Surf Casting Florida
Learn how to catch more fish off of the beach.
What are the best pompano fishing lures?
Catching pompano with fishing lures is a lot of fun. Pompano are a member of the jack family, but this member is delicious. The pompano is the best tasting member of the jack family and they fight just like a jack does too. Strong runs that are pulling drag. That is a great fish to target.
Pompano like to eat sand fleas, shrimp, small crabs, clams and small fish. The best lures look or smell like these prey items of the pompano.
The best pompano fishing lures are:
1) Banana Jigs
2) Pompano Jigs
3) 3 inch Gulp Shrimp
4) Small Spoons
5) DOA 2.75 inch Shrimp
6) Fish Bites
Watch the video below and catch more pompano with lures.
1) Banana Jigs- Banana jigs are a great lure for pompano fishermen. They are relatively easy to use too. You just have to cast them out and let them sink to the sandy bottom. Give it a couple of twitches and let it fall back to the bottom; reel a few feet and then repeat the process until you are slaying the pompano.
The best colors of pompano jigs are pink, yellow, orange and white. Those are the colors of the clams, shrimp, crabs and small fish that the pompano like to eat. The sizes are 1/4 ounce to maybe one ounce.
2) Pompano Jigs- Pompano jigs are just lead jigs with nylon skirts of various colors. You will want to fish these jigs the same way that you fish the banana jigs. The key to fishing jigs is letting them free fall into the sand. The sandy poof when the jig hits the sand is what you are going for. The best colors are the pink, yellow, orange and white just like the banana jigs.
3) 3 Inch Gulp Shrimp- The Berkeley Gulp Shrimp is a great lure for catching pompano. These lures are the stinkiest lures that you will ever find. They will attract fish from many yards away. You just want to use a pink, orange or yellow jig head. The 1/4 or 1/2 ounce jig heads are my go to sizes. The pearl colored 3 inch shrimp is the best lure color for pompano.
4) Small Spoons- Small spoons are another great lure choice for catching pompano. You will want to keep them bouncing off of the bottom or within about 12 inches of the bottom.
5) DOA 2.75 inch Shrimp- This is a great lure for catching pompano. They are a great mimic for a small shrimp that a pompano would love to eat. This is another lure that is best bounced off of the sandy bottom. The small mouths of the pompano make it hard for them to eat big lures.
6) Fish Bites- Fish bites are an artificial substance that is very much like a stick of gum. They come in lots of flavors like clams, sand fleas and shrimp. A great way to use the fish bites is by cutting a strip about a 1/2 ounce long and attaching it to a jig head. This is again fished just like the rest of the lures. Bounce it off of the bottom…….
Watch this video to find out where to find the pompanos off of the beach.
Where are the best spots to fish for pompano with lures?
Figuring out where the schools of pompano are on the beach takes some effort. You will want to find some sort of life on the beach. Look for sandpipers, plovers and turn stones digging for sand fleas among the waves. They will devour as many of those bad boys as the pompano will.
You will also want to look for diving birds in the surf. The terns, pelicans and sea gulls can also give away a bunch of clues where to find feeding fish. Most of the fish will be in the same areas. So if you find the mackerel, bluefish and other predators, often you will find out where the pompano are too.
When you do find a beach with lots of life, you will have to figure out how far out the pompano will be. I like to look for fish right near shore first. I usually only bring one fishing rod. After I test the first 20 yards for fish, then I will test the next 20 yards and so on until I find out where the pompano are.
If I don’t get any bites at any distance, then I will move down the beach 100 yards and try again.
Conclusion:
It is hard to catch pompano and that is why you will want to take a methodical approach to finding and catching them. The first step is to get good at fishing jigs. Jigs are the best way to catch a lot of pompano and catch them consistently. If you can master this lure, then you will catch pompano if there are around.
The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN on the Treasure Coast of Florida. He has been fishing the beaches and estuaries all over Florida for more than 40 years.
Do you like how to fishing articles like this one? If you answered yes, then you should sign up for our email list because we will send you a new fishing article every week. Sign up now and get your first one today.
This website is owned by FYAO Saltwater Media Group, Inc. Please feel free to contact us. Privacy Policy