Ill take a rubber mallet to tap them securely into the sand. This behavior is often used by boating anglers to locate schools of pompano in and near the surf. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Instead, go to the bait shop and ask for fresh dead shrimp, or buy some from a local supermarket. More about pompano rigs later. We wont send you spam. Im not particularly fond of the kahle hooks that come on most pompano rigs. Its actually a 3 part series thats well worth your time if you are lacking skills in this area. Guess who loves sand fleas? In addition to casting farther than just about any other plug, needlefish are some of the most versatile striper lures available. Tie a dropper loop about 10-12 inches up the line. Some say that catching a Tarpon is the ultimate inshore fishing achievement. Look for v-shaped eddies when the waves roll off the beach. From charter fishing and renting a kayak, to surf fishing and hitting up the piers and docks, there's something for every type of angler. You just never know really. How far out in the surf do you cast for pompano? I like to fish the higher parts of the tide for just about everything. Sure, I have longer rods in my collection but I never use them anymore. I honestly would recommend that you break down and invest in a sand flea rake. If you dont use a weight that holds your baits firmly to the bottom, you are going to have a tangled mess on your hands. P.S. The pompano can pick up the smell through the rough waves. Fast-action rods that recover quickly after the cast tend to throw farther than slow-action rods. Finding your rod's sweet spot is a matter of feelthe rod will load smoothly on the cast and the lure will take off like a rocket. The best signs of life are feeding fish where you are at. You will find sand fleas where the waves are lapping onto the beach (the swash zone). Privacy Notice: We use cookies on our website to enhance your experience. For smaller bait, I recommend a 1/0 or 2/0 size hook. THE LAST TIME I WENT SURF CASTING I GOT 3 TREBLE HOOKS IN MY RIGHT EAR . These are where sand fleas have washed ashore and are digging into the sand. The only fish a pompano would typically be confused with is a juvenile permit. Finding an abundance of bait oftentimes means that you have found the fish. I compensated by retrieving faster to keep the heavier jig off the bottom, but the bass werent interested in that. Following are some of the differences between the twoin case you happen to run across a permit in the surf. Chumming tends to work quite well for pompano. Pay attention to fishing reports to get clued in on when this activity begins. Second, for the last 15 years I have been content with a 9 foot rod. Another option, which I have used before, is to take 2 plastic containers that nest together. This will help you cover ground more quickly and find where the fish are holding. I see the water in front of me as vertical and horizontal lines. Stack the two containers together with a sea shell or rock between the two containers to create a small space between them. But, such large poles mask much of the strength of these spirited little fighters. It may happen only once or twice a season, but its as close to a sure thing as surf fishing gets. On one hand, I really like my long 12 foot rods so that I can really get the bait out there when necessary. ( only took 40yrs to figure that out), casting 40 lb Power Pro braid with a 11 St.Croix Mojo Rod with virtually any Super Strike plug whether needle or bottle plug makes the lure fly through the air like a small rocket ship. I dont personally prefer the really small reels, because you never know what might pick up your bait at the end of a very long cast. You have to find fish that are interested in eating or you will end up with a very poor fishing day. Simple. Just dont forget where you buried them! Florida Pompano are primarily a bottom feeding fish, mainly feasting on crustaceans. I prefer to hand tie my own so I can pick exactly what hooks, line, beads, and floats I want. Bede Durbidge is third (33,6 km/h) and 10-time world champion Kelly Slater places in . But you can still find pompano in their usual places: the surf, grass flats, and deep inshore channels. Thats a tell tale sign that you have a pompano on the end of your line. They can be found in the gulf coast, but Florida isnt a good spot to fish them, as most pompano move far north for the summer. I typically tie my own so I can get them just like I want. 8.8. Simply find a nice section of beach, and locate the best area (discussed below) along that stretch, and you should be in business when the pompano are running. Pompano love sand fleas as much as any shore bird. Free use of tennis court and hot tub. So, there is no need to fight crowds to claim a prized fishing spot on a jetty or pier. But, that is a pretty inefficient method and plays hell on your back. My go-to circle hooks are the Owner Mutu Light and the Gamakatsu Octopus hooks. You just never really know what they are going to do next. When the onshore wind would slow momentarily, and wed get a few extra feet on our casts, we almost always got hit within the first few turns of the retrieve. Using 12 FOOT RODS SURF FISHING to REACH and CATCH POMPANO 25,412 views Nov 29, 2019 These pompano were way out there! The fish wait for sand fleas, also called mole crabs, and other small crustaceans to be washed off the beach and carried to them by the wave action. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear())2021 VISIT FLORIDA. This makes sense because they are from the jack family of fishes. So, I prefer a 2nd small soft sided cooler for that. Subscribe to get one NEW fishing article every week. They also tend to stay on the hook in rough waves, which makes it great for fishing the surf. Typically when Im using multiple rods, I like to have 1 bigger rod with me. Regardless of what reel you use, keep the spool as close to full as you can to achieve the greatest possible casting distance. Fiddler crabs will pinch you when you pick them up. Step 2: Tie on the snap swivel to one end (I like to use a clinch knot here) Step 3: Snap on your sinker. Try to find the sandbar and break the length of the beach to the sandbar into three sections. Besides focusing your efforts around the ideal water temps and tide movements, the next thing to consider is the surf conditions. Most commonly you will probably want to use either a spinning rod and reel, baitcasting rod, or fly rod. You can expect a hooked pompano to make a parallel run along the beach once you get him near the surf line. They can be found from Massachusetts all the way around Florida, throughout the gulf, and down towards South America. There are, of course, levels of rough water. The simplest way is to scoop them out with your bare hands. Pompano will be on one side of the bridge when the tide comes in and the other side when the tide goes out, so you will have to move your boat if the tide changes. Like most things, there is a sweet spot that offers the best conditions. The way the line lays on the reel also affects distance. I have an entire article about all the baits that can be used for pompano, if you are interested: The Best Baits For Pompano. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/Catch-Pompano-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Catch-Pompano-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/65\/Catch-Pompano-Step-1.jpg\/aid1422870-v4-728px-Catch-Pompano-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"