Picture bellow : 120lb tarpon on light tackle, This is the fishing we enjoy so much with our Guests..   Angler  is Mr. Frank Yerich from texas.  http://www.yerich.com/nicaragua.htm   FIGHT IS ALWAYS A SHOW  ... may last 10mn or three hours depending of strength of fish and skill of angler.                    My recommendation fish " Finesse.." Nobody can stop a running tarpon... after the jumps come the moment to start to try to enter  the line because or a short time fish will be tired ( it is a lot of effort for them to jump up to 10 feet !!!!)  but pleased rod down, and do not put a lot of pressure...the more you put the more the tarpon will give you back...After a while tarpon from time to time will surface...You will see the eye...he does not come to see you.. He does that to gulp some air...Tarpon have a double system to breath, the Geals as all other fishes and also a kind of Lumb... If tarpon can surface and fill this "lumb" you will be on for another 15mn... To avoid that  when you feel tarpon try to come up to breathe Try to keep it down, rod at the water or flip it..                               Releasing Tarpon Our goal is to release the fish alive and in good condition, the shorter the fight the better The pictures below show Augusto and El Chele in action. According to I.G.F.A Rules once the   knot "line to double"  touch  the tippet of the rod, they can grab the 100lb leader and bring the fish to the boat to quit the lure... Some tarpon are still green it may be to early... You will decide together... Very important once they quit the lures and you shot some pictures it will be necessary to also proceed to a reanimation of fish...

Tarpon fishing..   What I REALLY ENJOY THE MOST  is than every time it is different: fish can jump immediately.. or run 100 yards and jump , or run 200yards and stay there no jump or run again..... or no jump for one hour and  then jump 8 times in a row ( Mr Guiton)  or run to the boat, or stick to the bottom .. Bottom hook up..? a log.?.  You go back ...slack line boat turn..3 mn past... Now the lure is under the boat.. You are certain this is Bottom.. You pull hard and then  fish jump in your face. ( Hello Jeff Klassen )  Sometime I get mad on reading  articles or book written by some Famous Tarpon Masters. They describe Tarpon behavior as somewhere standard.. Run and Jump.. That is why people (  lose so many Tarpon...) also i do not like articles it because the most interesting with tarpon is than there is no standard behavior.. The most attractive part is than we have no idea of what can happen.. this is probably the reason why after so many tarpon caught we still loves to go for them...  NOTE In this paragraph I talk of fishing with lures , not with Circle Hooks " it is difficult to set the hook as tarpon mouth is Paved like a stone... "  correct but there are some wick points  Sometime I wonder what exactly  means  set a hook  specifically on a Tarpon.. Most of the time Anglers are using Nylon Mono Filament a lot of stretch whatever the brand ... Just make an experience tied to  any fix point a 20lb Igfa Mono filament line... then walk 20 yards from this point line in hand .. block the drag then stretch the line walking  back and count how many feet  you can stretch the line..( Do that with Bimini knots till the line break ) Well some some people tell you set a hook by Lifting a  rod 6 feet long ?...  Correct eventual way to try to  set a hook on a tarpon using a Nylon line is when fish is running so line in tension then strike shortly 2 or 3 times rod down on the side other way will be  rod in hand using braided like when you feel the first attacks.. I insist  with mono filament  let it run...the point is  in no way strike like crazy but feel the fish be in contact  get progressive pressure  before any action.. Then you can strike Rod down and on the side  in reality you use the speed of the fish.. Easy to say. .but...  Well practice always practice.. All this is effective in 90% of our fishing days on San Juan River and  then you have these days when tarpon do not want to bite.. you can troll, Cast, Fly fish, Bottom, with live bait, change lures color etc nothing happen  they will only eventually  play with your lure.. Translation: You are let say trolling and Tarpon are all around ( I mean Hundreds of them ) and nothing happen, eventually from time to time  line go whistle 2 second.. 10 mn one more time... nothing !! and so on meanwhile  they are here all around.???. ... 1/2 h again... then whistle  and immediate  jump.. at least you saw this one...These tarpon do not grab  the lure they only hit the line or push the lure a bit as a dog would do when he want to warm.., This kind of situation is known from Tarpon Aficionados... Our SOLUTION... braided line , long medium heavy action rod .. good angler  able to feel the attacks it will  only be two or three little touch.. then immediate strike along the boat rod down parallel to Water level.. Rod down!!! Tarpon Fishing favorite lures, most of them    For Tarpon or Snook fishing in the water of San Juan River in Nicaragua and Costa Rica  I have a preference for Rapala Lures  specifically for the Super Shad rap and the Floating magnum in size 11 and 14 . Almost any rapala  colors may be  good according to condition of the day          Rapala Floating Magnum                 Rapala shad rap                                         Rio San Juan Special  color  thanks Janos. Some  other lures are  efficient Mirow lures.. Bombers , Rebels etc etc...   Some useful info on Tarpon fishing in Central America, and concerning  some other efficient lures for tarpon fishing  can be found on site of Mr Isaiac hernandez ( site in Spanish )  at: http://www.elanzuelo.com/la_pesca/la_pesca_del_sabalo.htm  Big fish on, down Rio san juan In Rodal Del Toro   1  2      3 4 These  pictures has been   shot from deck of   Fishing lodge close to Rodal del Toro on San Juan River ... Boat is a 28 footer.... Guests Mr. Jim Dillion from Usa ( Photo # 3 and 4), and  Mr. Thierry Artz  from France  ( Photo # 1 and 2).