# Pompano Bait/Rig



## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Anyone have one they like better than the other? Also, best bait when sand fleas aren’t around? I’d like to try for them near Kure Beach this week. Thanks for any advice.


----------



## brob757 (Apr 9, 2020)

I've caught them 90% on basically a fishfinder rig. I use 1oz pyramid sinkers as weight. Size 2 or 4 gold colored hooks on a fluorocarbon leader 8 to 10 inches. For bait I've always had luck getting the freshest shrimp I can find. Take it out of the shell and cut it into pieces. Say 1/2" at the longest. Couldn't stop catching them in Garden City like that. I've also caught a ton of Sea Mullet and Small black drum this way. Mostly Get bit just inside the outer bar or the trough right behind the wash. Most people I've talked to say that you'll catch quantity with baits like shrimp etc but you'll catch your best quality with sand fleas. Fewer bites, bigger fish. Hope this helps. There are much better pomp fishermen on here than I that will probably be able to give better pointers as well. Good luck.


----------



## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Well I appreciate the info. I haven’t done it in years and want to get my son on a few.
I didn’t know if anything has changed as far as what rod is the best over the past ten years or so.


----------



## Jdiesel (Mar 12, 2020)

Brob757 is right on it. Fish finder rig, two drop rig with orange or pink bead ( looks like sand flea roe to the pomp). Bait wise... fresh is best with shrimp or sand flea but, fish bites or fish gum will also work when needed.


----------



## brob757 (Apr 9, 2020)

drumchaser said:


> Well I appreciate the info. I haven’t done it in years and want to get my son on a few.
> I didn’t know if anything has changed as far as what rod is the best over the past ten years or so.


I honestly just use an inshore rod and hang on instead of putting it in a spike. I bought a nice St Croix Tidemaster travel rod a few years back to take on my travels with me. I want to say 7.5 feet. It's medium heavy fast and coupled with a penn spinfisher v. It's my favorite rod and reel now for just about everything even if it just a tad much sometimes. I think most medium or medium heavy inshore rods would be perfect.


----------



## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

brob757 said:


> I've caught them 90% on basically a fishfinder rig. I use 1oz pyramid sinkers as weight. Size 2 or 4 gold colored hooks on a fluorocarbon leader 8 to 10 inches. For bait I've always had luck getting the freshest shrimp I can find. Take it out of the shell and cut it into pieces. Say 1/2" at the longest. Couldn't stop catching them in Garden City like that. I've also caught a ton of Sea Mullet and Small black drum this way. Mostly Get bit just inside the outer bar or the trough right behind the wash. Most people I've talked to say that you'll catch quantity with baits like shrimp etc but you'll catch your best quality with sand fleas. Fewer bites, bigger fish. Hope this helps. There are much better pomp fishermen on here than I that will probably be able to give better pointers as well. Good luck.


Can I ask a question. When u use a fish finder rig are u going line to line or can u use a snap swivel to attach the leader and keep sliding weight on main line below the snap swivel with bead? Just so it’s easier to switch rigs.


----------



## jimim77 (May 6, 2016)

Jdiesel said:


> Brob757 is right on it. Fish finder rig, two drop rig with orange or pink bead ( looks like sand flea roe to the pomp). Bait wise... fresh is best with shrimp or sand flea but, fish bites or fish gum will also work when needed.


When u add beads to the drop rigs can u still use them if u attach hooks with ur drops being loops vs tie on hooks?


----------



## big minnow (Dec 18, 2009)

drumchaser said:


> Anyone have one they like better than the other? Also, best bait when sand fleas aren’t around? I’d like to try for them near Kure Beach this week. Thanks for any advice.


The best info on pomp fishing that I've ever read can be found on this website. Go to the main page, then down to archive, then to fishing bible. Find on the first page " catching pompano " . Pier-legend gives great advise and he fishes Kure Beach area.


----------



## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

Not a numbers game in NC, at least for the quality fish in my experience. I target them a week or two every year (summer through fall) and usually only manage a handful of citations each week (this is putting in hours of fishing). You will catch plenty of dinks, not to mention so many sea mullet. Not the best fisherman to be sure but when I have fished Fl the difference is night & day...in one week on the east coast of Fl north of Sebastian Inlet in December I managed about 6-8 quality pomps per day, not to mention many smaller.

Fleas, fluoro rig, sharp circles. If bait stealers are bad I go to fishbites. I have concocted all kinds of crazy floats, beads, etc. for my rigs but I doubt it matters that much.


----------



## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Thanks for all the replies. This is what this site used to be about, when I joined.

Now, what rod is best to use?


----------



## Jdiesel (Mar 12, 2020)

Oh boy! That’s a loaded question which will yield a shotgun blast of answers. I’ll say this, you don’t need a heaver or anything crazy for pomp. A nice bass/walleye fresh water rod or a good inshore or light surf will be perfect. If you have a freshwater rod 6’3”-6’6” ( can work and has for my kids ) run with that for awhile if not, get your meat hooks on a inshore 7’-8’. Still undecided, go for light surf rod. See the pattern here, light gear. No need for big drum and shark stuff with little 1-2-3 lbs pomp.


I know what your next question will be, which mfg and weight...

I myself like Lamiglas, St.Croix, Fenwick, Penn and Daiwa Back Bay ( Med/ Med-Hvy/ Hvy ) . There are so many great rods out there the ones listed above are just the tip of iceberg.


----------



## Jdiesel (Mar 12, 2020)

jimim77 said:


> When u add beads to the drop rigs can u still use them if u attach hooks with ur drops being loops vs tie on hooks?


If I am understanding you correctly, yes. You slide the bead on first then wrap your hook on the end of the drop. If the line is to thick for the eye of the hook to thread through( both pieces ) snip off one leg when the knot is tight and snell it or tie on.


----------



## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Jdiesel said:


> Oh boy! That’s a loaded question which will yield a shotgun blast of answers. I’ll say this, you don’t need a heaver or anything crazy for pomp. A nice bass/walleye fresh water rod or a good inshore or light surf will be perfect. If you have a freshwater rod 6’3”-6’6” ( can work and has for my kids ) run with that for awhile if not, get your meat hooks on a inshore 7’-8’. Still undecided, go for light surf rod. See the pattern here, light gear. No need for big drum and shark stuff with little 1-2-3 lbs pomp.
> 
> 
> I know what your next question will be, which mfg and weight...
> ...


So something like this probably won’t have enough backbone to go very far out with a rig, bait and a few ounces would it? 







Fenwick HMX Salmon/Steelhead Spinning Rod | Cabela's


Buy the Fenwick HMX Salmon/Steelhead Spinning Rod and more quality Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor gear at Bass Pro Shops.




www.cabelas.com


----------



## retired (Oct 20, 2016)

I like a 9 ft or so rod that is a 3/4 -2 1/2 oz rod. I find it still does a good job close and you can actually get a little distance if needed. Just got back from 10 days at OBX. Fished from from ramps 25-55.....38 was by far the best for me. I'll say this though. If fishing sucked this bad in the 70's when I started I would have never went back. Old habits and memories die hard I guess. My next trip will be far more streamlined and more about vacation than fishing as I still enjoy the place. I pity those of you that just never had a chance to see what real fishing was...........


----------



## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

big minnow said:


> The best info on pomp fishing that I've ever read can be found on this website. Go to the main page, then down to archive, then to fishing bible. Find on the first page " catching pompano " . Pier-legend gives great advise and he fishes Kure Beach area.



Right on "big minnow!"

Pier legend is got some incredible advice. I remember it from years back.


----------



## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

I read that thread and saved it earlier today. Definitely an archive.


----------



## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

Here's a quick story on how I got into pomp fishing. I used to be a pier flounder and sheepshead guy, and would also plug for blues and spanish. One day I was plugging at the end of the Jolly Roger in Topsail some years ago and saw another guy hook up on his gotcha with something that had to be big, real big. After a crazy fight on a light plugging rod a 5lb pomp eventually surfaces that had hit the plug, at the end of the pier. They manage to get the fish up over the railing and it is stud. The JR is about 750 feet and this fish was caught at the end...200+ yards off the beach. S Topsail is a relatively flat beach and that opened my eyes up to the need to be able to get your bait out far on flat beaches if you want the big ones. After that I decided I was going to chase big pomps and forget about the dinks that I usually could catch on the pier.

IMO, the serious pomp guys, especially those who fish flat beaches, will always have "long rod" capability. Not every bait goes out that far, but sometimes you need to be able to get it out there. First it was the team alabama 13 foot'er, now the CCP 13 3-6oz is a favorite of many. I use 2 12 footers that throw 4oz well, and then also use several 11 foot carp rods rated 1-3oz. I fish with sputnik/breakaway type sinkers that let me hold in any condition except heavy heavy grass with only a 2-3oz weight. This allows me to keep my rig leader at 25-30lb fluoro. I throw braid mainline (15lb) with 40lb braid shock, then fluoro leader rigs of 25-30lb. I fish multiple rods and would not fish braid around others. But you can get serious distance with braid. Everyone does things differently and there are certainly much better fishermen than me on this board who probably think this approach is ridiculous. But it is what I have found works in producing big ones for me.


----------



## brob757 (Apr 9, 2020)

jimim77 said:


> Can I ask a question. When u use a fish finder rig are u going line to line or can u use a snap swivel to attach the leader and keep sliding weight on main line below the snap swivel with bead? Just so it’s easier to switch rigs.


When


jimim77 said:


> Can I ask a question. When u use a fish finder rig are u going line to line or can u use a snap swivel to attach the leader and keep sliding weight on main line below the snap swivel with bead? Just so it’s easier to switch rigs.


I use just a single hook. I tie it to fluorocarbon, then tie the flourocarbon to a barrel swivel, on the main line I have a bead and the sinker I don't even use a slide, just run the main line right through the eye on the sinker. If you used a snap swivel up above the sinker far enough I think it would be ok but I always like using that fish finder rig because it lets the bait move more in the water and it lets the fish take the Bait without feeling weight. It also makes it harder, with no tension, for the fish to tear the bait free from the hook or peck your hook clean. If you have a swivel too close it won't allow the fish to cleanly pick up the bait because it will pull the swivel into the sinker which could bury itself in the sand providing even more tension. In my opinion it also allows for more hook sets because you are setting the hook cleanly on the fish instead of pulling on the sinker and the fish. Sorry for the late response. I've been working a lot and haven't visited in a few days.


----------



## Reit_Angler (Jul 29, 2019)

That sounds like something I'll try in September instead of putting on the usual McMahon snap. I imagine going much over 3 oz would be pushing it though, no? I like the idea of less hardware but don't want to risk my own/others safety if I try to get some distance on a cast


brob757 said:


> I use just a single hook. I tie it to fluorocarbon, then tie the flourocarbon to a barrel swivel, on the main line I have a bead and the sinker I don't even use a slide, just run the main line right through the eye on the sinker.


----------

