Pompano in FL

[MNFisher]

The salt is staring to run through the veins of this landlubber.......... and now I want to catch pompano on a fly. (In the interest of full disclosure, a meal is planned upon success)

I have not been able to find much on the web to help me get started - other than a few sites offering guide services. So I'm hopeful the pirates here can help.

Anybody have experience targeting pompano? I'm particularly interested in: where, when, fly to use, techniques etc

Thanks in advance for your help.

[dixieangler]

I'm not a pirate but I'll give it a shot. I have not caught Pompano but they are a surf fish as far as I know and they are reported to like sand fleas. You might try using some weight and some natural tan deer hair bodies or some tan wool bodies to get close to the live natural. I've caught redfish on the live ones before. The live naturals I used were about size 6 or 8 in a fly size. See the links below on sand fleas and Pompano.

Sand Flea link:

http://www.visualsunlimited.com/browse/ ... 83267.html

Sand Flea Flies thread link from a Google search:

[url=http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/showthread.php?s=3439f0a05a3f479f1b2b34c62735f8f4& t=11269:467c8]Sand Fleas Flies[/url:467c8]

Fly fishing the surf thread link from the main FAOL board:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/view ... hp?t=11381

Wish I could help you more. Maybe someone else can. Best of luck.

[CharlieB]

I'm just getting into the saltwater game also, only having had a couple of chances over the last two years. I did get two days of fishing in during June, where I went to Ship Island just off the Mississippi Gulf Coast (yes where Katrina hit). I wasn't targeting pompano but I did manage to catch one and he put up a good fight on my 8 wt.

I was actually trying to catch speckeled trout and redfish but did not have luck with them.

I caught the pompano on a Louisiana Spoon fly which you can find detailed tying instructions here:

http://www.flyfishlouisiana.com/Spoon_fly_1.htm


I had tried clousers, decievers and various other flys until I tried this, then I caught the pompano, several ladyfish and a sheephead. I considered it a good time.

[FloridaFlyer]

A recent edition of Florida Sportsman magazine has an article on just this very topic. I'm pretty sure I've already given that issue away as I recently unloaded my accumulated back issues.

As I can recall it suggested both weighted fly's and sinking lines from a boat. I do not recall it suggesting that they can be caught while wading. They tend to stay a bit further out than is preferred for us land bound anglers.

As far as fly types I can tell you from experience with conventional tackle that they will hit just about anything they can get their little mouths around when they are feeding although it's true that sand fleas are preferred when using natural bait. Chartreuse seemed to work best among all the other colors that I also had success with.

In fact, given the "one fly" scenario I would go with the unsexy, but highly productive chartreuse/white Clouser Minnow.

Hope this helps.

P.S. - If you do have access to a boat then this little fish behavior tip might come in handy.

For some unknown reason when a boat cruises over a school of pomp's they will start leaping out of the water in the wake left behind. Search near shore for these feisty fish.

Good luck.

[KevinC]

Hey Tom! Sorry I haven't been on the board in awhile. Customer came into the shop yesterday and caught small pomps off casperson's using, you know, olive and white clouser with red eyes. I had good luck to using that fly on them but I use sink tip fly line off the beach instead of floating.

KevinC

[swellcat]

This subject is still interesting -- kind of timeless, isn't it? Anyone taking pomps on the fly?

I believe the confusing name, "sand flea," led to a link of the wrong species being posted above. Shouldn't it be mole crab, Emerita talpoidea?

Here is a mole crab fly tied with deer hair.

[dixieangler]

I believe the confusing name, "sand flea," led to a link of the wrong species being posted above. Shouldn't it be mole crab, Emerita talpoidea?

Yep. That's it. The one I had above was the only thing I could find at the time that even looks like it but it is the wrong critter. The one you posted is the right one. I still call them sand fleas though.

[saltydancindave]

Pompano are fun on the #6 weight. Usually catch them walking the beach on a #2 Mustad #3407 wrapped with a dozen turns of .020 lead, completely covered with white flat wax, add a short tail of Fish-Fuzz, a couple wraps of orange or tan chenille as a butt & the rest of the hook shank wrapped with white chenille. They can also be caught around the passes & on the flats! Have been tying some sand flea flies with old freshwater sculpin wool & salmon egg yarn; but haven't had the time to wet test them yet on pomps, sheepshead might be the better test for the fly !

[swellcat]

Dave - It would be great to see pictures of the flies you're describing.

Thanks for the post.

[qrrfish1]

I suggest the you take a look at the Junk Yard Dawg here in the Fly of the week archives. I designed the pattern right here in the florida panhandle for, pompano. It does work, has taken a lot of pompano among other things. Clausers work well but keep the tails short or use long shank hooks. Pompano are what Id call a double tap fish when taking a fly. many are missed by folks who set or try and set the hook too quick. Pompano are a soft mouth fish, they take prey by grab and hold, crush and swollow. That is to say they first grab and hold, befor they inhale crush and swollow. (experience talking here) A long fly like a clauser or streamer fly offer the pompano the opertunity to grab a fly by the tail and hold it as to disable the prey befor they suck it in to be crushed. If you set the hook too quick you may end up simply pulling the fly right out of its mouth befor the hook has ever entered. If you miss strikes several in a row, it is very likely your interaining pompano, or perhaps fustrating them. Try hesitating just a split second befor setting the hook when you feel a strike. As to other effective and simple flys, bend back style tyed with calf tail. I dont even bother to bend the hook,(mustade 34007) lead eyes or bead chain eyes, tyed clauser style. Two or three turns of med. chineille flo. pink or flo. orange right behind the the eyes. White and tan or pink and white calf tail tyed stright over the eyes, tword the hook point, but no more than a 1/4 inch past the bend of the hook. Flash to match, and no I dont bother to dress the hook shank at all, there is no under wing as a clauser would have. Super simple fly to tye very effective and has won tournements. On to lines, full foateing, longer leader, say 9ft., lead eyed fly or large bead chain. Ghost tip line, sorter leader smaller lead eyes or bead chain. Intermedite line, again short leader 4 to 6 ft. same as ghost tip. Full sinking line, short leader, lipless gurgler with a short tail.
Good luck and happy hunting.