The Florida Pompano is a popular gamefish that, despite its name, can be found from Massachusetts to Brazil. It’s a bottom-feeding schooling fish and valued for both sport and commercial fisheries. Its habitat is sandy, saltwater-surf flats, so it’s easily accessible to any angler fishing the beach, pier, or jetty. The fish grows quickly, reaching a size of about 12 inches in just one year. It is also popular among chefs and served in many restaurants from New Orleans to Miami.
In this article, The Outdoors Guy, Noah Van Hochman, describes how to successfully target the Florida Pompano…
I love eating the white flakey meat of the Pompano, they are perhaps among the finest table fare of any fish in the ocean and available in many of Florida’s better restaurants. The Florida Pompano is within reach of any anglers that can walk onto a pier, fish a jetty or cast from the beach. The Florida Pompano is an excellent fighter although they only average a few pounds and fish over five pounds are considered monsters. For those who know how to fish for them, they are available mostly early spring through early fall.
The prime bait for catching Pompano is the ‘sand flea’ also called mole crabs, most small crustaceans and shrimp will work as well but sand fleas are by far the bait of choice for the accomplished Pompano fisherman. These fish travel in schools so if you see one caught, there will probably be more to follow.
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Photos: Those Other Fish (top); The Outdoors Guy (above)
