By Paul MacInnis
I know they are a sexy looking fish with a scrappy fight and tasty white fillets, but I still hate them. I’ve been fishing a long time and know catching fish is all about how, when and where. I believe if I put in the time and effort I can dial in most species to the point I can catch them on a consistent basis. I’ve put in the time and effort on pompano and I don’t have them dialed in. Pompano are a quirky fish. I think I have a decent handle on the how part. It’s the where and when parts that has me frustrated and befuddled.
Along our stretch of coast, Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) can be caught in the Indian River Lagoon, at Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet and of course in the surf all along east central Florida beaches. Pompano feed on mollusks and crustaceans. Probably the top bait is sand fleas, but they are also known to strike pieces of clam and shrimp. Pompano are also taken on jigs with the most popular being hair jigs with their skirt trimmed just past the hook bend and banana shaped jigs from companies like Doc’s Goofy Jigs. Some lucky folks even catch pompano on flies. I’ve never caught a pompano on fly rod, but that is on my bucket list.
Pompano are notorious for turning on and off for reasons I’ve never figured out. They can be closed mouth for hours, and then suddenly erupt in a feeding frenzy that would make jack crevalle proud, and then turn off as quick as they started. One guy (often me) can be fishing the right spot for hours with nary a nibble. Another guy (seldom me) comes to the same spot and limits out in twenty minutes.
And speaking of the right spot, pompano often school tightly so the right spot can be small indeed. Guys in the sweet spot can haul in pompano as quick as they can get their bait in the water while fishermen fifty feet away can’t scrounge up a single bite. For this reason pompano fishing often means crowds. Pompano experts have an innate sixth sense that allows them to recognize a freshly caught pompano flopping in the cooler from miles away. If you happen to luck into a good pompano bite, expect to be joined by a dozen new “friends” before your second pompano hits the ice.
I understand the fervor over pompano. They are a beautiful, sporty fish and many folks consider their fillets to be the finest tasting morsel you can harvest from the sea. If you want to chase pompano make sure you know the limits. Florida pompano must be a minimum length of eleven inches measured to the fork of the tail and the limit is six per person per day. To keep up with the latest rules and regulations on pompano visit http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/ recreational/permit/
