The view is breathtaking; the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans 5.5 miles long over Tampa Bay in Florida from St. Petersburg to Terra Ceia.  It was constructed from nub steel and concrete and cost $244 million to build.  The bridge was opened up to traffic on February 7, 1987.  While the massive bridge towers overhead, it’s only a back drop to the real breathtaking giant that lives in the emerald-green Gulf waters below. 

The “silver king” aka tarpon that can reach up to 8-feet long and weigh up to 280-pounds lurk in the water beneath searching constantly for an easy meal.  Currently, the conventional tackle record for Florida is 243-pounds.  An angler tangling with a tarpon is in for a long battle from this powerful, acrobatic fish.  The bridge serves as a hosting area for them and anglers in search of these giants.

Catching tarpon requires a knowledgeable guide who knows the habits and locations to finding them.  Captain Ric Liles, owner of Reel Simple Fishing Charters, (www.reelsimplecharters.com) a native Floridian, has chased and caught these majestic fish since he was a kid with countless numbers of them from or around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge area.  “The key to catching tarpon around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is chumming.  Sometimes, I chum to bring the fish in or other times to get them in a feeding frenzy.  I normally use 3- to 4-inch baits throwing out two to three at a time letting the current or tide drift them to the tarpon; tarpon like to parallel the bridge area until they find a meal,” explained Captain Liles. 

Depending on current, tide, and location, Captain Liles will either put down an anchor out or drift with the current using live bait.  “75% of the time, I will free-line for them, the other 25% I will use a float rigged 6- to 8-feetaway from the bait; this keeps the bait off the bottom.  When the crabs are abundant, the tarpon go to eating them,” he said.  Usually, Captain Liles uses floats when fishing with pass crabs.  When free-lining or fishing a float, Captain Liles will put out three lines with either live bait like threadfin shad or dead mullet, shad, sardines, or iridescent swimming crabs sometimes referred to as pass crabs.

When fishing for tarpon in Tampa Bay near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, he uses sturdy enough tackle to get the tarpon in without exhausting them.  “If you fight them too long, tarpon will become exhausted and become prey to bull shark attacks,” explained Captain Liles.  His typical tackle set up consist of a Penn Slammer rod, Penn 650  reel, 50-pound braid to a 50-pound fluorocarbon line, and a 5/0 circle hook.  The only exception is when he is targeting tarpon in extremely shallow water or they become weary of anglers.  In these situations, Captain Liles will down size the rod, reel, and hook size.  Along with using appropriate tackle, he runs a 22-foot Ranger Bay boat, four-stroke 250-horsepower Yamaha, and utilizes a fighting chair for anglers once a tarpon is hooked up.

Tarpon love to jump.  They are the Olympic gymnast of the marine world.  No fish can match the pure power and stamina a tarpon exhibits when hooked.  That being said, realize a number of hook ups will result in losing them due to their leaping ability.  Tarpon in the Tampa Bay area normally range from 30- to 140-pounds.  The peak time to fish for them is April through October, depending on weather conditions.  Anglers going out with Captain Liles will not have to purchase a fishing license; however, to possess a tarpon an angler must purchase a $50 tag, but tarpon offer little food value, so almost every guide like Captain Liles practice catch and release.  “Now, if someone wants a mount all we do is measure the length plus girth and a taxidermist can make a realistic reproduction without having to kill the tarpon,” said Captain Liles. 

The view is incredible, but it’s not the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that is impressive; it’s the giant tarpon swimming in the emerald-green Gulf water below.  Catching just one of these majestic fish would be an opportunity of a lifetime for any angler.  For more information on fishing or accommodations in the Tampa Bay or Sunshine Skyway Bridge areas go to  www.visitstpeteclearwater.com