Looking for 1st sign of Pompano

Water is too cold.

You need to watch the water temp. Check the graph at the bottom of this page. Once the water gets to at least 68 on a regular basis (70+ is preferrable) the pomp will start to show.

Composite Plot

Good charts Ken...thanks!

Outdoor Life: Panhandle fishing warming up - Sports - The News Herald

There were reports from the new pier this week of several pompano being caught, but only one ling. The whiting and drum were biting, but since the water temperature at the pier was 64 degrees it was short of that mild 68 degrees we need for everything to bust lose.
With the air temperatures staying in the high 60s it won’t be long before we will be in business. Also, some Spanish mackerel were caught in the past two days.


Roy Ledbetter from Salty Bass in Fort Walton Beach had good gulf and river reports. Roy said that on the Okaloosa Island Pier four ling were caught along with many pompano. In the Choctawhatchee River, big speckled trout are being caught on topwater plugs at daylight.


If you want to catch speckled trout you can bet most of them will be caught at daylight. Roy said one of his friends watched an osprey swoop down and two away a two-foot alligator.




Brent Romiti of Bluewater Outriggers staff said there still was not a lot of action to talk about in St. Joe Bay. He said he fished from sunup until sundown to no avail this past week. He said he tried everything in the tackle box and even live bait.


The water temperature was 61 degrees and the wind was from the west. Sightfishing is very challenging, to say the least and may not improve until the water warms and the wind lies down.

You need to watch the water temp. Check the graph at the bottom of this page. Once the water gets to at least 68 on a regular basis (70+ is preferrable) the pomp will start to show.

Composite Plot

I caught six sand fleas big enough to keep and fish with. Gave away to people on the beach fishing. Lets go fishing tomorrow, late afternoon to sunset. I'll catch the bait. It will be slim pickings probably, but with a little wine and a great sunset, a great way to end the day. I'll need to check out my fishing pole. Probably in a sad state from last year.

I was walking from Grayton to Seagrove on the beach last Monday ( a week ago) and saw a guy in the State Park pull in a humongous pompano! It was about 1:30 in the afternoon. I had passed another guy who had been fishing for pompano since 6:30 that morning and hadn't even gotten a bite.

So I guess they are here!