Fly fishing for Pompano from the beach

1046 Views 21 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Str8-Six, 4 d ago

Jared D

Discussion Starter · 10 d ago

I am on my annual trip to SWFL. Yesterday, the wife wanted to island hop so we went from Siesta to Anna Maria.
My kids wanted to swim so we stopped at some various locations. At one beach along the way we spent some time swimming when I saw two big Pompano (3-4 pounders) working up and down the beach. I grabbed my fly rod from the car and tied on a sand flea pattern (I keep a couple of those patterns in my fly box due to reading others posts on here).

I did get a few chases but never connected w one. At one point a school of pomps in 1 pound range hung out near me. Nothing liked my fly except a small snook that made a swipe at it.

this is my pattern- size 6 w bead chain eyes. I think it being heavier would have helped as the wave action really impacted the fly a lot and yesterday was really calm in this location.

Are these possible to catch? The water is so clear I can see them 30 yards away.

I am rigged for snook so had 25 pound flouro tippet on 8wt w floating line.

I doubt I will ever specifically target them but if I wind up in that situation again…. What should one do differently?

See less See more

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

John Patrick

· #2 · 10 d ago

Jared D said:
I am on my annual trip to SWFL. Yesterday, the wife wanted to island hop so we went from Siesta to Anna Maria.
My kids wanted to swim so we stopped at some various locations. At one beach along the way we spent some time swimming when I saw two big Pompano (3-4 pounders) working up and down the beach. I grabbed my fly rod from the car and tied on a sand flea pattern (I keep a couple of those patterns in my fly box due to reading others posts on here).

I did get a few chases but never connected w one. At one point a school of pomps in 1 pound range hung out near me. Nothing liked my fly except a small snook that made a swipe at it.
View attachment 240660 View attachment 240660
this is my pattern- size 6 w bead chain eyes. I think it being heavier would have helped as the wave action really impacted the fly a lot and yesterday was really calm in this location.

Are these possible to catch? The water is so clear I can see them 30 yards away.

I am rigged for snook so had 25 pound flouro tippet on 8wt w floating line.

I doubt I will ever specifically target them but if I wind up in that situation again…. What should one do differently?

Found this photo on the second to last page of the “Who’s Catching What on the Fly” thread.
Never fished for pompano myself.

See less See more

Reactions: 2

Zika

· #3 · 10 d ago

Your fly looks good. Pompano have keen eyesight, so try scaling down on your leader if you target them again and barely move the fly as sand fleas are not very mobile.

Reactions: 1

MRichardson

· #4 · 10 d ago

They'll eat a closer, too. Orange and white, size 4 and 2. I did target them at certain times of the year up in the panhandle. I didn't find them to be all that picky, just had to hope for one of those days where you could spot them and they were there.

Reactions: 1

Bflatisbest

· #5 · 10 d ago

I'd suggest a sinking intermediate tip line like Flats Pro 6' Stealth tip or 15ft Intermediate clear tip. SA Grandslam intermediate tip is also great. The intermediate tips will help get the lighter weight patterns down a bit faster without having to throw much heavier flies. They work wonderfully in the surf and are much more manageable to cast than a full sinking intermediate line. I would consider using a slightly shorter leader length with an intermediate clear tip line.

Alternatively, you could also buy an intermediate tip instead of purchasing a whole new line. Just make sure to select one that matches a similar grain weight to the head of your existing fly line. OPST has a good selection of these in 5 to 12 ft lengths and are very affordable. Attach the sink tip and a few feet a of tippet and you are ready to go.

Reactions: 1

Tripletail

· #6 · 9 d ago

Intermediate lines for sure and up here on the Alabama coast and western panhandle we do really well with bright colors, pink orange chartreuse and white, have caught some on natural looking flies too( sand flea or ghost shrimp) but not near as many as on something bright and noticeable, on of my favorite fish to catch and eat!

Reactions: 2

Tripletail

· #7 · 9 d ago

Skrams photo is here in Alabama, bright pink fly…

Reactions: 2

Flyguy88

· #8 · 9 d ago

I caught a nice pompano in August while blindly casting on the beach with a white and pink crazy charlie. I was using a Wulff Bermuda Triangle Taper Lost Tip line.

lemaymiami

· #9 · 9 d ago

I'd be tossing clousers with heavy lead eyes and short wings at them (in pink, chartreuse, orange, etc. at them. Allow the fly to sink to the bottom before stripping with very short, sharp strips to provoke a strike... Good luck and post up how it works for you...

Reactions: 4

texasag07

· #10 · 8 d ago

Heavier weight would be my first thought. They will eat lots of stuff so don’t get to tied into a sandlfea pattern. When they are schooling I catch them on some of my 3” long baitfish patterns.

Skram

· #11 · 8 d ago

All good info in the replies. This are my favorite pompano patterns. We have caught them on larger baitfish patterns and even topwater. (They are a jack after all). Like @Tripletail said, intermediate lines and bright colors have worked best for use. We pompano fish often. I 100% agree with @texasag07 about not getting stuck on sand fleas. Although I have caught many on fleas, they are sight feeders so I like movement. The more obnoxious the color and erratic the strip the better.

See less See more

Reactions: 5

Jared D

Discussion Starter · #12 · 7 d ago

Wish I would have known to go bright. I had a chartreuse and orange clouser in size four in the fly box…. But alas I was way off in my thoughts.

it will have to wait until next year as I am now back home in NEFL where there is no sight fishing for pomps in the surf.

flysalt060

· #13 · 7 d ago

No sight fishing in nefl, but blind casting. Friend caught 8 yesterday. One on a popper, in ga,off beach.

Reactions: 2

citadelmarineservices

· #14 · 6 d ago

Yep weight is the key as others have mentioned. I like 5mm nickel plated tungsten eyes, size 4 hook, lead wraps underneath. Intermediate line is ideal. Your pattern looks good, but try match color of the sand and add the weight etc, and you'll get em to eat no problem.

Reactions: 1

idlerick5

· #15 · 5 d ago

I never beach-fished for them (wish I'd had the chance), but in my experience a Clouser fished deep was the ticket, especially in the passes. When you think about it, sand fleas anywhere but in the sand isn't logical. Pomps tend to stay and feed right near the bottom, so any kind of a small jig on spinning tackle or a weighted fly is what you're after. They have small mouths, so a #4 or 6 is ideal.

Reactions: 1

Jason M

· #16 · 5 d ago

They are a ton of white and very light colored swimming crabs in the surf zone also. They are on the bottom, not just swimming around.

Look at Docs Goofy jigs they have caught more pompano than anything except shrimp lol.

Reactions: 1

BM_Barrelcooker

· #17 · 5 d ago

3

My daughter is an artist and she has had pomp on her mind lately.

See less See more

Reactions: 5

Duncan.C09

· #18 · 4 d ago

good deal

Maverick MA

· #19 · 4 d ago

BM_Barrelcooker said:
My daughter is an artist and she has had pomp on her mind lately.

View attachment 241016
View attachment 241018
View attachment 241017

Your daughter is exceptionally talented!

Reactions: 2

Flyguy88

· #20 · 4 d ago

Skram said:
All good info in the replies. This are my favorite pompano patterns. We have caught them on larger baitfish patterns and even topwater. (They are a jack after all). Like @Tripletail said, intermediate lines and bright colors have worked best for use. We pompano fish often. I 100% agree with @texasag07 about not getting stuck on sand fleas. Although I have caught many on fleas, they are sight feeders so I like movement. The more obnoxious the color and erratic the strip the better.

Some great looking flies.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts