By Marco Pompano, Surf Fishing Guide
It’s winter time, fishing is at its best, and I have a secret weapon sent to me from Massachusetts: giant Quahog clams. Great for clam chowder and baked clams, but I keep a few of them for bait. Sent to me by my good friend Monty Rome, who’s in the fishing industry in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It’s called Inter-Shell. Ya, Mon!
It’s time to bamba, so I’m out here on the beach. It’s a classic, clear, bright winter morning. The sun is just coming up, a little chilly, but after an hour or so the sun will burn that off. I have on board four surf fishing poles, each one with different bait. On each pole I have different bait: live shrimp, live crab knuckles, live sand fleas, and I just cut open the quahog clams and they were alive, so let’s see what happens. This is my best bait of the year. The pompano have been running, not in great numbers, but if you put in a few hours, you might get to keep a few of them.
I have on a few sweatshirts and a windbreaker to keep the cold out, but I can handle it. It is fresh out here. I cast out, and I start my wait. It doesn’t take long. The reel with the clam on hits first. It is almost pulling out of its sand spike before it launches into the ocean. I just managed to grab it. Ya, Mon! The fish starts to bamba to the north. I’m being spooled, so trying not to break my line but keep the tension on it, I run down the beach following the big fish, reeling as I go. I start to make some progress, then I lose some ground, but it’s getting closer, and here it is: a beautiful red just inside the slot (which is 18 to 27 inches). This red fish loved that clam and swallowed it.
Just then, my other rod starts to bamba. I’m on again! This one bit differently, small bites and then power. It seems like it’s already flopped on its side and I’m reeling it in: a beautiful big sheepshead, which happens to be my wife Sophie’s favorite fillet. Sheepshead are pretty rare on the beach. However, today is a quality fish day, and I got what we call a convict fish (because of the black-and-white stripes). The sheepshead was caught on crab knuckles and a red fish was caught on a sand flea.
The water temperature is starting to drop which means the pompano are heading south. There aren’t as many as there were a few weeks ago, but still a nice fat slab slow traveler now and then. It’s been a great season for catching redfish, black drum, sheepsheads and whiting. The fillet table is all set and cleaned up back at the beach house. Ula, my giant Irish wolfhound, is hanging out waiting for a few scraps. The island sounds of Gregory Isaacs singing about his night nurse plays. The clam chowder is cooking and me and these fillets are heading to the smoker.
