By Neil Taylor, Times Correspondent
Sunday, April 17, 2011
What's hot: Pompano, stout, hard-fighting fish that can be cooked any way you want, are being caught in the locations where knowledgeable anglers expect them to be. Limits for Florida pompano are frequently being caught before 8 a.m.
Tackle and techniques: Deep sandy-bottom areas around bridges and passes are regular intercept points, though pompano can also be caught in the swash channels along the beaches.
Live or natural baits are not necessary. Pompano jigs are usually yellow, chartreuse or gold, and they can be a "jig" type, a short bucktail or an "ice fishing jig" like the Silly Willy. Pompano aficionados will tell you to loop knot a pink teaser to your Silly Willy jig with 25-pound fluorocarbon leader line. These lures, bounced up and down on the sandy bottom, will create puffs of sand that gets the fish's attention. The act of lifting the lure off the bottom is also the way the hook gets set on these fish.
Regulations: Six per person, minimum length of 11 inches (to the fork) and not longer than 20 inches (to the fork), and you may possess one pompano that is more than 20 inches.
Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at strikethreekayakfishing.com or (727) 692-6345.
