Thread: Surf Pompano Bait

What is the best bait for spring pomps in the surf?

Originally Posted by Irish Fisherman

What is the best bait for spring pomps in the surf?

Either Carolina rigged ghost shrimp or freshly dead peeled shrimp on a pompano rig

Easiest to get and work very well are sand fleas, peeled shrimp and peeled shrimp with fishbites.

Ghost shrimp=pompano candy. Hard to keep on a hook and a pain in the butt to gather but pompano will tear them up. Sandfleas are great if you can find them. Fresh dead peeled shrimp. Frozen raw shrimp will work but it is slimy and hard to keep on a hook and is smelly which attracts a lot of undesirable bycatch. Size 2 or smaller hooks. Good luck!

Thank you!

Why use two different rigs? I like the Carolina rig which I used one for the first time last year.

When the water is rough or very dingy you want to get the bait up off the bottom.
in calm, clear water conditions they can see the bait laying on the bottom.

Another method (tried and trued) that covers much more water is using jigs.
Either a singular pompano jig (tied directly on light line) or the "Goofy Jig" / "Silly Willy" setup which I like even better.


Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by Irish Fisherman

Thank you!

Why use two different rigs? I like the Carolina rig which I used one for the first time last year.

My favorite is the jig and teaser in Pier#r's picture. I like to make a shock leader out of 40lb mono. The heavier jig will cut through the loop with lighter line. I make the loop about 5 or 6 inches long so the teaser moves up further and falls slower. 95% of my catches on this rig are on the teaser. You can cover a lot of water very quickly with the jig. I don't do well with it in dingy water.

I like a Carolina rig with a 1.5oz egg sinker when using small live shrimp. I like to cast out and drag it back with a medium retrieve so the sinker stirs up sand on the bottom.

For a stationary rig I like a double drop rig with size 2 or smaller khale hooks and small round floats to keep the bait off the bottom and moving with the waves. I bait one hook with ghost shrimp and another with sandfleas if I can get them.

I am not addicted to pompano fishing. I can quit any time I want to. I just don't want to.

I was getting ready to order some hooks Size 2 or 2/0?

Thanks

#2 or #4.

2/0 would be way too big.

Got it thanks!