http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/captains-corner-larger-pompano-abundant-in-gulf/2328435

Pompano are red hot. We had trips on which 27 and 18 were caught in a fairly short period. They were running kind of small this year until the past few days, with bigger fish displacing the smaller ones. Do your research on pompano jigs. A lot of companies have lures that work. I use a jig and a teaser. I custom tie my teaser; 90 percent of the fish are caught on the teaser. I like a yellow jig and a pink teaser. The teaser is a fly. My teasers use pink fabric, and I tie in some flash such as lateral scale — extra sparkle, better results. Use a No. 25 leader, which helps when you run into ladyfish. Make long casts and let the lure sink to the bottom. Target areas of 9 feet in depth or more. Passes and bridges are prime locations to search for pompano. While jigging, make sure the lure always comes back down to hit the bottom after every sweep of the rod tip. If your lure is not in contact with the bottom, the odds of catching pompano decrease dramatically. Pompano are one of the best fish to eat in the Gulf of Mexico. Pompano must be 11 inches to the fork, and the limit is six fish per angler.

Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at strikethreekayakfishing.com and (727) 692-6345.

Neil Taylor
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