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Suncoast Tarpon Roundup Moves To All-Release Format - At Last

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By FRANK SARGEANT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

Updated: 02/13/2008 12:56 am

It was a long time coming. Seventy three years, to be exact. But the Suncoast Tarpon Roundup, one of the longest continuous tournaments in the nation, this year finally voted to become a "no-kill" event.

Not to say that the St. Petersburg-based event had been killing a lot of fish. Since format changes 10 to 15 years ago, the club's annual take had dwindled to a handful, with only about 40 fish weighed in last year. But that's still 40 fish wasted, in the view of conservation-minded tarpon fans who see the inedible species as a catch-and-release target only.

"The membership agreed that the time has come," said Jason Gell, president of the event. "We will be working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to provide scientific data on our catches, but we won't be hanging any fish at the docks."

Killing a tarpon has required a $50 state tag since 1989. Before then, some 4,000 fish per year were killed, most at Boca Grande to be mounted, but also at tournaments like the Tarpon Roundup, where to get into the money anglers had to weigh in a dead fish.

The tarpon tagging system was strongly supported by the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association, as well as the Coastal Conservation Association and other conservation forces, and it immediately had a strong impact on the number of tarpon killed statewide. Around 100 fish per year have been killed during the past decade, most by anglers seeking line-class records.

Most anglers also say the reduced take soon had an impact on the average size of fish being caught. Tarpon are a long-living species, with life spans to 35 years. But when 4,000 per year were being killed, few survived to reach their maximum size.

Before 1989, 150-pound tarpon were a rarity. Within the last few years, they have become commonplace, and fish weighing more than 200 pounds are reported regularly. These huge fish are almost never weighed, because weighing them in anything but a special "wet sling" requires killing them, but expert anglers know how to accurately calculate weight by a formula that combines length and girth.

Under the new system at the Tarpon Roundup, anglers will be supplied with a DNA swab kit, so each fish can be identified via the Florida Wildlife Research Institute labs in St. Petersburg. Gell said the tournament not only won't cause mortality, but will contribute substantially to FWRI's data on tarpon migration and growth over the years.

About 130 anglers participated in last year's tournament, according to Gell, but in the heyday of the event in the 1980s, as many as 800 were in the competition. With the new format, more conservation-minded sponsors and more good publicity, Gell hopes that the roundup can be rebuilt to something resembling what it once was.

A meeting later this week will establish entry fees, prizes and verification of catch systems. The tournament begins in May and runs into July. For details on this year's event, visit www.suncoasttarponroundup.org.

SEASON CLOSING: The recreational and commercial harvest of red, gag and black grouper in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be closed from Friday until March 15. Federal waters extend beyond nine nautical miles offshore in the Gulf. Commercial harvest of red, gag and black grouper in Gulf state waters inside the nine-nautical-mile line is also prohibited during this period. Recreational harvest of all three species remains open in state waters (inside nine nautical miles), during the offshore closure.

Many anglers have reported good action on rocks inside the state boundary from Anclote Key northward in recent weeks, mostly for gags. Most are caught on live or cut bait, but some anglers throw large diving plugs and crank them deep around the rock piles. Captain Rick Rodriguez of Hernando Beach has been reporting catches of up to 100 gags per day in water as little as 20 feet deep in recent weeks. He says most of the fish are just under legal size, but plenty are above, and his clients have caught fish to 30 pounds in the shallows. Live threadfins or pinfish account for most of the larger fish, Rodriguez said.

The shipping channels of Tampa Bay also remain good areas for catching grouper during the closed season offshore. Most anglers troll large diving plugs or spoons and large jigs on downriggers to locate fish along the edges of the 42-foot-deep cut.

SALTWATER CLASSES: Five-week saltwater fishing classes with captain Richard Howard begin at West Marine, 1721 Gulf to Bay Blvd., in Clearwater tonight at 7. The fee is $50; call (727) 446-8962 for information.

The Bassmasters Classic will be fished this weekend at Lake Hartwell, S.C. The Classic is considered to be the World Series of freshwater fishing. For details, visit espn.go.com/outdoors.

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