pompano fishing

Pompano Alley… This beach-side ocean bite was fast and fierce!

Though the wind has blown in a circle and ranged from calm to near gale force gusts the fishing has been great!

Jetty anglers have been catching their usual mix of sheepshead, snappers, drum, pompano and even a few snook. Live shrimp have accounted for most of the better catches.

The spinner sharks have been extremely active as they feed on the schools of bluefish and small jacks stationing in the mouth of the inlet. It’s always thrilling to see them leaping and twisting in mid-air as they attack their prey from below!

Personally, I’ve been targeting pompano, both in the ocean and in the Indian River Lagoon. Sand fleas and Fishbites have produced spectacularly when offered on a common “pompano rig.”

Targeting pompano does not mean catching only pompano. One recent trip fishing with longtime friend and big-brother figure, R.B., we also caught weakfish, sheepshead, blue runners, ladyfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, margates, grunts and two BONEFISH! How’s that for a mixed bag? By the way, I’ll confess to catching too many gafftops and hardhead catfish, too, if we can keep this to ourselves LOL!

I look forward to fishing the Fort Pierce Inlet starting soon after I return from the Miami International Boat Show. Assuming the paperwork and commercial charter registration for the Bay Bolt arrives by then, we’ll be targeting snook. I expect to be using live bait such as shrimp, mullet and pinfish, when available, and five inch Z-Man Minnowz on heavy jigheads when necessary. Other bait options will arise as temperatures increase in the Spring Season.