First, 40-50 lbs?! Their coloration varies between fish, with some being more yellowish on the undersides than others. I typically tie my own so I can get them just like I want. Get today's most accurate Pompano Pier surf report with multiple live HD surf cams for current swell, wind, and wave conditions. In short you need a couple of long surf rods with baitcasting or spinning reels loaded with braided line for casting distance. Your best bet is to try multiple placements and see what gets the strikes. A lighter setup is much more fun when you hook up. For baitcasting conventional reels you probably want to use a heavier line in the 12 to 14-pound range. Lets say that the sand bar is 60 yards from the beach. Using 12 FOOT RODS SURF FISHING to REACH and CATCH POMPANO 25,412 views Nov 29, 2019 These pompano were way out there! Just try to use smaller shrimp if you can. he lifespan is commonly only 3 to 4 years. The action starts first in northeasternmost Florida.Then they move south through Jacksonville Beach, Flagler Beach and Daytona Beach. Just starting out on this sea fishing. I prefer to hand tie my own so I can pick exactly what hooks, line, beads, and floats I want. To be clear, you dont typically need long casts to catch pompano. I have been focused on distance for the last three decades and I think you hit the important points, but I have two comments. The migration follows a north to south direction in the fall . Tying your own gives you great flexibility in choosing your own hook size, bead color and whether to use floats or not. As far as hooks go, I pretty much stick to 1/0 circle hooks. The water temperature might be just right. I throw this extra rod out with a larger bait to target bigger fish, like bull reds. I typically go with a 1 ounce pyramid weight when possible. Rather than tossing that little fish back, Ill put it on a hook and throw it back out on my larger rod. No matter what location or conditions you fish, there is a needlefish out there that will catch fish, from small floating models for calm waters to big fast-sinking plugs for rough seas and strong currents. The YouTube video below is the best one I have found that shows you how to catch sand fleas. The distance between each wave in the group (the wavelength) is 100 m, so the length of the whole group is 400 m. Therefore, if you caught a wave at the back of the group you'd be able to ride it for 800 m until it fizzled out at the front of the group. In second place, Joel Parkinson stands with 34,6 km/h. Look for relatively clean water conditions when you are trying to figure out how far out to cast to catch pompano. Just because the fish are far off the beach, doesnt mean they are in deep water. If balloon tires are not in your budget, thats OK. A cart like the one pictured below is much more affordable and will work just fine. Dial in the surf bite with rods, reels, and lures capable of reaching fish far off in the distance and in snotty conditions. If the beach doesnt look good for fishing, you will need to cast further out to find the pompano. With full written report (updated twice daily) and 16-day surf . Pompano are a migrating fish that moves with the changing water temps. Instead, go to the bait shop and ask for fresh dead shrimp, or buy some from a local supermarket. However, if you do this with pompano, you will jerk the bait out of the fish's mouth, and the fish will escape. Surf fishing is tons of fun and I hope that this article helps you catch more fish. Finding your rods sweet spot is a matter of feelthe rod will load smoothly on the cast and the lure will take off like a rocket. Typically when Im using multiple rods, I like to have 1 bigger rod with me. As the water temps climb later in the summer, you may have to fish further from shore to find pompano in deeper water. My go-to circle hooks are the Owner Mutu Light and the Gamakatsu Octopus hooks. If you can find a rip current, thats a great place to encounter pompano and other game fish that are hanging out and feeding on bait being swept offshore. You have to find fish that are interested in eating or you will end up with a very poor fishing day. damn lou..all 3?? An offshore wind helps put offshore spots within range, especially with lures and baits that dont cast very welllike metal lips or eels. I try to minimize weight anywhere possible in my beach loadout. Rod length also influences distance, with longer rods generally casting fartheralthough Ill argue that rod action is more important to casting distance than length. You can just stick a pack in your tackle bag, for use when you either run out of bait, or you cant find sand fleas. In very clear water, pompano can sometimes be particular about hitting your rig, so I might further downsize my tackle to have no beads or floats at all. But, that is a pretty inefficient method and plays hell on your back. They usually travel in schools so once you find one, there will be plenty more. The resulting perfectly flat line lay minimizes friction during the cast. Go back at a higher tide and fish those areas. I went to school with alot people from Nova Scotia and had no idea any of them fished. I also like to have the teaser hook and jig hook pointing in opposite directions. THERES NOTHING LIKE SEEING STARS AT NOON TIME AT THE CAPE. As long as you set your drag and change your line every year or two, I dont think the typical surf caster needs more than 20lb and the increased distance is very welcome! If youre fishing a rough surf, you may want a faster action rod.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_17',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_18',164,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0_1');.mobile-leaderboard-1-multi-164{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Try to hook your fiddler crab between the back legs or through the back corner of the shell. If you decide to do so, I would not necessarily use pyramid weights as my first sinker option. There is a great YouTube resource, inserted below, that will teach you how to read the surf . If the water has too much freshwater runoff, then it will have brown hues to it. Thats when your long rod and heavy pyramid sinker come into play. If you plan to use a surf cart, live shrimp is a great option. You really have two ends of a spectrum when it comes to surf fishing gear a minimalist approach, or one that leans more towards a commercial fisherman. THE LAST TIME I WENT SURF CASTING I GOT 3 TREBLE HOOKS IN MY RIGHT EAR . Dusty is a local Captain in the Orange Beach, AL area and also owns Shore Thing Fishing, where he. T he lifespan is commonly only 3 to 4 years. But, I found that I prefer the sand spikes available from Dicks or Academy Sports that are made a little more lightweight. We recommend an 8-to-10 foot fast action casting rod. For example, my Lamiglas Infinity Surf 11 MHS comfortably casts lures from 1.5 to 5 ounces, but it casts 2.5- to 3-ounce lures the farthest. Look for areas with deeper sections than surrounding areas. Some anglers also like to use fly rods for fishing pompano. I have fished the beaches, mangroves, grass flats.. all over Florida for more than 40 years. Heavy, long-casting lures that sink too quickly will drag bottom or pick up weeds. It is common that pompano rigs are tied using colored floats and beads, most commonly orange. Related Posts:Snook Fishing TipsSheepshead Fishing TipsHow to Catch Bluefish, How to Catch Speckled Trout Fishing Tips. 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. 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. A 10 foot surf fishing rod can be cast more precisely and accurately but it will cast less distance than a longer rod. This website is owned by FYAO Saltwater Media Group, Inc. It takes 50 turns of the reel handle for the spool to complete one oscillation. Note: Record weights may have changed from the numbers posted below, and in fact there seemed to be discrepancies about the largest recorded pompano. Some anglers also like to use fly rods for fishing pompano. You can encounter pompano on the beach, off of ocean-facing piers and even inshore. To catch pompano from a beach or pier, look for schools of fish on the far side of wave breaks and sand bars. The best signs of life are feeding fish where you are at. You just never really know what they are going to do next. That is what makes pompano fishing so much fun. Of course, many spots depend on an in-your-face breeze to bring in the stripers there. You will have to do some experimenting to figure out where the feeding fish are. Fishing pompano with squid is ideal on days where the seas are rough. Look at the fishfinder! one of them said. I like high tide because I can use a normal sized fishing rod instead of a 10 feet plus sized surf casting rod most of the time. It depends on where the sand bar is. digging in the sand you know that there are probably a few sand fleas there. An important part of surf fishing is using a strong circle hook that matches the size of your bait. The second zone for me would be 20 to 40 yards out and the last zone would be 40 to 60 yards out. Why on Earth would you need that weight? A good 7-foot medium-action rod is a safe bet and can be used for most situations. These are where sand fleas have washed ashore and are digging into the sand. The first zone for me would be from the beach to 20 yards out. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Ill stick to beach casting from the Norfolk UK coastline. Second, for the last 15 years I have been content with a 9 foot rod. Florida pompano do not have teeth on their tounge, A pompano's head slopes back gently with no abrupt change in angle - no hump, Pompano have more rays than a permit; 22 to 27 dorsal rays and 20-23 anal rays, The beginning of their anal fin starts further back than the beginning of their dorsal fin, Pompano sized permit have teeth on their tounge, Permit have dorsal and anal fins that are longer and drape back toward their tail, Permit have sort of an appearance of a bump on their forehead, due to the change of angle to the slope of their head, Sometimes they have a dark spot under their pectoral fins, Have fewer rays than a pompano. There might be a lot of food around. Dusty Hayes and I go looking for pompano and whiting after Hurricane Nate! P.S. You can also find them deeper inshore in estuaries and lagoons. A longer rod and adequate reel capacity is the only way you can get the distance sometimes needed. You could be casting less than 20 yards, 30 yards, or over 60 yards. Surf Side Resort. Some braids have a slick coating that helps the line leave the spool and shoot through the guides with less resistance. Its often said that they are even more powerful than a jack crevalle of the same size. This is the style I have used in the past, and its what I see most people using. Flies are another great choice. If the water further out from the beach looks cleaner that the water closer, then you should try the clean water first. Tie a dropper loop about 10-12 inches up the line. This is when a long surf rod comes in handy, so you can probe deep holes and troughs further from the beach. We wont send you spam. Speaking of transient. Pompano regularly eat crabs, clams, shrimp, mussels and small fish. We recommend an 8-to-10 foot fast action casting rod. Free use of tennis court and hot tub. Regardless of what reel you use, keep the spool as close to full as you can to achieve the greatest possible casting distance. Sit back on your board until the nose is up out of the water. The only fish a pompano would typically be confused with is a juvenile permit. When using live shrimp, you want to use the smallest ones you can find. Some species of fish require that you jerk on the line when you feel a bite to force the barb of the hook into the fish's flesh. On one hand, I really like my long 12 foot rods so that I can really get the bait out there when necessary. Avalon Fishing Pier, Kill Devil Hills, (252) 441-7494. Whether the bass have hunkered down on a piece of offshore structure or they are chasing around a school of baitfish, knowing how to add some yards to your cast can save your day in the surf. One spring night, my friend Dave and I were casting to a current seam far off the beach where a school of bass had set up to feed. Nice article Jimmy. You have to cast out to the sand bar during the lower parts of the tide and you can literally catch pompano at your feet during the highest parts of the tide. Pompano like the water temperatures to be from 65 degrees to the high 70s. To this point, knock on wood, I have caught bull reds and sharks, and they never pulled my lightweight sand spikes out of the sand. For pompano you dont need to use a powerful hookset. The tide is very important for beach fishing because more water allows more fish to come close to the beach. For best results, look for areas that are deeper than the surrounding water. ? Jennette's Pier, Nags Head, (252) 255-1501. If youre going to target pompano, you might as well learn about whiting. SURF RIDER RESORT - Updated 2023 Prices & Condominium Reviews (Pompano Beach, FL) United States Florida (FL) Broward County Pompano Beach Pompano Beach Hotels Apartment Hotels in Pompano Beach Surf Rider Resort 136 reviews #3 of 10 condos in Pompano Beach Save Share 1441 S Ocean Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33062-7305 Check In / / If you memorize just a few of these, you should be able to tell them apart. If you can't find any sand fleas, it's likely that you won't catch any pompano. Nags Head Fishing Pier, Nags Head, (252) 441-5141. The only problem was that the bucktails fell well short of the rip. In the springtime, pompano are ready to head north for the summer. Snell hooks are best for fishing bait on the bottom--no hookset required! I would really appreciate it. Fishermen in rocky areas may be leery of changing to a thinner diameter line, but a long monofilament leader, spliced into the main line by an Albright knot, will give some added abrasion resistance against boulder-bound stripers. Place some rags in a bucket and just cover the crabs with seawater. While staying at Surfside Resort, visitors can check out St. Martin's Episcopal Church (0.3 mi) and Indian Mound Park (0.4 mi), some of Pompano Beach's top . Then, poke holes in the bottom of the upper container so that any urine from the fleas can flow through the holes and away from the crabs. If you do so, the bait wont stay on the hook very well. Using one of these as bait when fishing for pompano is always a good idea.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_6',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-riversearch_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Pompano fishing is one of the most popular in the fall because pompano migrate south as the water gets colder. I briefly clipped on a 2-ounce bucktail, which got the distance I needed, but became immediately buried in weeds. othing is more efficient and easier to use than a proper rake. Though they can reach sizes upwards of 8 pounds. This method will also keep them lively for quite a while. It all depends upon the tide levels when determining how far out to cast to catch pompano in the surf. Even a 5 foot medium light rod would suffice most of the time. If you memorize just a few of these, you should be able to tell them apart. If youre fishing the surf in fall, wind and giant waves can push the pompano either close to shore or far offshore. Its usually best to fish off the pier in case you need to cast past the breakers. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. To immediately improve casting distance with every lure, rod and reel you use, downsize your line.