Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
FISHING FOR TARP0N.
How the Giant of Game Fish is Cap
tured by Enthusiastic SpOrtsmen
OFF THE COAST OF FLORIDA.
Great Skill and a Quick Wrist Needed by
the Angler.
TOWING 4 BIG CAPTURE TO SRORE
OFF THE COAST OF FLORIDA.
TOWING A BIG CAPTURE TO sRORE
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

| panse OF territory known as the United
States or America that is so little known
and so much sought after as the sporting
districts of fair Florida.
The southwestern portion of that great
State abounds with bear, the fighting wild
hog, deer, wild turkeys, catamount, quail,
rabbit, duck, sripe, fsmingo, heron, eagle,
owl, innumerable small birds, alligator,
fish of all kinds, and last but not least, the
gamey tarpon. Western Pennsylvania may
be proud of the fact that she owns the
champion tarpon fisher in the person of
Senator Quay, who holds the record of
catching the largest tarpon ever hooked.
Tarpon fishing is sport with which the
| average sportsman is not at all familiar, and
a description of where and how to catch the
| fighting tarpon might be somewhat. season.
able. To get to the haunts of the tarpon, it
will be necessary first to go to that great
mecca of winter tourists, Jacksonville;
there you take the Jacksonville, Tampa and
Key West Railroad to Tampa. From the
latter place to Punta Gorda, and thence by
| steamer to Punta Rosa. PuDta Rosa is
situated at the mouth of the Chattahoochee
river, Charlotte harbor, on the gulf side Of
Florida There is but one solitary house at
the Punta and that is the station terminus
| OF the Havana cable and Southern terminus
of the Western Union lines. There is quite
a story connected with this quaint old tele-
graph Office. Years ago it was used as
AG)vERNMENT FORT,
and has considerable prominence in the his
tory of the Seminole Wars. There can still
be seen on the stout logs that form the thick
rafters the roughly carved names of Han
cock and Sherman and others not quite SO
famous. When the Government had no
further use for this rough but trusty old
wooden tort it was sold to the Western
Union people, who installed George Schultz
as their manager, and who occupies that DO
sition to-day. That part OF the fort not
needed for telegraphic purposes, Schultz
has fitted up as hotel, his patrons being
exclusively tarpon fishers and an occasional
hunter. He has named it the Tarpon House.
Another interesting thing is that all news
of any public interest from the North
Schultz keeps his patrons informed on,
thanks to his little telegraphic instrument.
But as to the tarpon, arrived at Punta
Rosa, you hire your boat and guide and
and buy your bait. Three dollars per DAY
is the cost of this service. The
guides are almost entirely Spaniards.
Now and then an occasional
intelligent negro will be found. The Span
iards are, as lar as 1 have learned, bright.
interesting fellows, ard decidedly good
company. They are as much interested in
the catch and the ultimate success of their |
patrons as the latter are themselves Opin- |
ions differ as to the fishing gear to be used, |
but the most popular seems to be a stout |
bamboo bass rod-not split bamboo coarse |
braided Goldfish smell, No. II Hall line, |
and No. 10 Sprout hooks. Sometimes |
heavier line is used, say Nos. 10 to 18, but a |
No. IL seems to be preferable. The braided |
SMELL is brought into requisition because |
tarpon's jaws are very much like a pair OF
shears, and if anything but soft braid got
between those awful jaws, it wonld be cut in
two as cleanly as though with a knife, but
with the braided smell the tarpon chews,
cuts, and ehews again, but the
soft material offering no resistance, he
fails to cut through it, and it
refuses to part. The reel should be large
one of the Click variety, capable of holding
], 900 feet of line. The bait is generally
large chunk of mullet weighing about a
hRlEpound. The boats used are stout,
staunch and water-tight. and for the most
part are of the Whitehall make.
THE rARPoN SEASON.
The time for trifing with the majestic
tarpon is limited to two months, March and
April being the months devoted to his
capture. The fish are more plentiful in
April, but have known a good catch to
be made as late as the first week in March.
Suppose now that we are at the Tarpon |
House at Punta Rosa. After good break
FAST we walk down to the boats. ANY time
Of the day, however, is good time for
'arpon. Well, we procure our guide and
get afoat with the rest of the feet, for there
IS always crowd going cut. Every guide
has his own landmarks, and it is to those
points that he is bound to take you. So in
short time after the start, the score or more
boats are scattered over the radius of prob
Ibly two miles. Some anchor up the river,
'thers hug the shore closely, while still
'thers go out into the bay. Having come to
.nchor, the hooks are baited, and good long
hrows are made. The rods, for everybody
lses two rods, are lain in the stern of the
'oat, and about 25 leet of slack line is coiled
lp in the seat. Then you light your cigar {
nd sit down and wait patiently, keep your !
We on your line, and If it is good morning !
'ou will see the slack begin to play out reg t
larly and very swiftly. t
Sharks and tarpons always travel together, {
be sharks far outnumbering the tarpons, so I
Then you see your line going out pretty fast I
he first question that arises in your mind is, J
Is it tarpon or shark?" But you can soon /
etermine. The minute that the tarpon
wallovs your bait and finds that all is not
xactly right, he makes rush for the surface
nd makes a splendid leap in the air. On A
he contrary, the shark gets sulky and
lakes off through the water at lightning Z
Ike speed. So if you find your line going
ut rapidly, and in second there leaps into n
be air great and magnificent creature, =
tho glistens like silver sheen in the sun =
ght, you are safe in wagering all you own
nat 1t is tarpon. Then is the time that p
he fisherman in a mans composition shows tt
self the moment the fish leaps into the Il
ir the sportsman ''strikes." 1t he did so e
lille his line was paying out beneath the v
1rface, he would lose his fish, because the "
arpon's mouth is sufficiently hard to resist n
ne sharpest hooks. tt
A sKILLFUL TRICK. a
If the angler be skillful, he can, while :,
ne tarpin is still in the air, by dextrous y
,uch OF the line, throw him over SO that he :,
ill strike the water on his side, when he :,
escends. This movement is for the purpose :;
t "winding" the fish and confusing him. q
he operation is peculiarly delicate one, h
ecause if YOU are not more than ordinarily n
1illtul q shortsnap will be heard, and away =,
pes your line. =.
The minute fish leaps in the air there is = =
general cry of "tarpon" throughout the -
eet and a general examination of the lines ;T
every boat. Alter the examination,
hich don't take a second, those who find
lat they are not the lucky ones soon
axe haste to get out of the way of the boat M
hose fortunate owner has hooked the prize.
bis is necessary. 1 have seen men who IN
ave hooked their fish pass in and out
rough the entire feet three times. The
rpon is much the same as other game fish, h'
e essential part of the catching is to keep bl
steady strain on him. This cannot be al
,ne with the rod albne, so the guide runs m
Ie boat in the same direction taken by the 70