# 12 today, 7 yesterday...



## Rick Shaw (Dec 23, 2007)

got out on Wed about 10am and it was S L O W... then some Redfish in early afternoon... one almost 38".. probably 6 total..

the Pompano came in about 2:30-3:30... 3 right at 15".. one of which was beefy and stuffed with eggs..



this morning got out about the same time expecting barely fishable conditions but surprised to find fish on the first cast.. they came fast and furious for the next 7 fish.. then a lull and another pickup about 12:30 to reach a dozen.. there were several at 15" but none larger tho I didn't measure.. I have come to realize a pair of Pompano fillets at 15" or less will fit in a Qt Ziploc bag.. a bigger fish won't... 



some of these fish were thick and I presume early migration..



plenty of fleas both days.. bait was never an issue..



the fish were very close on Wed and just a little deeper today....



guess you have heard I enjoy fishing windy conditions as I know the fish will be there..



oh, the trough I fished had a bar on the E that almost came to the shore... and the fish seemed to like the quieter waters therein.. the fleas were also caught there but in checking the fish they were feeding on Coquina.. seems strange with all the fleas I was catching..



4oz weights were necessary today.. and worked better Wed as well



tight lines,

Chris


----------



## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

Great report. I haven't been out in a while. Hopefully the action will still be there Saturday.


----------



## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

Thanks for the report! I just picked me up a shiny new surf rod today at the sale and I'm itching to try it out.


----------



## amberjack (Jan 11, 2009)

What does a 15 inch pompano look like if you have pictures?


----------



## Rick Shaw (Dec 23, 2007)

after looking at your Grouper pic.. you would be disappointed with a 15" Pompano... tho many Pompano vary in girth.. they look surprisingly similar as they grow in length.. only when you place a 15" next to a 12" does it seem worthwhile..



as this season takes hold I will start to cull fish under 14" as you might with a good day on the boat.. during off-peak trips I cull any under 12.5"... of course the law says 11" minimum.. but that can be a very small fish.



I rarely take pictures.. moving down the beach in damp conditions.. tho if I do get unusual fish I will manage a shot for bragging..



nice Grouper...



Chris


----------



## fishmasterseven (Oct 6, 2007)

what is Coquina?.....sorry for my ignorance...


----------



## Rick Shaw (Dec 23, 2007)

Coquina are the small bivalves that bury in the surf.. triangular and multi-color... I wonder how the Pompano find them.. guess they wash in the swash area...


----------



## Tkiller (Jan 15, 2009)

Nice catch.:clap


----------



## FishingAddict (Jan 20, 2008)

Nice catch! Can't wait to get out there.


----------



## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Nice report. Good details also Thanks for the post.


----------



## Atwood (Feb 12, 2008)

Nice report. Thanks


----------



## getbent (Oct 2, 2007)

now thats what i call a report thanks!


----------



## SuperSpook (Oct 1, 2007)

Good Day!!


----------



## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

I have watched schools of Pompano literally 'rooting' like hogs to find food underneath the sand. They will mill about but when anything moves the sand they will investigate it. See: the magic puff of sand.



I don't believe these are 'scouts' for the main migration just yet, but locals that have moved in off the offshore structure.



Feast or famine this time of year. One day you can catch a bunch and the next day; they'll make you talk to yourself.



BTW' good fishing report. I expect to see a bunch more the next week. warm weather forecast all week. Take your sunscreen. 



Keep a cobia setup handy. They'll often swim right itn the trough.C2


----------



## chinook (Mar 26, 2008)

Excellent report ... talked to a dude on Navarre Beach who fishes pomps commercially and he has been nailing pomps from Penscaola Beach to Navarre Beach within the past 2 weeks. Thursday, I saw some pomps breaking water. They must have been chasing glass minnows or something. The false albacore were close to the beach also.


----------



## Rick Shaw (Dec 23, 2007)

I would not describe my Pompano trips this yr as 'Feast or Famine'..... matter of fact I have found fish much more than not when the conditions were favorable... the trips on Wed and Thurs were so predictable that I invited a friend based on the solunar and wave forecasts alone...



unique part of the catch was the extra-beefy girth of a few fish and more specifically the maturity of the row these sows were carrying...



Charlie2's theory is interesting... but I am not sure why a few offshore reef Pompano would choose 25th and 26th of Feb to report to the beaches... Food was no more plentiful than earlier.. water temps certainly are not up... 



I looked the biggest in the eye and asked for ID... they never produced a thing... save the row and the Coquina..



my suspicions are the catches will be better this coming Sunday, Monday and maybe Tues (8th, 0th and 10th) unless the waves get out of hand..



Charlie do you think it will be earlier...


----------



## Rick Shaw (Dec 23, 2007)

sp ROE... sorry


----------



## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

Good job, I may brave the cold weather today and see what is happening around Crystal Beach here in Destin today


----------

