Question about baby tarpon

[chriswkbrd]

I tried Googling this but didn’t find a good answer, so naturally, I turned to the pros…

I came down to the Georgia coast to fish for the week. Yesterday, while throwing the cast net in a tidal creek, I caught three 7-8" baby tarpon (along with some finger mullet). I know tarpon migrate here during the summer and head back to Florida in the winter, but there’s no way these little fish migrate, right? If not, do they survive the winter? I would think they have to, which leads me to believe that tarpon might spawn here. Fish are instinctive, and I wouldn't think they would intentionally spawn somewhere they couldn't survive.

I wish I had taken a picture, but my phone was in the truck and I wanted to get them back in the water right away. However, I do have a picture of a baby tarpon I caught in a small creek several years ago during the summer. I saw some fish busting on the surface and decided to use my ultralight setup to throw a little curly tail grub in the creek where the activity was. It didn’t occur to me then to wonder if they could survive the winter. Any thoughts?

 

[NCHillbilly]

Maybe a stupid question here, but are you sure they weren't ladyfish?

 

[Railroader]

Tarpon can live their entire life cycle in Georgia waters. Some migrate, some don't. They can live in salt, brackish, or fresh water, and they can breathe air. They are found as far north as Virginia.

Very tough, very adaptable, ancient critters....

 

[chriswkbrd]

Maybe a stupid question here, but are you sure they weren't ladyfish?

I went out earlier to get more bait and caught another. Not only that, but I caught a baby unicorn too! If it's what I think it is, I doubt it would survive the winter either...

 

[Swamprat]

I have heard more and more reports of snook showing up in areas that are normally out of their range. One that small means there has to be a breeding population in the area.

 

[chriswkbrd]

Agreed, but I definitely didn't expect that

 

[1eyefishing]

I think the snook get specially scattered far and wide during the big storms with their big surges.
Seems to be the pattern in the fla panhandle...

 

[Robust Redhorse]

IMO, if it gets cold this winter, they won't survive.

Tarpon and bonefish are pretty unique in that they produce Leptocephalus larvae (as well as some eels), that ride around with the other zooplankton until the conditions become right for them to develop into fish.

I'm surprised that they developed into fish over the summer, but I don't really know that much about it, and it was a somewhat unusual summer here.

I hope someone post a 20 pounder here next Spring. That would be pretty cool.

I've only caught them in Florida...

 

[Seanote]

I have also netted tarpon that size. It's weird though. I have never caught or seen a small (10-50 lbs.) tarpon in Ga. I have caught one and seen hundreds in the sound. They always seem to be 6 ft. or longer.

 

[chriswkbrd]

Yeah, I agree.

 

[acudd]

We have plenty of resident tarpon and snook that stay here year round. I've jumped 8 tarpon in the 10-15lb range in the past 2 days in a small creek, but normally only see them that size in ponds. We have breeding populations of tarpon here without a doubt and likely snook too, specifically in the brackish ponds. I have seen snook in the upper 30" class as well as fish down to 3-4" in the same ponds, which seems to be good evidence these fish are breeding here. I'm not quite sure how they survive the cold, but one theory I have heard is that the leaves that fall into the ponds break down over time and produce heat as they decompose, the fish then lay on bottom in the hotter areas and are able to live through the winters. I've caught close to 10 snook on St Simons this summer alone, and countless tarpon up to around 10 lbs, with plenty of larger fish seen and jumped. Just gotta know where to find them. If you do catch a snook up here, please release them...

 

[chriswkbrd]

That's awesome and welcome! I would never keep one of those, nor a tarpon. Thanks for that info.