The Florida pompano is one of the more migratory species we have to fish in our coastal waters. Their movements are triggered by the changing water temperatures – usually around 60° F will push them in a certain direction – where they travel south for the winter, and back north for the winter. These four articles discuss the important challenges – and solutions – to catching fish in the spring, summer, winter and fall.
Catching Pompano in the Fall
The fall season is what every pompano angler in Florida waits for – that first fishing report that shows signs of the great pompano migration south. The fish will be travelling south from their summertime residence up north, driven down by the low water temperatures.
Where the Fish are in the Fall Months
Since the Florida pompano’s southern migration is purely temperature-driven, it may happen as early as October with a strong cold front, or may not even happen at all until December if the winter gets a late start. When they do arrive, the first place they will show up will of course be the beaches – their coastal highway. As they settle in, the fish will start entering the estuaries and lagoons, but this may not happen in good numbers for a few weeks after they’ve arrived. The fish are usually only available for north Florida anglers during this time, as the fish may not move down through the rest of the state until winter.
Catching Pompano in the Surf
Besides being the dreaded hurricane season, the fall season brings lots of windy fronts through the southeast. This makes fishing the beaches difficult, especially when the winds create six-to-eight foot waves. Whenever those bigger waves are in, the fish may either be very close to shore, or very far offshore past the breakers. For this reason, you will either need your biggest surf rod during those times, or fish on the pier if you have one available close by.
Catching Pompano Inshore
Just as too little wave action doesn’t kick up enough crabs for the pompano to eat, too much wave action makes the water unbearable, with its turbid water and strong rip currents. For this reason, pompano can often be found inshore on those very windy days when the fronts come through. The fish will be especially abundant with the moving tides, so fishing a causeway or bridge over a dep channel is always productive when the fish are inshore.
An Overview of Catching Pompano in the Fall.
Fall can be windy, and sometimes too windy. On the days that the beach doesn’t look suitable for fishing, it probably isn’t suitable for the fish either. Target them a bit farther out on the ocean-side piers, just outside the breakers, or look for them inshore on the moving tides.
Catching Pompano in the Winter
Winter is the true pompano season for many Floridians, especially when a mild winter doesn’t drive the fish down until late November or December. Although the fish may be abundant for some north Florida anglers in the fall, the winter is the best time to target them from central Florida on down. The fish are not lethargic in the winter, as some of our more local species may be, because the winter water temperatures are what they are here for.
Catching Pompano in the Surf
Some winter days can be really windy, and others can be very still-winded and just plain cold. Fish the surf in those perfect two-to-three foot waves, fishing the troughs between the sandbars. All of the standard tactics apply – pompano jigs tipped with shrimp or sand fleas, or shrimp on a multiple-hook pompano rig.
When inshore during the winter, Florida pompano will still generally be in the deeper parts of the estuaries and lagoons. Look for them in the channels on the moving tides, or in the sea-grass flats on high tide searching for crabs. As in the other seasons as well, artificial lures work great inshore, but also fishing a stationary bait off the piers, bridges and causeways during this time can also produce lots of action when the fish move through.
An Overview of Catching Pompano in the Wintertime.
As the main pompano season, winter is the perfect time to target this top-notch species. Fish the beaches in those two-to-three foot wave conditions, and try inshore if the wind makes the surf seem impossible to fish.
Catching Pompano in the Springtime
Spring is essentially the last leg of the pompano run in Florida as the fish are heading back north for the summer. The benefit of this however, is that fish will be the biggest during this part of the year, since they are about six months older than when they first came down to Florida. There is also an obvious geographic side to this, where south Florida anglers are usually void of pompano during the spring months that they may still be around in north Florida.
Where the Fish are in the Springtime
As long as they’re around, Florida pompano will be in their typical habitats – the surf zone, deep inshore channels, and sea-grass flats. The fish will be less and less common for south Florida anglers during the season, but are usually still around in decent numbers in the northern parts of the state.
Catching Pompano in the Surf
Surf-fishing is probably the most common technique for targeting Florida pompano. The best times to target them on the beaches is when there is moderate wave action, somewhere around 2-to-3 foot waves; this wave energy flushes out the small mole crabs, also known as “sand fleas.” Use sand fleas, shrimp, or squid for bait in the surf, and target as many troughs between the sandbars as you can – you never know if the fish will be deeper or just a few feet off the sand. Pompano jigs tipped with shrimp are also very effective in the surf.
Catching Pompano on the Ocean-Side Piers
The same tactics as surf-fishing basically apply for the oceanside piers, since the fish are in the same surf zone, you will just be fishing from a higher ground. Using a medium-spinning outfit, pompano jigs tipped with shrimp may be the preferred method off the piers, but live baiting will always work.
Catching Pompano Inshore
When inshore, pompano will be running the deeper channels, looking for crabs and even small fish. The best time to look for them inshore is on small wave action days, where the beaches won’t kick up enough crabs for them to eat. Artificial lures, including of course the pompano jigs, are a good method for inshore fishing, because you will want to cover a lot of ground for this fast-moving fish.
An Overview of Catching Florida Pompano in the Springtime
This is the last leg of the run, which means the fish will be harder and harder to find as the season goes on into summertime temperatures. Fish the surf and the inshore areas for those last big fish of the season.
Catching Pompano in the Summertime
Unfortunately for the Atlantic coast fishermen, Florida pompano are usually long gone by summer. The Gulf of Mexico populations however seem to stick around in some areas where there is plenty of deep, suitable water for them to reside. One of the great things about summertime pompano fishing is that you can escape the hot sun by fishing under the bridges where these fish are likely to be when the tides are moving.
Where the Fish are in the Summer Months
During the summer, the Gulf coast is essentially the only productive area to catch Florida pompano, as the Atlantic populations have all migrated north, possibly as far as the mid-Atlantic. Occasionally, a few solitary pompano will be caught in the summer on the Atlantic side, but for the most part they have all migrated back north. When the fish are inshore during this time, they will be in the deepest channels of high salinity (pompano cannot tolerate low salinity that well), especially in the middle of the day. Pompano love to sit near the structures that lie amid the deep channels such as bridges and causeways.
Catching Pompano Inshore
Most of the pompano that stick around for the summer will be residing in the deeper channels of the estuaries where high salinities are found. Fish the bridges and piers over those deep channels, targeting the fish during the moving tides. The fish will be situated facing the oncoming current, awaiting the small shrimp and crabs that will be flushed towards them. The fish may also be seen in the shallow sea-grass beds first thing in the morning, feasting on small shrimp and crabs.
An Overview of Catching Pompano in the Summer.
Although the days are hot and long, some pompano can still be caught inshore in many areas of the Gulf. They may be found along the beaches first thing in the morning, and on windier days, but in general there is not enough wave action to stir up what they want. Fishing the moving tides in deeper water will produce the most action.
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