pompanos

Andy with a nice pompano that’s fresh from the ocean silver. It ate a live shrimp under a popping float.

We managed to get out twice last week and the weather was fantastic. Even better, we caught some fish too.

Two gents from Russia joined me for some backwater fishing on Wednesday. Neither could cast a rod very well and one of the guys could never find his sea-legs. No problem for me; I don’t mind doing the casting and “Andy” didn’t mind fishing from a seated position.

We left our first spot after catching a bunch of short Mangrove snappers and wee Lane snapper. If we’d have stayed here these critters would have eaten all of our live shrimp.

Moving out into the open waters we found little activity on the flats or spoil islands. I changed-up again as the tide turned and anchored the Banshee along a tide rip that forms between a shallow flat and a deep shoreline cut of a prominent backwater island.

Suspending our live shrimp under a popping float and drifting them across the current allowed the guys to catch a mixed bag of bonnet head sharks, ladyfish, pompano and others. While I can’t say we really crushed them it was an interesting and enjoyable outing with people from a part of the world many would consider the enemy.

Friday I played hooky from my boat remodeling project. I’m several months into this overhaul and finally see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” The gorgeous weather we had this week was justification enough to have a little play time.

Larry joined me for a scouting trip well south of town. We started on the west shoreline opposite the power-plant and hoped to find a few snook holding on the residential docks. Luck was not on our side as far as snook were concerned, but the jacks were abundant and aggressive! They ate topwater plugs, spoons and Z-Man Diezel Minnowz throughout the morning.