Thread: Saturday the 5th

The wife said i can come down for a day trip... I'll be targeting pomps... So if you will... please make sure they are biting. I want my little limit of 3 so i can go back to the single wide and fry something.

Man, don't fry pompano. They are too oily and are strictly best broiled or baked. Catch some of those sheepies and whiting and fry them and have the pomps broiled on the side. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Haywire

Man, don't fry pompano. They are too oily and are strictly best broiled or baked. Catch some of those sheepies and whiting and fry them and have the pomps broiled on the side. Good luck.

ONCE, I fried a pomp up with some whiting. It was fine cooked that way, but no better than the whiting. Every other time, I've grilled them, skin side down with garlic salt, basted in butter and just a sprinkle of Slap Ya' Momma spice. It's absolute Heaven - the best fish you'll ever eat!

We're in agreement about pomps, Haywire.

Skinless pomp fillets braised in butter, salt and pepper, with fresh asparagus. Dang, now I'm starving.

I've never targeted Pompano or Flounder but caught a nice one of each this past fall. I fried both of them together to compare. Flounder was awesome, but Pompano was almost unetable.. It was oily and fishy even though I clean and wash my fish well before cooking. I couldn't understand what my friends were raving about when it came to Pompano.
Then Mr. Harley told me a Pompano has to be broiled/baked. My wife said that shouldn't take away that oily fishy taste, but boy was she wrong. It was baked wand basted with butter and a little Old Bay, (very little), and it was delicious. Still don't understand why baked would take away that fishy flavor, but I'll keep all Pomps from now on!

Dang, Todd, I was hoping you'd give 'em to me.

Lol I grill my pomps, I was just using the phrase from the movie "Sweet Home Alabama". I agree with never frying a pomp. butter, lemon pepper, and a bit of natures seasoning on the grill is how i like mine

Originally Posted by Haywire

Man, don't fry pompano. They are too oily and are strictly best broiled or baked. Catch some of those sheepies and whiting and fry them and have the pomps broiled on the side. Good luck.

I've never had much luck with sheepies. I've fished the pier 3 years now and never had so much as a bite. I've mirrored the rigs and techniques or the regulars that i see catching them, maybe my shrimp are defective.

Originally Posted by Mr. Cleland

I've never had much luck with sheepies. I've fished the pier 3 years now and never had so much as a bite. I've mirrored the rigs and techniques or the regulars that i see catching them, maybe my shrimp are defective.

Don't give up, Mr. C! The fish don't know who's holding the pole - In fact, they're oblivious to the fact that you're trying to catch them unless they're tipped-off. During late March/Early April, you can see 'em down there sometimes. Take BOTH live (gotta be live) shrimp and live fiddler crabs. Use a smallish hook on the fidders and put TWO of 'em on the hook to conceal the fact that there's a hook in there. Put your smallish (1/4 to 1/2 oz if you can get away with it) egg sinker about 18" above the bait with just a small black swivel. Go up in size as you need to, regarding the egg sinker, in relation to the wind and current. Still, stay as small with the weight as you can and still keep the bait where you want it.

So in an ideal situation you can see sheepshead swimming around the pilings. I position my bait on the outward-facing side of the piling, SNEAKING the bait into the water. I try to rest it on that piling at a level close to where sheepshead are feeding. Then I watch closely. If the water is clear, I can see the sheepshead's gills flare when he takes it in. That's when I set the hook (j-hook) or start reeling (circle hook). If you can't see the bite, you have to feel it and it's sometimes light (to you, but not to your bait!) When you feel a (tic) your bait is being crushed by the sheepshead. Set the hook right then! I understand that your issue to date has been no even getting bit, but you need to know what to do.

My guess is that there's something about your terminal tackle (hook or swivel too big, leader too big around or too short so that it sees your weight right above the bait) or the problem is your bait (not live/lively, not hooked so that the hook is hidden) or the way that it is presented. The idea is for the sheepshead to think that he has happened upon an easy meal and everything looks natural. The smallest details make all of the difference in the world. It's just a whole different kind of fishing, which is one of the things that I like about it!

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

My guess is that there's something about your terminal tackle (hook or swivel too big, leader too big around or too short so that it sees your weight right above the bait) or the problem is your bait (not live/lively, not hooked so that the hook is hidden) or the way that it is presented. The idea is for the sheepshead to think that he has happened upon an easy meal and everything looks natural. The smallest details make all of the difference in the world. It's just a whole different kind of fishing, which is one of the things that I like about it!

Thank you! I'll re-assess my tackle and technique and give it a shot.