The waters of St. Augustine are some of the most productive Tarpon fisheries in northern Florida. Here you can target gargantuan Silver Kings famous for putting up great fights just a couple of miles from shore. You can also catch them in the ocean inlets, rivers, and canals throughout the year.

• The most efficient and popular techniques for landing the Silver King in Florida are conventional casting, spinning, and last but not least, fly fishing. You'll be using 7–8′ rods for spinning and 11–13 wt rods for fly fishing. If you're fly fishing in rivers and canals, go for a 5–7 wt rod. 

• When it comes to fly fishing, every area has its own distinguished styles and methods. Black-and-purple flies are especially popular in the Florida Bay, while the Atlantic side of the Keys will see you using chartreuse variants. The color of the fly should be contrasted to the color of the bottom – use warm colors when fishing the areas with sandy floors and green/blue for bottoms with darker grass. 

• And what about bait? Live, cut, and artificial baits are efficient, depending on the fishery and other circumstances. Fishing inshore areas and passes of Fort Myers usually includes menhaden, crabs, and herring, as well as trolling or casting plugs near Sanibel Causeway. 

• Tarpon swimming near banks and flats of the Keys are big fans of artificials, such as jigs and swimbaits, but they also like shrimp and crabs. A signature Keys technique is anchored live baiting near bridges using crabs or mullet under a cork. 

• Homosassa and Crystal River are known for diving cut mullet and plugs, while Tampa Bay Tarpon fishing near channel edges is all about cut ladyfish, menhaden, and mullet. Slow trolling pinfish, vertical jigging, and live baiting are generally very popular in the Boca Grande area. 

• Casting soft plastics and topwater plugs is a way to go in the Miami area, along with using silver mullet and live crabs.