Have you
ever heard of Lake Tarpon? I didn't either
until I took a trip to Florida. Yeah, I know, Florida has many
renowned bass lakes like Lake Okeechobee, Lake Toho, Lake George, Rodman
Reservoir, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir or the Everglades. So,
why fish diminutive Lake Tarpon? Trophy Largemouth bass that's
why! Ranked in the top 10 bass lake in Florida year after year,
Lake Tarpon produces quality and trophy sized bass.
Buggy whips(Bulrush)
and other species of aquatic vegetation lines the shoreline and
out into many sections of Lake Tarpon |
Lake
Tarpon also known as, the "Jewell of Pinellas County" and
is located 10 miles west of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs.
The lock and dam retaining Lake Tarpon was finished in 1968, although
no locking is done at the facility. The 2,500 shallow water,
pan shaped acre lake drains into Tampa Bay through a 2-mile long canal.
It has an abundance of quality and trophy-sized Florida strained
largemouth bass. It takes around 20 pounds to win most summertime
bass tournaments.
Lake Tarpon like a number of other lakes located in west central
Florida has a bowl shaped appearance. Aquatic vegetation like
bulrushes or buggy whips, cattails, tape grass and eel grass which
surrounds the shoreline, while grass beds extend out into the main
lake and canals. Brush piles are located in various locations
around the lake. There is an off shore hump, grass beds, and
ledges that are productive areas that generate large stringers of bass
for local anglers. The lake also has 12 dead end canals lined
with boat docks on each side. Anglers with boats can utilize
two of the public boat ramps within the county parks: Anderson Park
on the west shoreline off US 19 or Chestnut Park located on the east
shoreline off CR 611. A nominal fee of $5 is charged to launch
your boat each time or a $100 annual pass can be purchased. Anglers
interested in purchasing live bait or buying tackle can visit Tarpon
Tom's on US Hwy. 19 N. or call (727) 772-0708.
Lake Tarpon
produces giant largemouth bass even during the summer months.
Brad Wiegmann of Springdale, Arkansas caught this bass while
ripping lipless crankbaits through the grass in August. |
Although
Lake Tarpon is a relatively small impound, anglers fishing it for
the very first time will find it extremely beneficial to hire a guide.
The vast quantity of aquatic grass can be overwhelming for anglers
fishing Lake Tarpon. I fished the lake with Executive Excursions
fishing guides George Medders and Herb Stephen. Medders has an impressive
resume fishing the BASS Tournament circuit and has over 30
years experience on Lake Tarpon, while Stephen has 16 years of guiding
experience on Lake Tarpon. Medders and Stephan are extremely knowledgeable
of seasonal patterns and productive locations for catching bass.
Medders can be contacted at (727) 237-7033 or georgemedders@yahoo.com and
Stephen at (727) 423-2409 or herbstephen@excutive-excursions.com and
their
guide service is available year round. Knowing what grass bed, shoreline
grass, or ledge can be productive, Medders and Stephen recommended
the following suggestions for fishing Lake Tarpon during each of
the subsequent seasons. In spring, anglers will find bed fishing
for bass productive with golden shiner under a cork or trolling without
a cork 3 to 5 feet deep, along with casting 6-inch worms or sweet
beavers on a 1/8-ounce or 3/16-ounce weight. During post-spawn anglers
can focus on the first drop 6 to 8 feet deep with worms, lipless
crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or other fast moving lures to catch bass.
Summertime moves the bass deeper to brush piles, ledges, grass beds
away from the shoreline, and humps. All throughout the fall, bass
will school up in the southern canal and be caught casting soft plastic
jerkbaits, toads, or pop-r's. In the winter months, nothing thumps
catching giant largemouth on live shiners fished along the edges
of the shoreline. Both guides agreed that the bass on Lake Tarpon
could be hard to pattern at times and seem very nomadic, following
schools of baitfish or bream.
After fishing the "Jewell of Pinellas County",
I found it easy to believe that anglers could catch a fish of a lifetime
on Lake Tarpon. Probably the hardest decisions will be how many
days you want to fish it and when will you catch that giant bass, not
if.
Brad
Wiegmann is a full time fishing guide on Beaver lake and Lake SWEPCO
in Northwest Arkansas. Brad guides for Largemouth,
Spotted, Smallmouth, Stripers and White Bass. He is also a free-lance
writer who's weekly column "Speaking of Fishing" appears
weekly in several local newspapers. You may also see him doing
seminars, working outdoor shows or featured in outdoor magazines such
as BASSMASTER Magazine, Outdoor life and Arkansas Sportsman. He
also fishes the FLW Tour, Stren and local open tournaments. He
is currently on the Pro staff, promotional staff and guide programs
of numerous tackle manufactures, lure companies, and fishing related
companies. You can contact him at (479)756-5279, at bwiegmann@cox.net or
visit his website at www.bradwiegmann.com for
more information.
