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Tip of the Week
By Capt. Rick Murphy
Tax Day Means Tarpon are Ready to Play
Tarpon on fly can be one of the most exciting fights on the
water; here are some ways to get started chasing the migrating silver kings
The middle of April means to me that tarpon will begin their annual migration
out of their winter haunts. The tarpon winter in places like Government Cut which,
in March and February, holds thousands of fish.
These fish will stay south, near Fisher Island, and when temperature hits that
magic number of 76 degrees with the wind blowing out of the cut, they will begin
to head down the beaches and begin their summer migration to The Keys.
Tax day (April 15) is the day I typically start to look for these migrating
fish. When the warm conditions are backed by easterly winds, that’s the
perfect time to take a look along the oceanside flats from Miami to Islamorada.
For whatever reason, April 15 seems to be the day to be 1099’ing these
silver kings.
When it comes to fly fishing for these big fish, what I like to throw this
time of year is not too scientific. The fish seem to be on a migration, so the
key is to make sure your fly is in the right place at the right time.
What I mean by that is cast your fly 15 to 20 feet in front of the school and
let it sink using floating line. When the fish get to where they can see the fly,
make short, quick strips to give the fly a lot of life without moving it very
far.
Early in the morning use a dark fly like an Apte Too. The darker fly gives
more of a silhouette in the water and should garner a little more attention. Remember,
the darker the sky, the darker the fly. A brown or tan colored toad will work
well too in this low light situation.
As the sun gets higher in the sky, say from about 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and you’re
working with a bright sky, I change to a more brilliantly colored fly. Chartreuse
is one color that comes to mind, whether you’re using the toad or a type
of Deceiver. There is also a yellow-white fly called White Lightning that works
very well.
Remember, these fish haven’t had a lot of flies thrown at them, or seen
a lot of boats since last summer, so you’re going to want to fish 60- to
80-pound shock leader.
One of your responsibilities as an angler is to look for a reaction out of
the fish or the school as a whole. That reaction should be one of two things.
If the fish see the fly because you allowed it to sink to the proper depth,
they should react to it by following or actually eating it. In either case, that
is a positive reaction.
If it didn’t eat but still followed the fly that, at least to me, lets
me know the fish showed some interest. That’s positive. Maybe all you have
to do is fix your strip to get them to eat.
If you throw your fly and it sinks to right level and, as you strip, a big
hole forms in the school around your fly, that’s a negative reaction. Or,
if you strip and the fish go in the opposite direction, running away from the
fly, that tells me it’s time to make a change.
In that case, if you’re fishing a dark fly, I would go 180 degrees in
the completely opposite direction and fish a light colored fish. Vice versa if
you’re fishing a light fly and receive a negative reaction.
In most cases in tarpon fishing it’s not the fly. It’s having the
fly to the right level and having the fly move in a manner to entice that tarpon
to bite.
-Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Captain Rick Murphy
Capt. Rick Murphy is a Professional Tournament fisherman and
fishing guide from Homestead, Fl. He is also the host of Sportsman’s Adventures
and co-host of the Chevy Florida Fishing Report on the Sun Sports Network.
Do You Have a Tried and True Fishing Tip?
Submit Your Own Tips Here
 Governor
Charlie Crist Spends a Day of Fishing with Capt. Rick Murphy!
Coming in June, don’t miss this great episode featuring Capt. Rick and
the Governor of Florida. Check back for dates and times. Click
here to see more pictures of their fishing adventure!
 |
Governor Charlie Crist, FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto and Capt. Rick had
a great day out on the water. |
A Tribute to Specialist Reggie Kalous
One of the Many Sportsman’s Adventures Fans Serving Our
Country Abroad!
 Reggie
couldn't get enough of fishing growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida. He even
started making his own custom rods and watching all the local fishing shows. He
found Sportsman's Adventures where Captain Rick was fishing for species the he
loved to fish for himself. In September 2005, Reggie decided to put down his fishing
rods for a while to help in the fight against Terrorism. He enlisted in the Army
at the age of 33 and soon after getting to his first duty station, he was sent
to Iraq. For Reggie, seeing the smiles of locals makes it worth while.
While in Iraq, Reggie has gotten the itch to build rods again in his down time.
So far he has built one fly rod and is working on #2 now. He doesn’t have
many of the necessary supplies needed to build these rods, but is still trying
to continue his hobby and pass the talent on to his fellow servicemen.
We thank you Specialist Reggie Kalous for your dedication and look forward
to when you return home safely to once again enjoy Sportsman’s Adventures
from the comforts of your home!
Capt. Rick Murphy
Get a Jump Start to Spring Season Fishing! The Award-Winning “Chevy
Florida Fishing Report” Premieres February 1st!
 Hosted
by Capt. Rick Murphy, each episode provides customized live reports from experts
in regions across Florida with information on the latest hot spots, techniques
and new product segments in series targeted to Florida saltwater fishing enthusiasts.
Read More…
Catch Capt. Rick on Tour
Below are some upcoming events where you can catch Capt. Rick Murphy:
Also,
don't miss Capt Rick Murphy every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. on the SunSports
as he hosts this LIVE talk show, Florida
Fishing Report presented by CHEVY.
 Welcome
We'd like welcome you to the Hottest Saltwater Fishing television show –
Sportsman's Adventures, with your host, Capt. Rick Murphy. All his life Capt.
Rick Murphy has had the good fortune to share fishing techniques with the best,
real anglers who test the waters of Florida and beyond.
 |
| Capt. Rick Murphy releases a 300 lb. lemon shark. |
Created with an Emmy award-winning production team, each episode shows what
it is like to catch a wide range of sport fish in the hottest South Florida locales,
under conditions that are as genuine as Murphy himself. Sportsman's Adventures
has a tremendous widespread appeal; inshore and offshore, the action is non-stop!
And the 2005 season will be no exception. So come, check us out. And enjoy a real
Sportsman's Adventure!
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here for details and order form.
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| The end of a good day of fishing. |
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1300 AM Radio to the Cal Suftin Radio Show for Capt. Rick updates and tips!
