Pompano in the Surf: Rigs and Sand Fleas

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Why pompano

Pompano are the prize of the Florida surf: hard-pulling, great eating, and catchable right from the beach with simple gear. They cruise the troughs close to shore, rooting sand fleas and small crabs out of the moving sand. Learn to find their food and read the beach, and you are most of the way there.

The pompano rig

The standard setup is a high-low rig: a leader with two short dropper loops, a small circle hook on each, and a weight at the bottom. Many anglers add a small bright float (orange or chartreuse) just above each hook. The float lifts the bait slightly off the sand, makes it easier for a pompano to spot, and helps keep crabs from stealing it.

For the weight, start with a 2 to 4 ounce pyramid sinker. If the surf or current is strong enough to drag it, switch to a sputnik weight, whose wire arms grip the sand and hold your spot.

Sand fleas, the perfect bait

A pompano’s favorite food is the sand flea, also called a mole crab, and the best part is that they live right where you are standing. Follow the steps below to find, rake, and store them. If you cannot turn any up, Fishbites in sand flea or shrimp flavor is a reliable backup, and a pink or orange banana jig bounced along the bottom works as a lure.

Reading the beach

The key to surf fishing is the trough, the deeper slot of water between the beach and the first sandbar. It usually looks darker and a little calmer. Pompano travel and feed in these troughs and in the cuts between bars. Early in the day, fish the first trough close in before casting far. On higher tides the fish push in tight, sometimes just a few feet off the sand.

Keep what you will eat

Pompano are excellent on the table, which is exactly why it pays to respect the limits. Check the current size and bag limits with FWC, keep what you will use, and let the rest swim.