# Pompano Fishin



## bassie02 (Aug 7, 2014)

I have been saltwater fishing for a while but have never caught a pompano. What are the basics like baits, gear, tide phases, and just some general tips. Anything would be greatly appreciated. I have a 12' cabelas surf rod with a fairly good sized reel (I am a frequent bull red fisherman). Thx JD:thumbup:


----------



## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Hit the search box at the top and type in Pompano Tips or something like that. There have been many, many threads on this subject.


----------



## ALtoAK (Feb 9, 2015)

Definitely spend some time searching for info on the forum. As welldoya said, there are tons of useful threads on here.

Keep in mind that this time of year you'll be fighting through a lot of fish other than the pomps you are targeting, plus there's June grass to deal with...but for starters: use any rod/reel that can get your bait out beyond the inner sandbar (where the water turns to darker green, 8-10' is good), hook sand fleas or shrimp on a double or triple pompano rig (purchased pre-tied at any tackle shop) with the appropriate pyramid weight (3-6 oz should work most days) and walk out so you can cast to that dark green margin.

Then walk back to the beach, use a sand spike to hold your rod, set the drag, crack open a cold beer of your choice and wait.

I'm not sure how much the tides matter, I'm sure someone with more experience can chime in here. I've caught pomps throughout the day on both incoming and outgoing tides. Just get out there and fish when you can.

Good luck.


----------



## Bebee (May 27, 2013)

As for leaders use a double hook bottom rig. Use a 3 oz weight and then two suspending hooks above. Dont use the walmart leaders that are flashy with all the beads, crimps, etc. You can either make your own with 30 or so pound mono or sometimes you can buy simple handmade leaders like this at a bait and tackle shop. For bait the best choice is live or fresh dead sand fleas. Second choice would be fresh dead shrimp. Frozen shrimp will do but does not work well and is a magnet for catfish. It is said that around high tide is best but i fish on vacations and on a tight schedule. I haven't noticed a difference between tides and i try to just fish when i can. The preferrable surf fishing conditions is calm surf with little curent. This time of year the june grass which is seaweed that washes up on the beach starts to show up. If there is alot of it it is unfishable because it get all raped up in your leader and line. It is best to fish in the gut inbetween the beach and the sandbar. A prime place to fish would be a gap inbetween sandbars which is called a washout. Also pompano mainly bite in late april early may so there numbers are starting to decline. Hope this helps you and if you have any questions ask.


----------



## Jeff5689 (Aug 13, 2014)

I caught my first few pompano ever this year. But what the two above me mentioned is pretty much what I followed and I was successful. Have you ever tried to catch sandfleas at the beach? Its fairly easy once you get the hang of it. 

Two things that I have noticed when fishing for pompano is that location is the most important if you want to catch them consistently and the pre-made pompano rigs seem to have too much "jewelry" on them. I have sat feet apart from a buddy who had the pre-made rigs and I tied my own with a single piece of leader material and I caught three and he didn't catch any.

Best thing to do is get out there and try different baits/set-ups to see what works. I'd also spend a good amount of time looking at locations.


----------

