# More Pompino...



## Mudd (Jan 10, 2004)

There has been some great info posted lately on Pompino fishing. I've learned lots but want to bring up a question. Pompino bait. It seems the #1 bait is live sand fleas, #2 is fresh shrimp, and I guess #3 is blood worms. Has anyone used the GULP! Sand Fleas?


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

i like using sand fleas, then tipping the hook with a little pc of FBBW - red or orange - my theory is that it emulates an egg sac to the pomps -- haven't tried the gulp fleas.

BTW, the FBBW alone have out-caught the plain fleas by at least 2:1, and the tipped sand flea/FBBW has also out-caught the plain flea by probably more like 3:1.......fishing side by side with my family of anglers on the OBX

this strategy also produced the occasional sea mullet & croaker


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## Centralpafish (Jul 5, 2007)

Mama, how far off the beach do you grnerally fish for this species. I've been told to fish well inside of the 1st bar but out of the wash. Is this correct. Would love for my wife to catch one when we go back down to OBX this June. Thanks for the help, Philly Jack


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

sometimes right in the wash -- & inside the first bar, or just over
pomps have good eyesight -- we cast & then backstep up the beach so as not to cast a shadow on the water - don't know if its BS but our catchin improved after we were told that by a local pomp fisherman yrs ago -- also was told that they can "hear" (more like feel, the tremors, i guess) when your feet slap against the wet-packed sand - so we try to stay above it....but you sure don't have to be out far - clean, clear, warm water.


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

Philly Jack - have you sen the recent thread in the NC forum called "pomps"? -- some great stuff.
check it out


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

fishinmama said:


> also was told that they can "hear" (more like feel, the tremors, i guess) when your feet slap against the wet-packed sand - so we try to stay above it....but you sure don't have to be out far - clean, clear, warm water.


This is also a good way to locate them in the flats. If you ride along in your truck slowly and watch as the waves come in you will see the pomps scurrying out over the flat (black drum and sea mullet too). They can feel the vibrations. I have caught pomps, black drum and sea mullet so close to my feet that you had to back away after you cast out just as you mentioned. A "spot" I was fishing last May was so narrow you could only fish 2 poles so the other guys with me had to take turns. The water was about 18" deep


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## POMPINOLOVER (Jun 29, 2006)

I think this whole MYTH that pompano can hear you walking or pounding a surf spike etc. comes from fisherman in florida , particually the west coast who fish for them in boats, Now it is true you can drive a boat in these areas around flats and it will spook the pomps and make them jump out of the water, this is how some locate them, However I highly doubt this related to surf fishing and just walking or jumping on the sand for that matter, I would think a boat makes quite a bit more noise especially going right over top of them .....Just My Opinion .........D


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*Several days this year*

Ive had several days this year when anything you put out in the water would catch them. They were beating the ssea mullets to the hook. Ive also had days when you had to go through different choices of bait to try to find the right one. My preferences are fresh shrimp first, Sand fleas and fish bites are tied for second.


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## roadkillal (Feb 23, 2006)

A few years back I would pay my kids, neices and newphews a nickle a piece for a sand flea and they would keep me stocked the whole week. Now that they are in college they are not interested but their parents who have to make the tuition payments are asking if the deal still goes.


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

*I agree fishinmama*

a flea with a little bit of BWFB is a great place to start ... the BWFB also helps to hold the flea on the hook too .... and clear water is a must .... 

look for a place where you see alot of flea shells piled up and your on your way ... 

Oldtimers told me to use a gold hook too ... 

They are spooky little buggers for sure ......


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## Moon (Feb 24, 2007)

Mudd,

Make sure you tie your rigs with florocarbon. I like 30 lb with small gold hooks, very fresh shrimp with a small piece of clam(orange) fishbites. Caught some big ones at Topsail this past summer!


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*you know, on that note*

One of the best days I had at getting great numbers was using a sabiki rig. IT had gold hooks. My pops was catching them two and three at a time when I got him into it. all the hooks were baited with either shrimp or fish bites, when they ran out, we switched to small sand fleas...

I forgot, he was reminding me of it earlier...He had a blast.


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## OBXJeepGuy (Jan 25, 2008)

I agree on the Sabiki Rigs, especially during the summer when fishing is slow except for Pomps and Sea Mullet. If I am not catching anything on my bigger baits, I start throwing out my Sabiki with some really small peices (maybe 1/4" long at the most) of Bloodworm fishbites. You can usually catch several fish per bait before you have to put a new piece on. I have found that bloodworm fishbites outfishes fresh shrimp as well as the crab, shrimp, and squid fishbites. Nothing more fun than having 5 seamullet pounding at your baits with braid and a light rod. If you have kids with you this is a great way of changing the day from feshin ta catchin!!!!

Also, if you don't like using a rig that long, cut it in half and tie some new swivels on the ends and you have two rigs!!


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## POMPINOLOVER (Jun 29, 2006)

Ill add another little secret ...Im sure you have have walked along a beach at low tide and can see spans where little sea shells are washed up on the high tide in abubdance.. these are not the spots to fish for pomps, as they prefer a straght sandy beach , the reason for this is that the sand fleas do not like a shelly beach , hence the pomps dont either, just another little tip....D


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## OBXJeepGuy (Jan 25, 2008)

POMPINOLOVER said:


> Ill add another little secret ...Im sure you have have walked along a beach at low tide and can see spans where little sea shells are washed up on the high tide in abubdance.. these are not the spots to fish for pomps, as they prefer a straght sandy beach , the reason for this is that the sand fleas do not like a shelly beach , hence the pomps dont either, just another little tip....D


to go a step further......fish where the sand fleas are.....if you don't see sand fleas keeping walking down the beach until you see some, that is what the Pomps are eating!!


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## POMPINOLOVER (Jun 29, 2006)

Sorry OBX Jeep I should have been more clear on my point...Take a nice hot day in mid august... and walk the beach in avon or even north of the point on buxton beaches, you will run into shelly spots along the beach, of course these will be the small shells caught between sloughs and then the shells wash up ..... well the sand fleas move because they like a smooth sandy botom, that way they can better filter the plankton that washes over them .... If you find a shelly area say a couple yards in length , you should fish to either side if it has a good flat sand , as they are definately holding fleas , look for the v's and they are holding pomps , pomps dont like those couple or 10 yards of a shelly beach , but love the flat sandy ones .....D


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

I agree with POMPINOLOVER about the flat beach. I fish the flats (skinny water) which is nothing more than a wide, flat sandbar. The trick is to find runouts flanking the sides of the flat.

My tipoffs for a good spot:
Look for flats with ditches and runouts. These are formed after good NE winds flatten the beach. When summer rolls around I start fishing the narrow sloughs where I look for cuts and rip currents. NE winds don't kick up as much when the heat arrives
Sandfleas
Coquina clams (pomps, sea mullet and black drum love them)
Look for plovers. They eat sandfleas and clams and help to locate pods


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## narfpoit (Jun 16, 2004)

DrumintheSuds said:


> Coquina clams (pomps, sea mullet and black drum love them)
> Look for plovers. They eat sandfleas and clams and help to locate pods


How do you get those tiny clams on the hook? Do you take them out of the shell or just smash them and hook them?


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

*sabiki surf casters*

Good thread. For the sabiki casters. I have caught small pomps from the surf using sabikis, but not large enough to eat. How bout you? And a note on scaring fish in the surf. I know drum and truot will spook if they are at the wash. Pomps; I don't doubt they would too. ths - glenn


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## Mullet Breath (Nov 15, 2006)

gshivar said:


> Good thread. For the sabiki casters. I have caught small pomps from the surf using sabikis, but not large enough to eat. How bout you? And a note on scaring fish in the surf. I know drum and truot will spook if they are at the wash. Pomps; I don't doubt they would too. ths - glenn


I caught mostly potato chip pompino on my sabiki rigs, a few keepers though. Most of the Keepers came later in the season for me versus early on when I caught larger ones on shrimp and sand fleas. I usually will use my sabikis to see what's out there and then try a dropper rig with larger hooks and bait if needed or it seems like there's some larger ones around. I tried the gulp sandfleas with orange on them down at Ft. Fisher last year with some success, but over all was not impressed, and what was funny was a few times I'd feel little hits, but when reeled in there was a gold hook with just a little dot of orange where they would eat all around the hook. Put real bait or a sabiki with FBBW tips and I'd hook up with the little guys. My 3 y.o. daughter had an absolute ball last summer at Frisco fishing with sabikis for pomps.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

narfpoit said:


> How do you get those tiny clams on the hook? Do you take them out of the shell or just smash them and hook them?


I don't fish with the clams. But finding large colonies of them you will often find fish. You find a healthy beach and you will find sandfleas, coquina clams and crabs. You find those three things and you will find the 4th and most inportant element.....FISH


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

Mullet Breath said:


> I caught mostly potato chip pompino on my sabiki rigs, a few keepers though. Most of the Keepers came later in the season for me versus early on when I caught larger ones on shrimp and sand fleas. I usually will use my sabikis to see what's out there and then try a dropper rig with larger hooks and bait if needed or it seems like there's some larger ones around. I tried the gulp sandfleas with orange on them down at Ft. Fisher last year with some success, but over all was not impressed, and what was funny was a few times I'd feel little hits, but when reeled in there was a gold hook with just a little dot of orange where they would eat all around the hook. Put real bait or a sabiki with FBBW tips and I'd hook up with the little guys. My 3 y.o. daughter had an absolute ball last summer at Frisco fishing with sabikis for pomps.


So how do you fish the Sabiki's in the surf? Do you just cast them out and let em sit or do you move them in ever so often. I can see how you might fish them from a boat, dock or pier but I am trying to visualize the surf technique.


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

This is all great information. I've never intentionally targeted pomps before, but I'm planning on going after them and sea mullet more this year.


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## OBXJeepGuy (Jan 25, 2008)

Fireline20 said:


> So how do you fish the Sabiki's in the surf? Do you just cast them out and let em sit or do you move them in ever so often. I can see how you might fish them from a boat, dock or pier but I am trying to visualize the surf technique.


I usually use a light rod and reel with braid and either 1-2oz for weight. See my post above for how I bait up. I don't usually cast out far at all. I fish right behind the closest breakers were the first drop off is, usually I would say within 10-15 yards of the edge of the surf. Sometimes I hold my right tip up, and sometimes I hold it to the side and low. With the tip up I can cover more depth ranges, and with it low I have all 5 or 6 of my baits on the bottom. It has worked well for me during the summer and you never know what you will catch, sea mullet, pompano, flounder, baby bluefish, etc.. May not catch the biggest of fish, but it is a lot of fun when the feshin is slllooooooow!!!!!


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## Puppy Mullet (Dec 5, 2003)

I also like small red or orange beads above the hook. Try to use fleas that have just molted or have soft shells.

Also you can use food coloring to make squid and shrimp bright orange etc.

Tip o the day..When you get to your spot, peel a half dozen shrimp, cut into bait size pieces and let sit in the sun a bit. makes it tougher and stays on the hook better.
2ct.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Puppy Mullet said:


> Tip o the day..When you get to your spot, peel a half dozen shrimp, cut into bait size pieces and let sit in the sun a bit. makes it tougher and stays on the hook better.
> 2ct.


And I thought I was the only one that did that.Good tip.


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## Mullet Breath (Nov 15, 2006)

Fireline20 said:


> So how do you fish the Sabiki's in the surf? Do you just cast them out and let em sit or do you move them in ever so often. I can see how you might fish them from a boat, dock or pier but I am trying to visualize the surf technique.





OBXJeepGuy said:


> I usually use a light rod and reel with braid and either 1-2oz for weight. See my post above for how I bait up. I don't usually cast out far at all. I fish right behind the closest breakers were the first drop off is, usually I would say within 10-15 yards of the edge of the surf. Sometimes I hold my right tip up, and sometimes I hold it to the side and low. With the tip up I can cover more depth ranges, and with it low I have all 5 or 6 of my baits on the bottom. It has worked well for me during the summer and you never know what you will catch, sea mullet, pompano, flounder, baby bluefish, etc.. May not catch the biggest of fish, but it is a lot of fun when the feshin is slllooooooow!!!!!


That's pretty much the same way I fish it. I started a while back around Oregon Inlet looking for bait around Bonner bridge and caught other fish and left it tied on. Went back to the beach to Cobia fish and it was slow and low so I started to sabiki the hole in front of me and started catching pomps, sea mullet, spot.


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

Puppy Mullet said:


> Tip o the day..When you get to your spot, peel a half dozen shrimp, cut into bait size pieces and let sit in the sun a bit. makes it tougher and stays on the hook better.
> 2ct.


Just watch those blackbirds.. they are some bait stealing,,,,
Your not the only one either Cdog,, It doesn't "hurt" the freshness of the shrimp either... usually 10/15 mins will do it..


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## Tmg (Mar 17, 2006)

Puppy Mullet said:


> I also like small red or orange beads above the hook. Try to use fleas that have just molted or have soft shells.
> 
> Also you can use food coloring to make squid and shrimp bright orange etc.
> 
> ...


Peel a hand full and salt'm down in a small container, Really toughens'm up


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