SPRING/EARLY SUMMER TAGGING
2007 Fall Tarpon Migration
Tarpon Originally Tagged in Louisiana
(inset shows water depth and water temp.)
Daily Detail of Fall 2012 Tarpon Tagged on West Coast of Florida
Many tarpon in the eastern Gulf of Mexico have also been satellite tagged. The tagging has shown a similar north in the spring, south in the fall migratory pattern; however, not all fish conform to the normal migrations, as is shown below. Also, the spring/early summer satellite tracking has revealed possible spawning locations along Florida's Gulf coastline. What follows are some examples of tracks and specific data derived from various tagged tarpon on the eastern side of the Gulf of Mexico:
Florida Spring Tarpon
This 192 lb. Tarpon was Tagged off of the western coastline of Florida. The Orange area is a drawing of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill area. The Yellow is likely a tarpon spawning area. This fish was tagged in 2011, a year after the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
2014 Fall Tarpon (100 lbs.)
FALL TAGGING
The following tarpon was also tagged on the west coast of Florida but showed a reverse spring migration which sent the tarpon south and ultimately leading to possible spawning off of the Tampa Bay area prior to the tag coming off.