Tarpon fishing in Belize

Tarpon fishing in Belize is some of the best in the Caribbean. Year-round fish, varied water, and a protected fishery that's been building since 2009. Around Placencia and the southern cayes we get less pressure than up north. Same fish.

When the big fish show up

The migration runs March/April through September. Large adults, 80 to 150 pounds and up, following the bait along the reef systems. The fish reach the channel at Tobacco Caye in March and build from there. June, July, and August are peak. When the sardines stack up, the tarpon stack up with them. You can have shots all day.

The migration hits northern Belize first. Ambergris, Turneffe. Down south we see the fish days to a couple weeks later, moving along the reef. Longer season overall and fish that haven't been worked by every boat on the water.

Outside the migration there are resident tarpon year-round. Smaller fish, 10 to 40 pounds, in the lagoons, the mangrove creeks, the river mouths. When the channel isn't fishing or the weather won't cooperate, those fish are there. They eat.

Tarpon fishing month by month

• January and February. Resident fish are around but hard to pin down. Cold fronts push everything deep. New and full moon tides give you the best shot.

• March and April. Migration starts and the weather usually gets its act together. April full moons pull in bigger fish.

• May. One of my favourite months. Dry season, calm, hot. Good tarpon fishing and permit are everywhere.

• June, July, and August. Best of the year. Tarpon, permit, and bonefish all up at once. Grand Slams happen more this time of year than any other. Storms roll through but they don't last.

• September and October. Migratory fish thin out. Still worth fishing, just don't expect the numbers you had in summer.

• November and December. Permit and bonefish take over. Some tarpon still hanging around in November. Cold fronts start showing up toward December.

Where to find tarpon around Placencia

Victoria Channel and Tarpon Caye

The channel runs along the reef about 15 miles offshore. Deep in places, with drop-offs and ledges that hold fish on a moving tide. Tarpon Caye sits right in the middle of it. Resident fish in the lagoon year-round. Migratory fish drop in to feed when the bait is here. My father, Charlie Leslie Sr., built the lodge out there. I grew up fishing this stretch of water.

Monkey River

About 30 minutes south of Placencia. River mouth opens into a sheltered lagoon. Rolling tarpon and snook, especially when baitfish get pushed out after rain. Mostly juveniles, but bigger fish move through during migration. When the sea won't cooperate, Monkey River usually will.

The Sittee River near Hopkins

Brackish, dark water, full of structure. Blind-cast the mangrove edges and into the bends. Watch for rolling fish, that's how you find them. Mostly under 40 pounds but reliable, and it fishes well after heavy rain.

Placencia Lagoon

Right off the village. Juvenile tarpon and machaca along the mangrove edges. Not where you go for big fish, but it's there when the channel is blown out. Fish it early morning or evening.

How to fish tarpon in southern Belize

Channel fishing for big tarpon

Sink-tip or full-sink line. Cast across, let the fly sink while the current drifts the line, then strip it back. You're trying to get down to where the fish are holding. They sit deep along the ledges and drop-offs. Fish it on a moving tide. Slack water is mostly dead time.

Flats

Early morning and evening. Floating line, unweighted fly. Get in quietly, lead the fish by a good distance, and strip steady. Big tarpon on shallow water are spooky. One bad cast and they're gone. Smaller fish give you more room for error.

Rivers and lagoons

Blind casting with an intermediate line. Work the points, the creek mouths, any structure you can find. Rolling fish tell you exactly where to cast. Mornings and evenings produce most, but lagoon fish will eat all day if they're in the mood.

Tides and moon phases page breaks down how I plan around tides.

Why tarpon are hard to hook

The mouth. That's the whole story.

Tarpon don't bite. They open their bucket-sized jaw and inhale. The mouth is bony, plated, hard as concrete in most places.

Strip-set. Long, hard pull on the line with your stripping hand, rod low and pointed at the fish. Not a rod lift. A rod lift sets the hook in trout. In tarpon it pulls the fly out of their mouth.

After the strip-set, the fish will jump. Usually multiple times. When they go in the air, move your rod tip low to give the line some slack. If you keep hard tension while it's is airborne, there will be a higher chance of the hook coming out.

Once they're down and running, it's a long game. Rod butt against your body, work them steadily, don't try to horse them. When they get close to the boat, work always work the rod tip to turn them the other way they are facing. This will tire them out quicker.

Tarpon fly fishing gear

Rod and reel

11 or 12-weight. Don't go lighter for the channel fish. When a big one runs it doesn't stop, and you need the backbone to fight them properly. Reel needs at least 350 yards of 30-pound backing. For smaller resident fish a 10-weight will do the job.

Lines

Two setups. Floating line for the flats and lagoon. Full-sink or heavy sink-tip for the deep channel.

Leader and tippet

For big migratory fish: 60-pound butt stepping down to 40-pound, then 18 inches of 20-pound class tippet, finished with a 12-inch bite tippet of 50-pound. Tarpon mouths are rough and long fights wear through light material. For resident fish under 40 pounds you can go lighter. 20 to 30-pound class with a 30-pound bite tippet is fine.

Full gear list on the fly fishing gear checklist.

Tarpon fly fishing gear

Black Death, Cockroach, Tarpon Toad, EP Peanut Butter, Tarpon Bunny, Gummy Minnow, EP Minnow. Those are the flies that work around here. Dark days: black and purple, black and red. Clear water: chartreuse and white, orange and grizzly, tan and white.

Tarpon eyes are on top of their head. They look up. Keep the fly unweighted or barely weighted. Hook sizes 1/0 to 3/0.

Tides and moon phases for tarpon

• March through August. First and last quarter moons. Moderate flows that move baitfish around without flooding the flats.

• September through November. New and full moons push too much water. Flats flood, baitfish scatter. Stick to quarter moons and fish low to half-tide.

• December through February. New and full moon spring tides are your best bet. Tides are smaller overall and the movement concentrates fish.

More on the tides and moon phases page.

Tarpon conservation in Belize

Belize made catch-and-release mandatory for tarpon, permit, and bonefish in September 2009. Statutory Instruments 114 and 115. Possession is prohibited. You need a sport fishing licence.

Female tarpon can live beyond 50 years. A 2013 Bonefish and Tarpon Trust study put the value of Belize's catch-and-release fishery at around BZ$112 million a year. That number only holds up if the fish are handled properly. Keep them in the water, support the body, don't lift by the jaw only. Quick photo and they go back.

Common questions about tarpon fishing in Belize

Can you fish for tarpon in Belize?

Yes, year-round. The big migratory fish are March/April through September. Resident tarpon, generally 10 to 40 pounds, are in the lagoons, rivers, and mangrove creeks all year.

What is the best fishing in Belize?

Depends on what you're after. For my money, the best day on the water is a Grand Slam, one fish each of tarpon, permit, and bonefish in the same day. June through August is when that happens most. All three species are up at once and the weather tends to be stable.

Where is the best place to find tarpon in Belize?

The reef channels hold the biggest fish during the March/April to September migration. In the south, Victoria Channel, around Tarpon Caye and the channel outside Tobacco Caye is where I take people for big migratory tarpon. For smaller resident fish, river mouths, lagoons, and mangrove creeks fish well all year.

Why is it so hard to catch a tarpon?

Setting the hook on a bony jaw requires a hard strip-set. Every time they jump, you have to bow to them or the hook comes out. Most tarpon are lost on the first or second jump.

Do you set the hook on tarpon?

Not with the rod. You strip-set. Pull hard and long with the line hand, rod low and pointed at the fish. Once you feel the hook grab, two or three more firm and quick strips to drive it home. Then hold on.

What is the best fly for tarpon in Belize?

Black Death, Cockroach and Clouser are my go-to's. Tarpon Toad and Gummy Minnow work well in the channels. Match fly colour to water clarity and light. Dark in murky water or overcast skies. Lighter colours in sun and clear water.

What fish is illegal to keep in Belize?

Tarpon, permit, and bonefish are all catch-and-release only under Belizean law. Has been since 2009. Possession is prohibited. You need a valid sport fishing licence. Nassau grouper is also protected with strict size and bag limits. If you're not sure what you can keep, ask your guide before anything comes in the boat.

If you're coming to fish tarpon in Placencia, get in touch. I can tell you what to expect based on when you're coming and what the tides are doing that week. Book a charter