Pompano have a cult following in Florida. For decades, anglers have flocked to the state’s Atlantic beaches during the winter months to launch bottom rigs tipped with sand fleas in hopes of catching a mess of these schooling fish. The only downside is that the 10-plus-foot rods needed to deliver those baits from the sand don’t let the pompano’s power shine. They’re cousins of the mighty permit, and while they don’t get nearly as big, they’ll peel drag from a light-tackle reel. To effectively get after them with toned-down tackle, however, you need a boat.
My good friend and former charter captain, Zach Miller, lives in Port St. Lucie, Florida, which is smack in the middle of prime pompano country. During the winter months, these fish run the local beaches and flood the shallow bays and rivers. Although Miller’s primary targets include massive jacks, kingfish, goliath grouper, and snook, he can’t wait for the winter months and peak pompano action. Unlike your average Florida pompano hunter, Miller doesn’t use any live or dead bait, relying solely on lures and even getting after them with a fly rod. In the pantheon of Florida fisheries, this style of pompano fishing is pretty low key, but whether you’re local or headed down to escape the northern winter, it’s worth making it front and center.
In-Depth Analysis
The key to catching a mess of pompano is putting yourself in a location where waves of them will move through during a feeding window. Because these fish are so mobile, a great spot can be close to an inlet just as easily as far up a coastal river in brackish water. Prime haunts will vary by area, but to find one, Miller says it’s all about focusing on depth.
“Where I have my best success is usually in less than six feet of water,” he says. “But I’ll find them on flats in the winter in less than a foot of water, too. At certain times, you can even sight fish them. There are some anglers that like to jig them in water as deep as twenty feet near channel markers and bridges, but that’s just not as fun to me as targeting them shallow. I’m looking for areas with some slope where the bottom rises from, say, four feet to one foot in a relatively small area.”
Miller says tidal flow is also important, as currents kick up more sand and mud on the bottom, which naturally exposes more of the shrimp and crabs that pompano eat. This often means the best bites occur at the strongest point of an incoming or outgoing tide, and if you don’t want to soak dead baits on the bottom, choose your weapon wisely.
Such a Tease
According to Miller, pompano in the bays and rivers will hit a variety of lures, including small paddle-tail swimbaits and even classic marabou crappie jigs. However, scoring bites on these lures often requires getting them in front of larger, loner fish. If it’s numbers you want (and need for family dinner), there’s one lure that outshines all the rest.
“What we use 90% of the time are Buccaneer Bait Wiggler Jigs, but in South Florida everyone calls them Goofy Jigs,” Miller says. “They’re based off an ice fishing jig, and it’s really just a size four J hook with lead poured on the shank in the shape of a surfboard. Really, though, you’re using the jig to deliver a small nylon teaser that rides up above it on the leader. It’s the combo that’s critical.”
Because pompano predominantly feed off the bottom, the Goofy Jig presents a ruse. A short, firm snap of the rod will cause the jig to create a puff of sand when it touches down. This attracts the pompano, as they assume they’re seeing a fleeing shrimp or crab. When they shoot over to inspect the puff, the teaser is right in their face, and Miller says it’s the teaser that scores the bite most often.
The Soft Sell
When Miller heads out for pompano, he’s armed with a 7-foot, medium-light action spinning rod and a reel in the 2000 size class. Ten-pound braid is the normal, and eight- to ten-pound fluorocarbon leaders are sufficient. However, rod choice is critical because of where these fish feed and how they attack.
“The more noodly and parabolic your rod, the better it is for pompano,” says Miller. “You don’t want to use a stiff rod for these fish. I think if your rod is too fast, when you go to snap your jig off the bottom, it’s moving it too far up too quickly. A softer rod helps you keep your jig from jumping much higher than a foot off the bottom.”
Miller also points out that pompano love to bite mid-stroke while jigging, and when they hit, they hit hard. A slower rod does a better job of naturally setting the hook in this scenario because it has some give. If you get bitten on that upswing while using a stiffer rod, you often don’t have the leverage in that position to score a solid hook set.
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