Florida Writer Witnesses Firsthand the Tarpon-Taking Attributes of Black Salty Baitfish
Note: Steve Gibson, a professional outdoor writer and kayaking outfitter based in Sarasota, Florida, recently got a chance to witness firsthand what Port Charlotte-area guides Capt. Mike Mahan and Capt. Robert Moore have been telling him about the tarpon-taking attributes of Black Salty baitfish (a recent trip I made to Port Charlotte with Moore and Mahan and friend T.J. Stallings of Blakemore/Daiichi provided some great photos for Yours Truly via a half-day Salty-fishing trip that yielded a Grand Slam catch of tarpon, snook and redfish … one of the better “jump shots” is attached).
Gibson’s story in Florida Fishing Weekly, a popular and highly respected Sunshine State publication, follows, with reprint permission from the author (check the end of this post for information on how to contact Gibson for an awesome Florida flats fishing trip, kayak-style) … 
From Florida Fishing Weekly
By Steve Gibson
New Baits Catch Angler’s Eye
When Mike Mahan headed for one of his favorite tarpon spots along the east side of Charlotte Harbor, there were no crabs, threadfin herring, ladyfish, pinfish or any other typical bait you might cast to a hungry tarpon.
Instead, in the livewell of his Action Craft flats skiff, Mahan had 18 lively Black Saltys, a new bait in southwest Florida that’s rapidly gaining in popularity.
Black Saltys are a farm-raised species of goldfish that have been bred to withstand saltwater for up to two hours. They were developed to replace herring in the northeastern United States. Herring, the stocks of which have been depleted, were the No. 1 bait for striped bass in that region. Stripers there are now being caught on Black Saltys.
Ditto for Florida’s snook, redfish and tarpon.
“The company (I.F. Anderson Farms in Arkansas) contacted Robert Moore (a fellow guide) and me to see if we could catch tarpon on them,” Mahan said. “We found them to be extremely effective.”
The baitfish come in a variety of sizes. Mahan uses “Offshore Black Saltys” for tarpon. They are about 4 to 5 inches in length. Smaller baits are available for other species.
Mahan has been finding plenty of tarpon around Charlotte Harbor. When he arrives at a spot, he’ll spend a few minutes to look around. If he sees tarpon rolling, he’ll begin to fish. If not, he’ll head elsewhere.
On this outing, he began at a spot known as the “20-foot Hole.” Nothing was going on, so he headed to the east side of the harbor and began looking just north of the Artificial Reef off Alligator Creek. He immediately saw several tarpon roll.
Mahan uses typical tarpon tackle: heavy spinning rods, 50-pound braided line, 80- to 100-pound fluorocarbon shock leader and 5/0 hooks.
“The tarpon here come in all sizes,” he said. “You might get a 40-pounder or you might hook a 140-pounder.”
When he sees tarpon, he likes to free-line baits out 75 to 100 feet behind the boat.
“If I see several tarpon in an area, I’ll use my trolling motor to get the baits to them,” he said.
When a tarpon sees a Black Salty, it doesn’t take long for the action to begin.
Mahan jumped three tarpon on the outing. The first fish, a 120-pounder, jumped several times before breaking off. The second tarpon was about 70 pounds and threw the hook.
The third fish wasn’t so lucky. Mahan originally estimated the fish at 60 pounds, but upped the guess to 90 as he got the tarpon close to the boat.
“It’s wider than I thought,” he said. “It’s pretty heavy.”
Mahan removed the hook, then worked with the tarpon to revive it. He turned the trolling motor on and held the fish as it moved through the water. After a few minutes, the tarpon was ready to go.
“We usually look just for schools of ladyfish,” Mahan said. “If you find the ladyfish, you can bet there will be tarpon close by.
“There weren’t any visible schools of ladyfish this morning, so I just looked for rolling fish. If the water is calm, that’s usually no problem.”
Mahan said tarpon action should be good in Charlotte Harbor until the first severe cold front of fall moves through.
“That’s when these fish will move up the river,” said Mahan. “They’ll stay in the river until spring.”
Late-season tarpon action in Charlotte Harbor can be quite good. And you can usually fish for them without the crowds of summer.
“Most people put their tarpon tackle away after July,” Mahan said. “These fish don’t get a lot of pressure.”
Black Saltys are a viable alternative to native baitfish. One tackle shop in the area (Fishin’ Frank’s in Charlotte Harbor) carries them.
“There are times when you just can’t get bait or don’t have the time to do it,” said Mahan. “You can buy a dozen Black Saltys and you’re good to go.”
The best thing is that if you have any left over after a trip, you can put them in (unchlorinated) fresh water when you return home.
“I’ve got an aquarium setup at home and I’ve kept them for up to two weeks,” Mahan said. “They’re pretty hardy.”
“Black Saltys may be used in Florida in salt water only. They’re illegal to use in the state’s fresh waters.
For information on the new baits, visit www.blacksalty.com.
“They work,” Mahan said. “Tarpon, redfish and snook love them.”
NOTE: Steve Gibson is the Outdoor Editor of the Tribune-Herald in Sarasota and covers southwest Florida for Florida Fishing Weekly. You can read more of his work at www.heraldtribune.com.
Gibson is also a guide who offers kayak-fishing trips. Contact him via his kayak-guiding website, www.kayakfishingsarasota.com or send e-mail to steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.
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