Sports

Father-Son Fishing Duo Catch Texas State Record Tarpon, A MASSIVE 90-Inch ‘Silver King’

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To a lot of coastal fishermen in America, the tarpon (aka ‘Silver King’) is the ultimate game fish. They can grow over 200 pounds like the one below, they treat anglers to spectacular aerial displays while jumping and flipping next to the boat, and they’re really hard to catch. It’s not common to keep a tarpon because (1) they’re a protected species in many states, (2) they aren’t a fish that’s good to eat, and (3) serious anglers release them to try and keep the species numbers robust and healthy. But, in the case of a record fish like the one below, it’s not unheard for an angler to keep a tarpon and bring it to the scales.

The father-son fishing duo of Capt. Michael LaRue and his son Shane LaRue spent 30 minutes with this behemoth tarpon beside the boat, running water through the gills to revive the fish, wrestling with whether they should release the fish or bring it to the scales as a potential record.

The previous Texas state fishing record for tarpon measured 91-inches long with a 46-inch girth. Shane LaRue and his father measured the fish in the water at 90-inches long with a 47-inch girth. Ultimately, they decided to bring the fish to scales where it weighed in at 229-pounds, a new Texas state fishing record.

According to the Houston Chronicle, it only took the fishing team 30 minutes to land this tarpon record. It’s not uncommon for a large tarpon to spend 90+ minutes pulling line. You can read all about how they managed to catch this fish, and how they nearly lost it at the last moment, by following that link above to the Houston Chronicle.