Tarpon of
St. Croix USVI

Welcome to one of the best Tarpon Fisheries in the Caribbean!

Size: 5 - 100LBs

St. Croix has a very healthy population of resident tarpon that range from Fun-Sized Juveniles to Full Grown adults. The most common size our clients catch are Tarpon in the 10 - 60 lb class

TOP SPEED: 35MPH

The Tarpon’s impressive top speed coupled with the BEST acrobatic ability of any fish in the sea, makes for the Ultimate Test. Expect quick bursts that seamlessly transition into olympic level jumps

School Size: 12-100

Tarpon love to school up here on St. Croix as they work together to ambush Baitballs in the shallows. While many schools will have like-sized individuals here on St. Croix 50-60lbers can often be found with 10-20lbers

Crucian Tarpon By The Numbers:

Tarpon Size - Explained

Based on our experience here on St. Croix, we can classify Tarpon into 3 distinct Categories:

1. Baby “Fun-Sized” Tarpon (12-24”)

2. Juvenile “Teenage” Tarpon (24-40”)

3. Adult “Silver King” Tarpon (40”+)

Baby Tarpon: You are most likely to find them in larger groups around shallow water structures (Mangroves, Flats, Rocky Corners). They are still learning how to hunt and not be hunted. Despite being the inexperienced they can be exceptionally picky, especially when it comes to Lures & Flies. If you are getting nibbles or just zero interest you NEED to switch it up until you find what they really want. That said, if you match what they are looking for it’s instant action!

Juvenile Tarpon: The most commonly found across Beaches, Coves, and Bays these Tarpon are still potential prey but they have the confidence to feed in more risky areas. To boost their confidence these fish will almost exclusively feed in lower visibility water (sandy, muddy, seaweed stained) as this provides both Ambushing opportunities as well as safety from large Barracudas and Lemon Sharks. Less picky than their Fun-Sized cousins, these fish are more willing to go after a wider variety of lures & flies, but make no mistake they still require a proper presentation in order to get the bite

Adult Tarpon: Most commonly found around Boardwalks, Docks, and Piers these fish prefer Deeper Water and easy meals. Finding a Full Grown Tarpon in the Wild is really one of the greatest feelings as an angler. While many will live and feed along Coral Reefs and in Deep Channels, they are highly bait oriented. If a Bay or Lagoon has a lot of bait, the big Tarpon will inevitably find them and mix with the Juveniles. These Adults are often found Solo or in smaller Groups, but leverage the younger tarpon to create chaos and get easier meals. Sargassum Mats have become the Go-To for Larger Tarpon, especially on rougher days as they have the strength and experience to handle the poor conditions that a 20-30lber might struggle with. Spring - Early Fall is often the best time to run across a Massive Tarpon due to the elevated Bait Levels and Sargassum Influx

Tarpon Diet

Tarpon are the ultimate Baitfish predator.

Baby “fun-sized” Tarpon often thrive on Silversides, juvenile Sardines, and small crabs/shrimp. Smaller 2-3” Lures & Flies are the go to,

Juvenile Tarpon are the best of both worlds as they eat 2-5” baitfish and love Swimbaits, Streamers and Topwater

Adult Tarpon prefer 3-8” baitfish patterns that mimic Sardines & Ballyhoo, Think Swimbaits, Soft Plastics, EP Minnows, Etc.

The Crucian King

Tarpon are one of 25 Species (out of 36.5K) in the World that can be classified as Ancient Survivors. They have adapted into Fast, Acrobatic, and Resilient Kings that drive a Multi-Billion dollar industry. Tarpon can survive across every imaginable environment from deep reefs to stagnant backwaters. Their ability to process Atmospheric Oxygen (rolling) means they can survive and thrive in many habitats that are toxic to fish. This competitive advantage has become a major victory for Tarpon with the new Sargassum Era where they are frequently spotted rolling along Sargassum Mats picking off prey that Bonefish, Jacks, Sharks and Snook can’t access due to low water oxygen levels.

Tarpon here on St. Croix appear to have weathered the industrialization better than Bonefish & Snook, most likely due to the Juveniles being able to hide in Salt Pond, Ruts, and backwater Mangrove Lagoons that would normally be too toxic for most fish. This ability is key becuase Tarpon are also one of the slowest growth species, only reaching reproductive maturity around 12-13 years (vs 2-4years for most species). Thisalmost human-like maturity speed means a huge disruption in Juvenile populations can lead to significant population collapse. On the flip side, with a maximum age of 75-80years, a Single Female could reproduce hundreds of times in a single lifespan . When you catch a Big Tarpon (90LBs+) that fish may just be older and as wise as you!