There’s a moment that happens on almost every BVI charter where the sun goes down, the boat lights come on, and the water around the yacht starts to shimmer. Silversides — tiny baitfish by the thousands — gather at the surface in the light. And then, if you know what you’re looking for, you’ll see the dark shapes moving underneath them. That’s your cue.
Tarpon fishing from a crewed charter yacht is one of the most exhilarating experiences the BVI offers — and one of the least expected. No day boat required, no early morning departure, no guide. Just your yacht, the night, and one of the great sport fish of the Atlantic.
The Silver King — What You're Dealing With
The Atlantic tarpon is a prehistoric fish. It hasn’t changed much in 100 million years, and when you’re connected to one you’ll understand why it didn’t need to. A mature BVI tarpon runs 40 to 100 pounds, moves like a torpedo, and when hooked will clear the water in a series of acrobatic leaps that will test every instinct you have as an angler.
They’re a catch-and-release fish — not because the rules say so, but because they’re too magnificent to keep. Barry Cooper, our marine expert with over 30 years fishing these waters, has landed tarpon after three-hour fights and released every one of them. “You don’t eat a tarpon,” he’ll tell you. “You earn one.”
Where to Find Tarpon in the BVI
The good news is that tarpon are found throughout the BVI, and your charter yacht is the perfect platform. The key is light — tarpon follow the silversides, and silversides follow the light. Switch on your deck and cabin lights at dusk and let the bait come to you.
Reliable tarpon locations:
- West End, Tortola — consistently productive, easy access
- Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke — tarpon feed on sprats here rather than silversides, worth noting for bait collection
- Sandy Spit — calm anchorage, excellent night fishing
- Marina Cay — reliable year-round
- North Sound, Virgin Gorda — particularly good in settled weather
- Little Harbour, Peter Island — one of Barry’s favourite spots; he fought a fish here for three hours in 2019 that he still talks about
- Great Harbour, Peter Island — another productive anchorage
Gear and Setup
You don’t need heavy tackle for tarpon. In fact, lighter gear makes the fight more rewarding. Here’s the setup Barry recommends:
Line: 15-pound monofilament, doubled for the last few feet with a Bimini twist or spider hitch.
Hook: Small — a #6 or #8 red hook with a thick steel wire. The red colour matters; it’s less visible to the fish and more attractive in the light.
Bait: Silversides, collected from around your own boat lights using a pasta strainer or small fine-mesh net. Use a fast scooping motion toward the tail of the bait school. Hook the silverside through both eye sockets — this keeps it swimming naturally and looking alive in the water.
Weight: In calm conditions, none needed. In any wind, a small split shot 5 feet above the hook keeps the line stable and the bait at depth.
The Technique — Where Most People Go Wrong
Tarpon will circle in the lights for what feels like forever without striking. They’re not being coy — they’re feeding selectively, and your bait needs to be in the right position.
The key insight: fish your bait 10 feet deeper than the depth the tarpon are cruising. You want them to look down at it, not up — that angle keeps the hook hidden from below. Barry discovered this after years of watching tarpon ignore baits that were presented at the same depth they were swimming.
When the take comes it’s sudden — a surge, a tightening of the line, and then everything happens at once. Don’t strike hard. A sharp strike will pull the hook from a tarpon’s bony mouth. Instead, maintain steady pressure and let the fish hook itself.
The moment it breaks the surface — and it will — your rod tip goes up and you crank line furiously. Any slack during a leap throws the hook. This is the moment most fish are lost.
Fighting a tarpon: Keep patient. A tarpon that hasn’t run for 10-15 minutes isn’t tired. Work it away from the anchor line and any obstructions. Don’t rush the landing — a fish brought to the boat too quickly still has the energy to thrash and injure itself or throw the hook at the last moment.
Landing and Release
Tarpon have tiny, rough teeth — not dangerous, but uncomfortable without a glove. To land the fish, slip four fingers into the lower jaw and support the body with your other hand at the gill opening. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Remove the hook quickly, take your photo, and release. Hold the fish upright in the water and move it gently forward and back until it kicks away on its own. A well-fought tarpon needs a moment to recover — give it that.
These are magnificent, ancient fish. Handle them accordingly and they’ll be here for the next angler.
Plan Your Tarpon Night
Tarpon fishing fits naturally into any BVI charter week — it happens after dinner, after dark, while anchored in a bay you’d be staying in anyway. It doesn’t require rearranging your itinerary or waking up at dawn. It just requires knowing it’s possible and being ready when the silversides arrive.
Tell us at booking if tarpon fishing is on your list. We’ll make sure your itinerary includes the right anchorages on the right nights, and that your yacht is set up with the gear you need.
Contact Epic Yacht Charters to start planning — or read our complete BVI Fishing Guide for everything else the islands have to offer on the water.
