# Anyone seeing pompano yet?



## fishingredcat (May 20, 2016)

Just checking to see if anyone has seen pompano from the surf?


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## OttoMan (Sep 8, 2011)

Saw the galveston fishing pier posted on facebook a gentleman catching some a couple days ago.


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## waterfly (Sep 18, 2007)

I found this one at the West Bank last year....









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## bballman (Jun 7, 2006)

What are the best months for pompano along Galveston and surfside surf?


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

They are such a coincidental fish that is hard to say when is best. We catch them more by accident / bonus when fishing for other stuff.

Having said that. Warm months when the water is more on the clean and clear side.


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## gsykora59 (Dec 15, 2018)

Caught 2 at Port Aransas beach (right in front of Gulf Waters RV resort) earlier this month.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Yep, your lucky when you catch them, very lucky because they are the best eating fish you can catch from the surf.
I've only caught them on occasion fishing with live shrimp in clear water, and after catching a couple, peel the live shrimp and catch more that way.
At any rate they would be gone pretty quick it seems. I would be happy for every keeper I caught. All them were caught on PINS.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

Sunday, right after the nasty weather. Never kept a whiting besides cutbait, biggest was 16â€. I hear theyâ€™re good, last couple years tried sand trout and croaker for the first time, edible. The pomp had me jumping up and down on the beach like a school kid!


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## bballman (Jun 7, 2006)

Nice


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I see jig heads in the photos, but no soft plastics. Are those big whiting coming on natural bait or something like fishbites or a soft plastic? I might want to hit the beachfront someday soon, just want to have an idea about what I should toss.


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## Flat Fish (Jun 18, 2005)

You can catch whiting of fish bites or shrimp. I've never seen one caught on a lure, but you never know...


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## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

*Pomps???*

Hate to say this but most of those pics appeared to be jacks, especially the large pig the guy holding on the boat. Take a look on or behind the pectoral fin and you will see the give away black spot/patch belonging to the jack family. Coloring on the one fellow holding up the pomp on what I think was Port A is more of what you will see with a pompano.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

karstopo said:


> I see jig heads in the photos, but no soft plastics. Are those big whiting coming on natural bait or something like fishbites or a soft plastic? I might want to hit the beachfront someday soon, just want to have an idea about what I should toss.


That rod was my ruler, all caught on fishbites and fresh dead skrimp. Single drop leaders on bottom. Quick trip today at lunch caught a puppy and another 15â€ whiting. Lotta fun on light tackle!


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## LarryG (Aug 12, 2005)

are you shore fishing or wading?


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

LarryG said:


> are you shore fishing or wading?


Shore, first two guts. Most caught in the first with incoming tide. Well... between the five of us we couldnâ€™t pick the best fish, all was good! Just fried that pompano, a flounder and a mess of whiting. We all had a filet of each, whiting wasnâ€™t fishy whatsoever just how pomp & flounder arenâ€™t. We typically broil, grill or skillet sear pomp with very little seasoning so no one burn me!


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Flat Fish said:


> You can catch whiting of fish bites or shrimp. I've never seen one caught on a lure, but you never know...


Whiting will take a fly. Iâ€™ve gotten some in the surf on Borski sliders and clouser minnows. People get pompano on flies, but Iâ€™ve yet to get one. Thereâ€™s folks that sort of specialize in tying pompano flies. Most look like sand fleas or mole crabs. Iâ€™m thinking the borski slider will work on pompano if I put it in front of one.


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## mccain (Oct 20, 2006)

karstopo said:


> Whiting will take a fly. Iâ€™ve gotten some in the surf on Borski sliders and clouser minnows. People get pompano on flies, but Iâ€™ve yet to get one. Thereâ€™s folks that sort of specialize in tying pompano flies. Most look like sand fleas or mole crabs. Iâ€™m thinking the borski slider will work on pompano if I put it in front of one.


they'll hit topwaters as well. caught a 18" pomp on a bone spook jr about 6-7yrs ago. but yea it was more of an accident fish than anything else. have yet to catch another


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Nice fishing Solodaddio! Whiting are very good eating especially the nice size ones like those, but a pompano, sheeee that's the best eating in the suds by far!
The first ones I brought home years,.. uh decades ago, came from PINS. 

When I got home to East Texas and started cleaning them my well behaved cats sat and waited for scrapes while I filleted the first few trout, reds, but when I pulled the first pomp out of the ice chest and put it on the table they both jumped up and dug their claws in it. I tossed them off and they did it again, I had to put them in the house to finish. I thought to myself, these must be good, then I cooked them and was blown away with how delicious they are.
Cats have good taste in fish, who knew?


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

shadslinger said:


> Nice fishing Solodaddio! Whiting are very good eating especially the nice size ones like those, but a pompano, sheeee that's the best eating in the suds by far!
> The first ones I brought home years,.. uh decades ago, came from PINS.
> 
> When I got home to East Texas and started cleaning them my well behaved cats sat and waited for scrapes while I filleted the first few trout, reds, but when I pulled the first pomp out of the ice chest and put it on the table they both jumped up and dug their claws in it. I tossed them off and they did it again, I had to put them in the house to finish. I thought to myself, these must be good, then I cooked them and was blown away with how delicious they are.
> Cats have good taste in fish, who knew?


Appreciate it Shadslinger, lemme know when you make it down brother so we can fill up an ice chest! I feel after spring break the pompano will be ready to play and plentiful. I plan to camp PINS this spring, if you have any recommendations on a good camp spot please let me know. Them cats knew what they wanted, what a story!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Camping all the way down to Malacaite is good, great surf fishing there.


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## Lav20 (Mar 22, 2005)

fultonswimmer said:


> Hate to say this but most of those pics appeared to be jacks, especially the large pig the guy holding on the boat. Take a look on or behind the pectoral fin and you will see the give away black spot/patch belonging to the jack family. Coloring on the one fellow holding up the pomp on what I think was Port A is more of what you will see with a pompano.


The boat picture is an African Pompano. Caught them before and in the same place. They must like it there. Regarding the beach pics they all look like standard Pompano to me. I guess the taste would confirm the species. I'm betting tasty pompano.


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## creolefish (Apr 29, 2006)

I've consistently caught whiting on small speck rigs wading the surf. Lots of fun and sometimes the specks show up but not until the water temp is above 70.

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## cuzn dave (Nov 29, 2008)

fultonswimmer said:


> Hate to say this but most of those pics appeared to be jacks, especially the large pig the guy holding on the boat. Take a look on or behind the pectoral fin and you will see the give away black spot/patch belonging to the jack family. Coloring on the one fellow holding up the pomp on what I think was Port A is more of what you will see with a pompano.


Thats an African Pompano, no doubt.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Went out to Surfside this afternoon for a little bit. No pompano for me. Got a couple of small whiting. Had a mystery fish chew through 15# fluorocarbon. Lots of current and plenty of break, enough to attract a few surfers. I never fished anything beyond the first gut. Too rough and too early in the year to battle breakers.


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> Camping all the way down to Malacaite is good, great surf fishing there.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


there's some really good structure in the 40's.....Tyler said some guy had a few pomps in the teens this past tuesday...

we had a decent season all the way to new years and I'm well stocked....in fact, that's the only fish that's in my freezer right now is pomp....
snookered


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## fireman23 (Aug 17, 2010)

Caught a small pomp today near slp 


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

My groups last week have caught pompano every trip....within a 1 to 1.5 miles from East Beach in Galveston.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

sgrem said:


> My groups last week have caught pompano every trip....within a 1 to 1.5 miles from East Beach in Galveston.


Thanks, I may have to give surf fishing for them a shot in the next few days. Everything on the Trinity watershed, Lake Livingston, and the tailrace are still struggling to recover from the muddy flood. The white bass are making their way back to the south end, but not there yet.

It's a week before the catfish show up on the bulkheads so it would be timely for me.
Ummm pompano :dance:
Snookered, a freezer with nothing but pomps? That's the way to do it.

Few fish are worth freezing to me, I'll take a frozen pomp over a fresh white bass any day!


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## habanerojooz (Dec 4, 2006)

People in other coastal areas use small brightly colored bucktail jigs for pompano. Has anyone tried those jigs around here?


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## Illbethere (Mar 11, 2015)

*rig jigs for Pomano*

can anyone show me a pompano rig using jigs used in the surf?


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

https://www.nativesaltclam.com/product/docs-goofy-jigs/
http://tajigs.com/pompano-jigs


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## Snookered (Jun 16, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> Ummm pompano :dance:
> Snookered, a freezer with nothing but pomps? That's the way to do it.
> 
> Few fish are worth freezing to me, I'll take a frozen pomp over a fresh white bass any day!


we usually hit up the WB run on the nueces and get a few sacks in the freezer, but it was really slow this season, and we also still haven't gotten our new-to-us johnboat registered (another story, ugh!) but seems like we didn't miss much...

I got a decent pomp and a decent black drum this past Saturday at the beach south of Bob Hall, but neither made the freezer, LOL....

if this stupid winter weather will ever go away, I'll float the big skiff and hit the king ranch shoreline after work and load up on trout here shortly with this new moon upon us....

good luck to you guys hitting it up at LL; it's been an interesting season all around for all of us...
snookered


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The white bass here spawned like it was the end times, lol!
The only thing was the fluctuations of the river made it hard on some days.
The bulkhead bite for cats kicked off. So Iâ€™ll be too busy for a beach trip for a while.
Catch em for me.


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## 348473 (Apr 12, 2017)

Lav20 said:


> The boat picture is an African Pompano. Caught them before and in the same place. They must like it there. Regarding the beach pics they all look like standard Pompano to me. I guess the taste would confirm the species. I'm betting tasty pompano.


Looks like trevally to me ???


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

African Pompano, also known as Threadfin Trevally.


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## Sgrill1972 (Mar 27, 2019)

Ive personally only caught one pomp in the surf a couple years ago, it was fantastic eating... Whiting are some of the best eating from the surf too... Sand trout are tasty but you need to eat them right away.... DOOOOO not freeze them whatsoever,the meat turns to mush and taste like ****.....


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