but also venture through Government Cut and search the beaches on 20-knot days. It is the all-around tarpon fishing SUV and can accommodate up to a total of 4 anglers.
We use top technology along with 40 years of tarpon fishing experience to locate tarpon off Miami Beach and around Key Biscayne. A trolling motor helps spot-lock on areas we need to hold, and a Garmin 9-inch screen with side view helps locate fish in the area that are not rolling.
Years of experience led to this setup to really maximize tarpon opportunities.
Night trips under the lights
Night is often the better plan for larger fish in Miami. Tarpon use the light lines on city bridges and docks. Four-hour night trips usually leave around dusk: cooler air, skyline, and fish close to shore.
Beginners and experienced anglers
Families, first-timers, and fly or spin anglers all run these trips. You get coaching on the hookset, line, and bowing to the king when the fish jumps.
Miami tarpon fishing FAQ
When is the best time for Miami tarpon fishing?
The main Miami tarpon season runs November through July. Larger migratory fish are often more common from January through May. Night trips around lights stay productive through the warmer months.
What is included on a Miami tarpon fishing charter?
A trip with Capt. Tom Weber includes the flats boat, tackle, bait, local tide and light knowledge, and coaching on hooksets and the fight. Fishing licenses are included.
Do I need experience to book a Miami tarpon fishing guide?
No. Beginners, families, and experienced fly or spin anglers all book these trips. Capt. Tom coaches casting, boat position, and fighting the fish.
Where do you fish for tarpon in Miami?
Trips focus on Key Biscayne, Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach bridges, docks, inlet cuts, and lighted shoreline channels.