Pompano
- Description
- Greenish gray on back, shading to silvery sides;
- Fish in dark waters showing gold on throat, pelvic, and anal fins;
- Deep flattened body with small mouth;
- General Information
- Their sleek shape and strong, forked tail enable them to fight hard, and they will often use their deep body to run sideways along the beach when hooked.
- Pompano are found especially along sandy beaches, along oyster banks, and over grassbeds, often in turbid water.
- The light firm meat of pompano ranks them high on the table fare.
- Distribution
- Pompano are year round residents in south Florida and summer residents in north Florida.
- Most pompano are caught within a half mile of the shoreline.
- Spawns offshore between March and September
- Local movements are influenced by the tide, and seasonal movements are influenced by temperature.
- Tackle and Techniques
- Seldom growing over three pounds, pompano are the perfect fish to go after with light tackle. You can even use ultra-light tackle with as light as 4-6 pound test line.
- The pompano's mouth is small so use a small hook, such as a # 1 or 1/0.
- Use two hook bottom rigs and monofilament leaders.
- Bait
- Pompano may be caught on small bucktail jigs tipped with pieces of shrimp, but most are caught on fresh bait.
- Fresh shrimp and mole crabs, or "sand fleas" are favorite baits. Hook sand fleas from their underside up through the top shell.
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Last Date Modified: 2/11/99
Frank Espanol
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