Pompano are a fun, flashy fish that roam the ocean surf of the lower Atlantic Coast and provide great sport and terrific meals for eager summer saltwater fishermen. Pompano are prized by pier and surf fishermen from the Carolinas down through Florida and are one fish species that won’t shy away from biting even during the dog days of summer.
Pompano are a thin silvery and bright yellow fish with sharp little teeth and the ability to glide into very shallow water in the surf. The reason pompano want to pounce into the shallows is so that they can gobble up sand fleas (mole crabs) which make up the bulk of a pompano’s diet in the summer. Pompano were designed by God as sand flea catching machines, so it is in the whitewater of the surf that most pompano are caught by anglers.
Some pompano are caught incidentally by bottom fishermen seeking other fish using bloodworms, cut bait, or squid. Serious pompano anglers, however, target them by positioning their baits in or just outside the breakers and using fresh cut shrimp or, even better, sand fleas as bait.
One great pompano fishing tip is to use double bottom rigs with shiny gold hooks. Pompano are extremely attracted to the glare of gold on the sea floor as it makes them think they have spotted a fleeing sand flea. The best pompano rigs are the ones you either hand-tie or purchase which have no snaps for the hooks, just a swivel, two gold hooks tied on, and a clip for a sinker. Gold number 4 Kahle-style hooks are great for pompano fishing.
You want to use the lightest sinker you can get away with because you want the rig to dance a little bit with the surf (that is also a reason to use a rounded and not a pyramid weight). Two ounces of lea is usually enough from a pier, though surf fishermen may need a bit more. If you are surf fishing for pompano remember not to cast too far, as pompano will often be in the whitewater right at your feet.
The best pompano bait is live sand flea that you have dug yourself from the surf. A well-know pompano tip is to try to find and use the female sand fleas pregnant with the orange roe, as pompano pounce on them better than any other bait. Anglers who can’t get sand fleas for pompano fishing usually turn to fresh cut shrimp, as that is the next best pompano bait.
Even some veteran saltwater anglers are unaware of it, but pompano will readily hit artificial lures if they are fished correctly. One neat pompano tip is to use a small weighty golden spoon or small pencil plug (like a Gotcha-style plug) and to bounce it along the bottom under the whitewater or just outside the breakers. This will often attract larger pompano in the two to three pound size to smash the lure as it flashes and dusts up sand on the bottom.
Once caught pompano are a prized fish on the table, whether cooked by a gourmet chef or by you right in your kitchen. Just don’t fry them! The best pompano recipes quickly broil or bake the fish and make use of the natural taste of a pompano instead of using a lot of sauces or marinades.
For more articles and tips on catching pompano and other saltwater fishing see my blog A Dash of Salty
