A Tarpon Challenge with a Blue Dress On

My son, Austin Fogo of Englewood, had an easy question to ask his fiancée Mikaylah Chaffins:

“Do you want to go fishing right after work?”

Austin had one catch—his preferred tide offered a narrow window in order to target a chance at some world class tarpon fishing. Still, her choice was a no brainer. Mikaylah decided in a second.

“Heck ya! Pick me up,” she told Austin.

Only one problem. Mikaylah didn’t have any fishing clothes with her.

No worries. Mikaylah simply kicked off her shoes and fished wearing her work dress. She just left her real estate office and boarded the boat.

They left out of Eldred’s Marina in Placida. Austin quickly picked up a few pass crabs as bait. The hill tide approached, 
and full moon was on its way. It made it easy to find the crabs as they drifted. As night fell, Austin knew conditions were setting up to be ideal.

Austin said that Mikaylah ended up hooking up on her first drift through the pass with a tarpon airborne! And, she finished the night with two out of four tarpon boatside.

She was armed with a Shimano Talica reel on a 6’6” custom rod. Austin tied on 100-pound braid and 80-pound leader connected to a 4-ounce lead with a 5/0 circle hook—a standard tarpon fishing rig in Boca Grande.

Not a bad night for a girl working tarpon in the legendary Pass.

A bit overdressed maybe, but I’d say Mikaylah is a good sport.

---

Send Us Your Story

If you have had an interesting, exciting or funny experience in the outdoors, tell us about it and send us a picture: It might qualify as “An Outdoor Happening.” If your story is chosen, you’ll receive a Florida Sportsman gift pack worth over $100. Email your story and one or two photos to editor@floridasportsman.com. Or send your story by mail to Outdoor Happening, Florida Sportsman, 3725 SE Ocean Blvd, Suite 202, Stuart, FL 34996.

---

• This story was featured in the October 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe.

---