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Pompano Run Getting Started
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Fall time in North East Florida, the water temperatures have dropped with a handful Nor Easters and the Pompano have started their migration from the North to the South in order to find warmer water. We’ve already seen some nice fish and quantities. If you’ve never caught or eaten pompano, well you’re in for a nice treat. Pompano fight great and taste even better, yielding a firm, white, delicious meat.
So… the 101 on pompano to put some good dinner on the plate. Let’s start with gear. Many Pompano hunters are gunning with 12’+ rods to get past that second breaker to get into the trough to target the schooling fish on their way south. To get the distance, fishing with a conventional casting reel will give you 100yrds plus. Reels like Abu Garcia’s Pro Rocket and Penn’s Fathom 15CS will allow you to fine tune your cast with an adjustable 6 pin centrifugal brake and dual anti-reverse system to prevent backlash.
To get the best out of your cast, I like using no more than 15lb mono. The mono provides a little stretch to prevent break offs if you happen to backlash. With that said, mono is much easier getting a tangle out when that backlash occurs. It happens to the best of us. On that mainline, I hook up a 30lb test Fluorocarbon pompano rig, with 2/0 circle hooks. Floats or no floats? Every day is a little different. Try a variety out there and whatever starts hitting the most, switch the others over to up your odds of catching your limit. Pompano love fresh dead shrimp, sand fleas, clams and blue crab knuckles. Again switch it up and test the waters to see what’s hitting. Don’t forget the Fishbites, always another great addition to the rig adding color and another scent. I always have a pack of sand flea Fishbites in my surf bag.
Where to fish
Like many fish, pompano feed in the troughs and cruise in the deeper water as they head south. In the lower part of the incoming tide, I like to get out past the second sandbar. As that tide pushes in, I like to target the pomps that come in to feed on the sand fleas, clams and anything else found in the whitewash. Reading the beach is very important to understand where to fish. Please see attached picture to get a general understanding of different terms used while surf fishing. There are also a lot of great videos out there with drone footage to show what you’re looking for when fishing a new area or even after a heavy storm which has caused a change in the sandy bottom. Pompano are caught up and down the island, but we see a ton of success on American Beach, beach side Amelia Island State Park, and up in Fort Clinch on the beach side, parallel to the large rock jetty. Looking for more details, always feel free to drop by Amelia Island Bait and Tackle or Old Town to talk shop. Tight Lines Amigos!
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