Introducing the Capt. Owen Lupton Tarpon Rig! Sold (2) rigs per package. Simply place the supplied egg sinker on the line from your rod. Then put the bead on the line and tie onto the swivel with leader/circle hook using your choice of knot.
Captain Owen Lupton recommends this rig for Pamlico Sound Tarpon fishing. Captain Owen and Captain Rick Caton began the Pamlico Sound Tarpon fishery 30 years ago when they figured out how to catch the silver beauties consistently inside the Pamlico Sound. He has been using this rig since 1976 and has caught over 500 tarpon on it during the past 30 years.
Captain Owen recommends using fresh spot, menhaden, or croaker for bait. Fish the reels in gear with the drag set at about 6 lbs. at the tip. Use at least 30 lb. line and a reel that holds more than 250 yards of line. You will need a rod with plenty of backbone but a fairly fast tip. Captain Owen has tried all the brands and finds the Ugly Stick, which he considers unbeatable for this fishery. He uses either conventional Shimano TLD 15's or Penn 950 spinners for this powerful fish.
It will be necessary to set the hook hard on this rig and remember you must bow to the fish when it jumps or you'll snap the line. Fight these fish with maximum pressure and you can whip them in less than 15 minutes. If the fight goes on longer they will get a second wind and become much harder to get to the boat.
Don't attempt to take these fish out of the water like you would for taking pictures of an Old Drum. Tarpon are much bigger and heavier and you will do damage to their internal organs dragging them over the side of the boat.
You may have to swim them at the boatside until they regain they strength if the fight goes on for more than 30 minutes. Beyond 30 minutes the risk of death to the fish increases greatly. Get your pictures by lifting their heads out of the water while using gloves on your hands or get a shot of them jumping with a good camera and telephoto lens.
Please don't try to lip gaff them and DO NOT kill one. If you want a mount, take a length measurement along with girth while the fish is still in the water alongside the boat. A taxidermist will be able to fix you up with a fiberglass mount that will be an exact duplicate, last longer and look far better than a skin mount.
