Possible world record tarpon | OutDoors Unlimited Media and Magazine

Justin Moore tarponSince 1975, the Florida state record for a tarpon has been a 243-pound fish caught in Key West. Since 2003, the world record has been a 286-pound tarpon caught in Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, Africa. Both of those records may have been broken June 24 by Capt. Justin Moore and his four anglers.

For Capt. Justin Moore, chasing tarpon along west central Florida has been a favorite family pastime. Growing up as the son of renowned guide Scott Moore, fishing for and landing tarpon was a routine summer activity. “We caught more than a thousand tarpon together as I was growing up,” Justin said. “None were as big as that fish.”

“That fish” will be one that lives in the memories of all the anglers onboard Moore’s custom-built-in-Bradenton 24-foot T-Craft by Scott Schulte. Longtime client Drew Denick and Ron Joyce, national account executives of ABC Supply Company, chartered Moore. Joining Denick, Joyce and Moore were Denick’s clients from Wisconsin, Jeremy and Jan Tombl.

“The biggest fish they’ve ever caught was a 24-inch walleye,” Denick said. “They flew down just to tarpon-fish, but were nervous going into the Gulf of Mexico because they’ve been seasick in the past.”

The nervousness was quickly put aside as Moore put them right onto a hot tarpon bite off the Anna Maria Island beaches. The first bait into the water sent a tarpon airborne. “That first fish was probably 160 pounds,” Denick said, as it was landed after a 30-minute battle.

For the next four hours, each angler on board took turns fighting tarpon. Before long, they had landed a 130-pound fish and three 150-pounders, which Moore said has been about average for this year. “We were all exhausted at that point, ready to go home,” Denick said. “Our cameras and phones were dead since we were using them so much for pictures.” Read more….