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On THE ANCHOR:

fishing in an anchored position

OFF THE CHAIN:

fish were biting really well

ON THE POINT:

in the fishing position with rod in hand

ON THE STICK:

fishing with someone polling the boat

PLANT SOME SEEDS:

get the wife to let you go fishing or your boss to let you off work; this is usually done through subterfuge and subtle hints a week or more prior to fishing

POONDADS:

Tarpon

PUT IN YOUR TIME:

staying out as long as it takes to catch a Tarpon possibly even failing a number of times before success is realized

PUT THE BAMBOOZLE ON HIM:

fly manipulation that fooled a wary Tarpon or a fish fighting technique that disorients the Tarpon

SIPPED IT:

subtle strike where the bug is just slurped in

SLAPPED IT IN HIM:

struck the fish and drove the hook in his mouth

SLOB DOG:

an unusually large Tarpon 140 lbs+

SMALL STICK:

fly rod

SOME INTEREST:

fish looked at the fly or followed as opposed to ignoring it or swimming around it

SNIFFED IT OUT:

Tarpon put his nose right on the fly and followed apparently sniffing the fly

STAKED OUT:

anchored

STRIP IT UP:

getting your fly line tight so that you can start your retrieve or pulling the bug into the Tarpons path, can also mean getting tight to the fish so that you can get the hook in his mouth.

SUICIDE MISSION:

unusual tactic such as jumping off the boat to untangle fly line caught around the reel handle, fishing in really bad conditions etc…

SWEET WORK:

a series of successful Tarpon encounters either a season or one trip

SWIM IT:

a slow strip with or without a wiggle not in anyway the standard jerking stripping technique used by most

THAT’S THE BUSINESS OR ALL BUSINESS:

used when talking about the fly or tackle or one's prowess in catching Tarpon on fly. You can say that someone is All Business when they routinely catch Tarpon

TOWER BOATER:

often an annoyance who drives over fish while looking to employ a devil stick, likely unskilled and half blind, and probably does not know how to use a fly rod

WEATHER FELL APART:

afternoon sea breeze causing rough conditions possibly even cutting the trip short

WENT BANANAS:

fish went crazy when hooked

WINDS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION:

west wind

                                                                     TARPON TERMS

​ANDY MILL WIGGLE:

shaking the rod tip while employing a long slow strip

BAIT CHUCKER’S:

tower boaters and others who only use bait

BEAT DOWN STICK:

well designed fly rod with a good butt section that wins the fight quickly

BE IN THE GAME:

paying attention when you are up on the front of the boat and not being distracted

BOUNCED OUT:

hook did not get a good purchase in the mouth so you never got tight, probably hit a hard spot

BOW TO THE KING:

pushing of the rod toward the airborne Tarpon when he jumps

BROKE HIS LINE:

Tarpon swam off his normal path to come after your bug

BUGGED OUT:

after the Tarpon bounced off the boat he travelled away quickly or even turned around, that fish will not eat! Could even mean that the fly pattern scared the fish possibly indicating a change is necessary.

BUG:

fly

COME TIGHT:

strip up the line fast because a Poondad just slurped your bug

CRUSHED IT:

aggressive strike toward the surface possibly even came partially out of the water, not a sip or slurp

DEVIL STICK:

spinning rod especially with bait

FISH IS BURNT:

presentation failed and now he’s bugged out so there is no point trying him again

FISHING IN THE CLOUDS:

overcast day in which seeing Tarpon in time to cast is very difficult

FLIP HIM:

pulling backwards on a fish and turning him upside down

FOLLOW:

Fish broke his line and turned on the fly

FRESH FISH:

Tarpon that have not been cast at within sight of your position

GET IT DONE:

hook or get a Tarpon to bite

GOLDEN TARPON:

a back bay Tarpon that appears gold in color in the dark tannic water

GRIND IT OUT:

staring at the water for hours for the one good shot when others have quit or good sense says you should have left

HE’S BLOWN:

fish is aware of you so get the fly line in the right spot and be ready for the next one you are not going to close the deal with that one

HOOKED UP AND ROLLING:

Tarpon is moving very fast possibly rolling at the surface in a hurry and not going to eat

IN HIS LINE:

being right in the path of a swimming Tarpon so you’ll need a long cast before he feels the boat

IN MY LINE:

someone anchored in the path of the nice fresh Tarpon that you would have had the opportunity to cast at first

JUMPED OFF:

you got tight then the tarpon threw the fly

JUMPED OUT ON THE POONDADS:

went out fly fishing for Tarpon