Port Gentil Tarpon Fishing

Fresh off a tough week at Sette Cama, our group arrived in Port Gentil eager to see what Gabon’s giant tarpon grounds had to offer. It didn’t disappoint.

A Record Fish to Open the Season

The first fish of the trip set a new record for our Port Gentil destination. After a three-hour battle, Kevin landed a monster tarpon estimated at 205lbs using a length-to-weight conversion. You can read the full story in the Catch of the Week below.

The big fish didn’t stop there. The very next day, Phillip landed a 180lb tarpon to keep the theme of the week going.

More Tarpon to the Boat

Over the next two days, the group added several more fish around the 100lb class. Persistence paid off for Nicole on the second-to-last day and Darya on the final day, with both landing great fish.

All in all, it was a fantastic start to the Port Gentil tarpon fishing season, and we can’t wait to see what’s still in store.

Catch of the Week: Kevin’s 205lb Tarpon

On the first day of the neap tides, we pulled into the spot where we’d seen tarpon the week before. We were greeted by rolling fish stretched across roughly 100 yards of water. “Big girls” came the call over the VHF radio.

We crept in on the electric motors and were soon sitting right in the middle of them. I knew a bite was coming. Then I heard line tearing through Kevin’s hands as he tried to hold on, followed by a massive splash just ahead of the boat.

Once the fish was on the reel, she jumped three or four times and headed for deeper water. About an hour and a half in, Kevin’s forearm started to give out, so he turned to a technique he’d learned fighting bull sharks at Sette Cama. Without a beach to walk up and down, he improvised on the boat: walking backward to the leaning bar with a straight rod, then walking forward to the bow, reeling in the line he’d gained. It worked well.

Three hours in, I made my first attempt to grab her. I’d spent the entire fight psyching myself up, telling myself that once I got hold of that jaw, I wasn’t letting go. That’s not quite how it went. After getting thrown around and shaken off three times, I finally got her under control. We took measurements and a few photos before sending her back.

Big girl indeed. Well fished, Kevin.

Want your shot at a giant tarpon? Contact us to check availability for the upcoming season.