# Good mess of "Florida" pomps



## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Found some Florida pomps that must have gotten lost. Best I've ever done on them.


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## domci08 (Apr 9, 2013)

That's about how many I caught this past 3 weeks. What bait did you o y'all use?


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Shrimp


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Ok so we eat fish in my house 2-4 times/week but it's never been pompano....just have never targeted them and have only ever caught the occasional random 1-2 while trout fishing which they got filleted and fried with the trout in those cases. Looking around looks like a lot of folks just gut and gill em and bake them whole but already filleted them all out before looking. So any suggestions on how to cook em? Just flour and fry? Bake? Grill? What y'all do with em y'all have way more pomp experience than me.


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## Scouticus (Jul 23, 2015)

Wow. Liberal limits in your territory. Thats a years worth and then some for most of us. Hard to believe you never eat em if your that good at catching them! I don't think you can go wrong any way you do it. I used to always fry them whole but now I like baking them best. score them, stuff with lemon and thyme or any fresh herb, salt, pepper, oil. Keep it simple. Theres nothing better that I have had the pleasure of catching myself yet.


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## Scouticus (Jul 23, 2015)

I see now you filleted them all. I think most eat them whole mainly due to the fact that the bones are large and few and very easy to pick around. Anything on the bone has more flavor. You wont be disappointed though, hope the family likes em!


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## Joraca (Dec 29, 2007)

They taste better if you rinse the sand off first.

Then gut. Rub all over with mayo. Bake at 375 for about 15 min per pound.

Don't stop until they flake easily with a fork in the thickest part.

Even better on the gas grill with some smokey chips wrapped in tin foil.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Scouticus said:


> Wow. Liberal limits in your territory. Thats a years worth and then some for most of us. Hard to believe you never eat em if your that good at catching them! I don't think you can go wrong any way you do it. I used to always fry them whole but now I like baking them best. score them, stuff with lemon and thyme or any fresh herb, salt, pepper, oil. Keep it simple. Theres nothing better that I have had the pleasure of catching myself yet.


No limit on them here. Kinda just stumbled into them have never targeted them before. Easing over a sandbar saw some jump next to the boat. Anchored up and caught em all right there. I'll prob try em a few different ways since got a good mess. Fry bake and skillet grilled will be first up.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Joraca said:


> They taste better if you rinse the sand off first.
> 
> Then gut. Rub all over with mayo. Bake at 375 for about 15 min per pound.
> 
> ...


yea if we find any more will keep them whole and try em like that. We eat a pile of flounder shellcrackers and bluegills so they family is used to picking fish.


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## softbutchharley (Jan 19, 2016)

*I gotta know....*

Since I am always culling after my dbl of 6 in florida.....WHERE is this place with no limit ? I wanna fish there !!!!! TY and great mess of pomps !!


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

softbutchharley said:


> Since I am always culling after my dbl of 6 in florida.....WHERE is this place with no limit ? I wanna fish there !!!!! TY and great mess of pomps !!


Somewhere over the rainbow....where pomps fly.


nah its in my info on the side. MS but this is certainly not normal. A really good day to most folks is 3 of them and you have to go out to the islands to find them.....rarely if ever see on on the beach here. Very few even fish for them just way to spotty to find very many consistently. I guess that is why there is not a limit.....the fishery for the is so small they it limits the catch for the most part. This is a huge exception to the norm. Been here my whole life and while it obviously happens on occasion this is the most I have ever seen or heard about anyone catching at one time.


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## softbutchharley (Jan 19, 2016)

What state is this ? Don't need a gps point, just the state...ty  I know alabama has a limit, trxas has a limit, florida has a limit....very curious what state has no limit on pompano is all . TY peeps for your help


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

softbutchharley said:


> What state is this ?


MS or Mississippi, Latimer is just North of Biloxi, so he probally fished the Biloxi / Gulf Port area, and yes those cities are in Mississippi also.


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## softbutchharley (Jan 19, 2016)

TY !!! Over the pomp rainbow  I like it !!  Shine my shoes....MS is a state that has quite a bounty, or not many at all  TY again for the info...stay salty
**************************************
You can catch & keep as many & any size lenght of the following fish in Mississippi waters.Black drum,White trout,Pompano,Channel Mullet,Pop Eye Mullet,Sheephead and Croaker.These are the common ones most people catch & keep.There a lot of other species that have no size or creel limit also,such as Ladyfish & Bluefish.Some people also like Gafftop catfish to eat, no limits on them either.The common Sea Catfish ( Hardhead ) isn,t very good to eat.
******************************


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Yes MS. But like I said don't come here thinking you will fill up a cooler easily. Most likely you will catch between 0 and 3. You have to run out the islands too which are well over 10 miles out once you get on the backsides and run down a ways till you see some jumping in the prop wash. Like I said I been fishing these waters for 36 years most years + or - 100 trips a year and this is the best I've ever seen or heard of. Def would not make a trip for it.


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## softbutchharley (Jan 19, 2016)

LOL !!! We have a ton of pomps here in Navarre and up/down gulf coast. I never go past Pensacola to fish, and that's a big trip for me lol !!! I was just curious (new again to forum) what state had no limit. Enjoy MS my friend, and shout out when down our way. Stay salty


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## Dunt (Aug 14, 2015)

Irresponsible. How much of that is going to waste in the freezer?


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Dunt said:


> Irresponsible. How much of that is going to waste in the freezer?


uhhh.....about zero. We eat lots of fish. none ever gets wasted. My house(5 of us in here) eats it 2-4 times a week. Those are half gone already. cooking the rest Saturday. any fish that do make it to the freezer(always make sure I have 2 chest freezers full) will get ate 100% during deer season at the camps. Not to mention what my parents and grandma take for them which gets ate up quick too. soooooo......do not assume what you do not know....but thanks for minding my business ha.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Did a few more of the pomps this evening.....little white wine, lemon juice, and old bay in the iron skillet on the grill for about 20 min at 350. Might not be the best way but I'm new to pomps and they were mighty fine.


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## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

jvalhenson said:


> uhhh.....about zero. We eat lots of fish. none ever gets wasted. My house(5 of us in here) eats it 2-4 times a week. Those are half gone already. cooking the rest Saturday. any fish that do make it to the freezer(always make sure I have 2 chest freezers full) will get ate 100% during deer season at the camps. Not to mention what my parents and grandma take for them which gets ate up quick too. soooooo......do not assume what you do not know....but thanks for minding my business ha.


Plus you add a foodsaver to the mix. Fish come out just like the day you put them in there well past a year. Found some tuna in my freezer. Slip behind some zipper peas. Date was 2010. Tasted like it was caught yesterday. 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Yeah we go on meat runs to fill the freezer. Mingos mostly. Have a cryo-vac system and put away as many as we can legally keep. And we are low so look out beeliners.


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## sbrettphill (Aug 21, 2016)

That catch limit had me wondering so I'm glad that's cleared up.
Larry the Cable Guy fish seasoning with a touch of Greek....corny as hell but hey!-it was great! My wife baked the whole Pomp with that, lemon and butter. I can't wait to try whiting that way.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

lettheairout said:


> Plus you add a foodsaver to the mix. Fish come out just like the day you put them in there well past a year. Found some tuna in my freezer. Slip behind some zipper peas. Date was 2010. Tasted like it was caught yesterday.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


You mean they didn't waste in the freezer? No way! Ha ol boy with the wasting in the freezer nonsense just got to much of the minding other folks business in him. At least it's entertaining though ha.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

hjorgan said:


> Yeah we go on meat runs to fill the freezer. Mingos mostly. Have a cryo-vac system and put away as many as we can legally keep. And we are low so look out beeliners.


Yea freezers gotta be packed before oct 1. Most that'll be trout and flounder though. None of these pomps will get to the freezer. Got just enough left now for one more good meal Saturday evening.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

sbrettphill said:


> That catch limit had me wondering so I'm glad that's cleared up.
> Larry the Cable Guy fish seasoning with a touch of Greek....corny as hell but hey!-it was great! My wife baked the whole Pomp with that, lemon and butter. I can't wait to try whiting that way.


Yea no limit here but it's not like FL where you just fishing off the beach. Not that it's easy in FL either I've never done it there so I have no clue there but here you gotta make a 10 mile minimum run first to the islands then just get lucky. Like I said if you get 3 that's pretty good usually. This was abnormal to say the least.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

Had just enough pomps left from this mess to do a little fry Sat night. Gotta say they were only OK fried. I mean they all got ate def were not bad just not as good as they were grilled. Next ones I get(if it ever happens) will be kept whole and done on the grill.


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## softbutchharley (Jan 19, 2016)

Sweet  We have done pomps just about evry way imaginable. Agree with you on grilled.....however....  lol..you knew something was coming right ? We have rediscovered an old childhood favorite method, from Mom . Lazy it is, but it achieves a fried finish without frying. We use our favorite flavor shake and bake. Bake at 350. clean fillets and of course remove the lil blood line...soaked overnight in a lightly salted water. Pat dry with paper towel. Toss in bag with a little ( your taste may vary) coating of shake n bake. Bake and done  I do like mine fired in HOT shortening very quickly, and very lightly coated with fry stuff. Bon a petite  stay salty !!


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