Outdoors | Fisherman should try a jig to land pompano before bait returns
Before bait returns for the spring and anglers start chasing redfish and snook around the bay with whitebait, you may want to give jigging pompano a chance.
Right now, the pompano fishing is excellent, and reports have anglers catching limits and more when they find them.
Grab yourself some goofy jigs, a few dozen shrimp and head to one of many places where the shiny coastal fish hang out. It's a fishery that even when you aren't catching your intended target, chances are you are catching something that will provide plenty of action.
The best pompano days I've had take place around passes. Pass-a-grille, Longboat and Big Pass are where I've spent the most time, but bridge and pier anglers have also been doing well. These locations provide landlocked anglers the chance to catch pompano. Something I'm often asked about is what is a good fish to target from shore, and pompano are right now.
In deeper water, tide movement is key. During a slower tide, try to find where water is moving the most, meaning rips and currents on dropoffs and edges. During a faster tide, try to find where water is moving the least, like behind structure or beside an edge where they will wait for a meal to appear in front of them.
The lure of choice is a Doc's Goofy Jig, Silly Willy or similar small banana-shaped lead. A size big enough to reach the bottom but not too big where it is hard to jig. In shallow water, 1/8-ounce should do fine, while fishing in the middle of a pass may require 1/2 or 3/4 ounce. Tip with a small piece of shrimp, make a long cast, then don't start reeling until your jig hits the bottom. Small "hops" with your rod tip keeping the bait on the bottom will lead to the most strikes.
Boating anglers are currently targeting them around flats areas like Longbar as well. Grassy dropoffs hold pompano until the water warms up into spring. Trout are a very common by-catch, as well as bluefish, mackerel, ladyfish and jacks. The same can be caught in passes along with a variety of other bait stealing fish.
Also learn to realize there is a difference between the more silver permit and the yellowish tint of a pompano. They look very similar up until about 18-inches but have different regulations.
Both must be 11-inches to the fork to keep, but the bag limit on permit is two per person while pompano is six per person. They both make excellent table fare.
This Wednesday is the CCA Florida Manatee County 17th annual banquet and auction at the Bradenton Area Convention Center from 5 to 10 p.m. Those interested in attending or donating can visit ccaflorida.org or call Brian Gorski at 941-720-4446 to find out more information and purchase tickets.
This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 11:36 PM with the headline "Outdoors | Fisherman should try a jig to land pompano before bait returns ."