# Whole week Skunked on Navarre



## Panthers65 (Apr 6, 2018)

Seeking the advice of some of the more seasoned surf anglers here. Just finishing up my first week vacation at Navarre, near west side of Navarre about 10 houses down from the last house. Spent all week fishing and had 1 stinkray to show for it. Coming back again in about 6 weeks and want to have more luck next time.

Fished pomp rigs all week, started off with live shrimp with the head/tail pinched off sandwiched between shrimp flavored fishbites, that's what I caught the ray on. For the rest of the week it was a variety of different flavors/colors of fishbites (shrimp, shrimp/chips, squid, ect...) and frozen sandfleas from wal-mart with no luck. 

Had two poles going, one with 20lb and the other with 10lb. I had 4oz pyramid sinker on the larger pole, and a 2oz on the smaller one. Both poles had 5/0 circle hooks on them. Folks around me seemed to be striking out too

So how about it, fishing the wrong area? Wrong bait? Wrong time? Just not a good fisherman?


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

Now, I assure you, I’m not saying this to be an ahole, but you fished the same exact spot for a week with those results?!

MOVE! Especially with just two poles. 

Walmart Pomp rigs with the big yellow marshmallows on them? Remove them. Try just hooks. Like 1/0 or 2/0 circles. A 5/0 is a bit much for Pomps imo. 

Obviously fresh fleas are better, but frozen will do. Fish bites are great but just use them by themselves. Not sandwhiched like you said. Go to navarre seafood market or publix and buy some fresh market shrimp. Peel it, break in half and put on the hook.

You’re close, just don’t stay in the same crap spot for a week lol.


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## Destinartist (Apr 24, 2013)

no just you, no one is having a usual year so far. smaller hooks are used by most when pomp fishing 1 or 2 size


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## SurfFishingMeister (Aug 18, 2015)

It’s been absolutely tough at Navarre beach! I had one good day, and a lot of O’fers. I do believe the beach replenishment has a lot to do with it being slow and the weather patterns have been bipolar which makes the water temps inconsistent. The pompa stay out of the water up close is too cold. You should be ok when you come back. Message me on here and I can give you a few tips. Don’t feel so bad!


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Single or double drop pomp rigs, tie them yourself with 10-12# fluorocarbon 
Hook size 1-2
Bait, #1 Ghost shrimp, #2 Sand Fleas, #3 shrimp, #4 FishBites.
Ghost shrimp are fish candy, but a PITA to get.
Sand fleas, get a rake.
Shrimp, live/fresh dead and peel them.
FishBites by themselves.

Staying in a lousy spot is... Fail.
Learn to read the beach, look for deep troughs, cuts in the bar and places where the bar comes in close enough to cast to either side.
Fish the tidal changes when water is moving, and sunrise/sunset.
Incoming tide fish the inside of the bar and trough, outgoing fish the cuts and outside of the bar.


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## RSD (Jun 23, 2013)

It has been a terrible year. I have 5 this year and nothing ate my fleas today. Last year probably 30-40 by this time


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## SurfFishingMeister (Aug 18, 2015)

SurfFishingMeister said:


> It’s been absolutely tough at Navarre beach! I had one good day, and a lot of O’fers. I do believe the beach replenishment has a lot to do with it being slow and the weather patterns have been bipolar which makes the water temps inconsistent. The pompa stay out of the water up close is too cold. You should be ok when you come back.Message me on here and I can give
> you a few tips. Don’t feel so bad![/QUO
> 
> 
> ...


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

I fished Navarre all day Friday and didn’t get a bite. Found just enough sand fleas to fish with. I was too lazy to move cuz I was fishing right across the street from our house.


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

welldoya said:


> I fished Navarre all day Friday and didn’t get a bite. Found just enough sand fleas to fish with. I was too lazy to move cuz I was fishing right across the street from our house.


I've been finding them really easy so far. BUT, they've been deep.


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## SurfFishingMeister (Aug 18, 2015)

Simonj31 said:


> welldoya said:
> 
> 
> > I fished Navarre all day Friday and didn’t get a bite. Found just enough sand fleas to fish with. I was too lazy to move cuz I was fishing right across the street from our house.
> ...



Come On man! You can’t make a comment like that on this forum without the pictures to prove it! Really???? Easy to find???


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## Panthers65 (Apr 6, 2018)

Thanks for the tips everyone.

As far as movement, I was staying close, but I was working the beach probably 3-400 yards in either direction. I thought I understood reading the beach, IE looking for any abnormalities and casting to the darker blue/deeper spots. I didn’t see much in the way of Jetties running away from the beach, waves were crashing pretty uniform, but maybe I just didn’t walk far enough. 

Rigs were store bought from Half Hitch, had the little orange beads on them. Remove those?

The last 2 days I nixed the shrimp and only fished the FBs, didn’t change. Maybe more movement is key. 

I didn’t think about fishing a particular side on the bar on the tide, just didn’t fish at dead high-tide or low tide. Looking back high-tied was in the AM all week and in most places I could only reach the near side of the bar, so apparently I was fishing the wrong side of the bar with the tide. Hopefully next time will be better, I’m not waking up at 3am to go fish…

The pole I’m using is only 7’, bought it originally as a pier pole. I’m a big boy, but couldn’t get a 3-4oz sinker past the bar most days. I’ll be looking for something longer before next trip.


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

SurfFishingMeister said:


> Come On man! You can’t make a comment like that on this forum without the pictures to prove it! Really???? Easy to find???


Well, I dont usually take pics of my bait. I'll give you a hint. National Seashore, first pullover. Somewhere in the sand :thumbup: lol


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## SurfFishingMeister (Aug 18, 2015)

Simonj31 said:


> SurfFishingMeister said:
> 
> 
> > Come On man! You can’t make a comment like that on this forum without the pictures to prove it! Really???? Easy to find???
> ...


Ok that makes sense....I thought you said that the Pompano have been easy to find and not Sand fleas, I misunderstood. It would be funny if people started taking pictures of bait.


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

Panthers65 said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone.
> 
> As far as movement, I was staying close, but I was working the beach probably 3-400 yards in either direction. I thought I understood reading the beach, IE looking for any abnormalities and casting to the darker blue/deeper spots. I didn’t see much in the way of Jetties running away from the beach, waves were crashing pretty uniform, but maybe I just didn’t walk far enough.
> 
> ...


To clarify, in regard to the rigs. I meant to say if you arent catching anything, try just the hook. Are they the pre-made rigs that have bulky metal and swivels everywhere? If so, trash them. Making a dropper rig out of mono is very easy. Many youtube videos on it. Youre getting great advice from everyone here. Im sure you'll d better next time....good luck!


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## Simonj31 (Mar 6, 2014)

SurfFishingMeister said:


> Ok that makes sense....I thought you said that the Pompano have been easy to find and not Sand fleas, I misunderstood. It would be funny if people started taking pictures of bait.


LOL, yes, was talking about fleas. I was like, I mean Ive found them better before. Usually in the summer, but they've been fairly easy to acquire. As for the pomps. Not so much. But other stuff has been hitting. Blues are always fun to catch.


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