By Marco Pompano, Surf Fishing Guide
I kept saying, “Keep the faith, brother!” to myself as the sargassum seaweed kept washing up. For weeks, only some fish showed up, but as always, the ocean changes, and one morning it was gone. I mean, clean machine. The ocean was greenish-blue, not too much wind, and the currents calm, and that nasty seaweed went where nasty seaweed goes: to the bottom and back out to sea. Ya, mon!
I always check out where I’m going to fish. I look for run outs and little pastel coquina shells on the beach. I found both, and set up for the pompano that I catch. You always have coquina shells in their stomach when you clean them, so this is where you wanna be, close. This is where they feed. A run out is a split in the sand with a current that pulls all the food back into the ocean, and that’s where we’re hoping the fish are hanging out, where they eat. I guess the fish were listening to my last rap on the run outs because as soon as I put my crab knuckles out, they started to Bamba. I mean, slabs to start with.
I have my friend Nicky out here with me this morning, fishing next to me. No one is faster than him on the run between poles, or more tenacious. He is on fire every time I look over, which I’m trying not to do anymore. He’s running from pole to pole, reeling in a pompano. Before too long, he has his limit, and I’m still over here waiting my turn. It is starting to happen as we speak. They are loving the crab, blue crab that is. Soon I start catching up to Nicky and get my limit also, mostly on the blue crab knuckles and a few on sand fleas. The poles were shaking so much I almost said, “Shiver me timbers!” Don’t worry, I didn’t.
I always talk about getting up early in the morning and getting my bait, because to me, to catch good quality fish, bait is the most important thing you have in your arsenal. I don’t really care what kind of equipment you have. If you don’t have good bait, you have nothing. It’s important to me to be up with the crack of dawn with the motivated people in the fishing industry: the bait people, the captains. It’s just a really up vibe. I’m glad to be part of it.
We’re going to make a giant fish dip tonight, so I got on the reggae cover versions and a special guest appearance by Taj Mahal, singing his I’m-a going fishing blues song where he says, “Many fish bite if you got good bait.”
And, you know it, me and these pompanos are heading to the smoker.
