# Navarre Beach Pompano Help



## ClemsonTiger11

Went out this morning to try for pompano (or anything that bites) again, and still nothing doing. I am going try and explain where I am fishing, type of rig, and bait and was hoping someone could give me some suggestions. 

Location: The 3rd or 4th public parking lot to the West of the Navarre pier, probably about 1/2 to 1 mile from the pier. I tried to find a place between sand bars where the water is a darker (deeper?) color. I can throw out about 50 to 75 yards. This morning I fished from about 7:30 to 9:30am.

Type of rig- 2 hook and 3 hook store bought pompano rigs. They have small yellow floats and a small orange bead. They have gold hooks and are probably size 1. They look kind of large for whiting but I would think a pompano or large red fish should take it.

Type of bait- Fresh dead and some live shrimp. I have put some peeled and some not peeled. I have also pinched the fan off the tail and threaded the hook from the end of the tail through the body of a live shrimp and tried that.
Have not caught any sand fleas yet.

I guess that's why they call it fishing and not catching. Just want to make sure I am doing everything right as not to waste my time. Any pointers from you guys that have been doing this for a while would be great. Using this type of setup and bait will I only be targeting pompano, or will red fish, whiting, sheepshead, etc. bite? Are there areas of the beach such as east of the pier or farther down the beach to the west that might be better? Thanks for any help!


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## jasonh1903

I fish with the same setup around the area you've been fishing and I've had mixed results. I've been out 8 to 10 times (mostly in the afternoons) since about March 11th. I've caught 2 bulls reds, hoards of catfish, and something really big that took a lot of line and then broke loose. On days when the water was clear and the waves were mild, I didn't even get a bite. On days where the surf was churning up the water a bit, I caught fish. Don't know if this is always the case but it seems to be the case here lately. 

As far as a bait goes, fresh dead shrimp caught me one of the reds and a frozen sandflea caught the other. I peeled the shrimp and threaded the whole body on the hook. This releases more scent I suppose. As for sand fleas, you can find them in the surf right where the water makes a little "dip" where the waves are breaking on the beach. You just have to dig deep and keep working the beach till you find them. 

This is my experience as of late.... if any one else has some good pointers, I'd love to hear them too.


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## Charlie2

*Pompano Help*

You seem to be doing OK with the rigs and bait, but probably in the wrong place. Fishing dark water between the bars is OK, but only if fished close to a runout.

The surf can be too quiet for fishing at times. You have to have an incoming tide where the waves are washing bait(sandfleas) out of the sand. JMHO C2


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## Stan Lockhart

Charlies Right ! A couple of hours in incoming and outgoing tide will get the best results!!!


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## bigcat1967

> Type of bait- Fresh dead and some live shrimp.


Thanks for that - I was wondering what type of bait you were using...


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## Charlie2

*Fish are About*

What can I say? Those days happen. Keep after them because you are doing the right things. They will come.

I feel for you but sometimes you have to pay your dues.

I went out the other morning testing a new rod and once you got past the grass, you can cxatch fish. I caught 6 Pompano plus one ratty rat red before quitting.

Right now; the fish are migrating so they're about everywhere. Once the season advances, they will be in the holes where you have to know where to look.

Stan; come by. I have some new jigs to show you, as well as TJs new Black Mamba which promises to be a winner. C2


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## chinook

You got some good advice from the previous posters. I like to travel light and run and gun. I prefer conventional reels for surf fishing. I get more distance w/them and they are more comfortable to me when casting. Also, try sight fishing for pomps w/just a small spinning rod and chucking 1/4 to 3/8 oz pomp jigs. This way, you can walk the beach and mentally catalog where some of the best holes, cuts, flats, etc., are. I would rather sight fish and catch 1 pomp on a small spinning outfit than catch my limit w/my surf stuff.


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## msujmccorm

Are you using enough weight to keep the bait still? Is anything taking the shrimp or do you always have shrimp still on the hook when you reel it in?


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## chinook

With my surf rods, I always us 4 oz w/a 40lb test mono shock leader. I'm cheap, so I rake up sand fleas. Fleas stay on better than shrimp. Also, my droppers are pretty short, which mimimizes the helicopter effect of the droppers during a cast. Bottom line, use whatever is comfortable for you. Some guys prefer going light If you don't mind moving around, you will catch pomps. On occasion, pomps seem to defy traditional logic w/respect to tidal flow and location.


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## Charlie2

*Pompano*

Good advise. 

You have to also consider all conditions when surf fishing. lately, we had some neap tides which can raise havoc with fishing. You gotta have some tide movement. On a neap you have a very short tide change with little water movement. You gotta be there or you're out of luck(skill)

I 'run and gun' with a 12 foot UL spinning rod with tiny jigs that I can fish the holes with. Everything else is conventional.

I make my own jigs and believe that you can 'scout' better with a jig because you can cover more water. When you find the fish, break out the artillery and then 'sit and soak' with bait.

There are a lot of fish moving right now. Go get after them! C2


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## jcallaham

*black mamba*

hey charlie,
sure would like to see and cast that new rod, are you going to be around this afternoon? I can drive us over to the park I found and get some distances with it , I am particuly interested in what it can do with a 3/4oz mirrolure
thanks jim 3416290


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## jcallaham

*pompano*

sorry I meant to send that to charlie as a PM
I to have had problems with catching fish recently,you have to realize it's easy to be in the right place at the wrong time or visa versa.
Last fall I fished an area of beach that looked so promising I just couldn't belive I was getting skunked,and after 3 hours I guess a school of pompano came by to save the day all three rods went off at once and there you go three large pomps in the cooler and nothing else for the rest of the day.

I think I broke out of my slump last sunday with a short leader carolina rig 
fished real close to the water line, two pomps and two nice whiting. Once again all in avery short time frame, and with left over frozen shell on shrimp. The sand fleas didn't get touched 

I belive there are some big rays out there that are getting tangled in our lines you pul real hard for a few moments and they come undone It's happened to me and I got my rig back unbroken three times don't what else it could be


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