Daddy Dave
Well-known member
Yesterday was a milestone for our ProFishionals Team TA Mahoney / Tire Kingdom. We were doing our best to hook giant tarpon in Boca Grande Pass and qualify for the Jim Beam Cup Championship round of professional tarpon fishing.
On Saturday, the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series championship field was winnowed from 50 to 25 boats and our team squeaked in at #25. Sweltering heat, huge hammerheads and ravenous packs of bull sharks separated hooking a tarpon from landing one. Testosterone was flowing freely as 50 teams tried to fish the same tarpon hole and be one of the few to actually place a release gaff in a silver king.
We released a 130# class fish early on and pulled on 7 others without getting another one boatside. The single release was just enough to get us into the 25 boat eleimination round on Sunday.
Yesterday, we weighed a 137# early, after avoiding two different bull shark attacks. Then, we released a 100# male that spewed sperm all over our boat. Just before the incoming tide started to rip, we hooked another wild male and fought him 40 minutes to the release gaff. He weighed 116# and was barely enough to put is into #4 and the top 5 @ 253# combined for today's PTTS Jim Beam Cup final round.
Please wish us luck this morning....7 - 10 am - and see if you can spot the SAO decal on SunSports when this all airs.
On Saturday, the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series championship field was winnowed from 50 to 25 boats and our team squeaked in at #25. Sweltering heat, huge hammerheads and ravenous packs of bull sharks separated hooking a tarpon from landing one. Testosterone was flowing freely as 50 teams tried to fish the same tarpon hole and be one of the few to actually place a release gaff in a silver king.
We released a 130# class fish early on and pulled on 7 others without getting another one boatside. The single release was just enough to get us into the 25 boat eleimination round on Sunday.
Yesterday, we weighed a 137# early, after avoiding two different bull shark attacks. Then, we released a 100# male that spewed sperm all over our boat. Just before the incoming tide started to rip, we hooked another wild male and fought him 40 minutes to the release gaff. He weighed 116# and was barely enough to put is into #4 and the top 5 @ 253# combined for today's PTTS Jim Beam Cup final round.
Please wish us luck this morning....7 - 10 am - and see if you can spot the SAO decal on SunSports when this all airs.