The Pomptastic Run

November is an exciting time for saltwater anglers in Texas. With fall migrations hitting their peaks, chaotic scenes unfold along the coast. Among the strongest fighting fish, pound for pound, jack crevalle feverishly chase trains of mullet down the beach. Massive schools of red drum gather and join the jacks in the frenzies. Sharks of various species terrorize prey throughout the nearshore waters. Hyper-aggressive tarpon feed heavily before moving out for the winter.

In the second half of autumn, these and many other predators prowl the surf zone. Some anglers enjoy chasing and catching all these kinds of fish, but one species in particular attracts a cult following. Not a large, menacing predator, nor a fish with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, this species nevertheless draws anglers to the surf like hungry addicts.

The Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) is a deep-bodied fish closely resembling those in the jack family. Despite their name, pompano are found as far north as New England and as far south as Brazil. Far from monstrous, they reach a maximum size of about six pounds in the waters of the Lone Star State. Smaller cousins of the elusive permit and similar in size to the much less common palometa, pomps show strong schooling tendencies and favor the clear waters prevalent along our coast during the cooler months.

While some rogue individuals remain in the shallows fronting our beaches all year-round, most abandon the Texas surf during the summer heat wave, returning to invade again sometime around mid to late-November. A cycle of frequently passing cold fronts chills the water temperatures and appears to trigger an urge in these fish to rush into the surf in search of easy meals. All experienced local anglers recognize this as the annual pompano run.

Primarily visual feeders, pompano head into the surf zone with eyes wide open, mostly early in the mornings and late in the afternoons, hoping to gorge mainly on small crustaceans, favoring various species of shrimp and tiny coquina clams. During these events, their numbers can be impressive indeed; Texas Parks and Wildlife does not regulate the species with bag and size limits. Folks wanting to experience how abundant these fish can be should head down to Padre Island on just about any summer night to witness the incredible numbers of juvenile pompano temporarily stranded close to the beaches when the tide rolls out.

These miniature versions of the mature population claim the pools fronting the warm, sandy beaches as their nursery. This horde of young pomps provides a temporary food source for many other species, including seatrout, redfish, mackerel and bluefish. Arguably, no type of fish covets the taste of Florida pompano as much as we human beings do.

The prime reason Florida pompano are so revered and highly desired is their impressive qualities as table fare. Many regard them as the best tasting fish regularly taken from the Texas surf. In addition to recreational anglers, commercial entities desire them too. Accordingly, people arrive in droves along the beaches this time of year, hoping to fill up their freezers with vacuum-sealed packages of delicious smoked fillets. The flesh of this species takes about as well to smoking as does salmon, but it also tastes great when baked or grilled.

Predicting the optimal days to target pompano from our beaches means correctly factoring in weather patterns and water conditions. Because they're sight feeders, pomps flourish in relatively clear water. Generally, the water in our surf runs cleanest about two or three days after a cold front passes over the coast.

Then, normally for about two or three more days, ideal conditions prevail for targeting pompano, which generally populate the deeper guts outside the second sand bar. People who recognize a potentially productive weather window catch more pompano when they target them from stretches of beachfront where the guts narrow, placing the relatively deep waters seaward of the second bar within easy reach. These people also recognize how best to target these frisky little fish.

While they will sometimes attack small lures, natural baits work much better to get their attention. Deploying the baits on fairly long surf rods increases their effectiveness. I like to run two or three twelve-foot Breakaway rods, launching my baits as far away from the beach as possible.

On the business ends of the lines, I use Pomp Master leaders, available on Catchsharks.com. Designed specifically for the pompano, these leaders utilize visual attractants and carry specially designed 3/0 hooks, perfectly suited for shrimp, Fish-bites, or a combination of the two. Fish-bites, made of synthetic, odorless, biodegradable mesh, have become quite popular over recent years, and they'll catch plenty of pompano without help from fresh dead shrimp. These days, this is more true than ever, as Fish-bites recently released a new Ghost-shrimp flavored item, presumably designed specifically for pompano, sheepshead, and drum.

Wading out from the beach and launching the baits as far as possible works best, since most pompano feed in the depths of the second and third guts. On my most serious pomp missions, I keep two rods deployed, with a third rigged and ready on standby. When one or both of the deployed rods hooks a fish, I'm able to send out the bait on the third while we fight the fish. In the best scenarios, we wind up fighting fish almost constantly, once the action starts. Though no limits exist, we like to harvest responsibly, by releasing the smaller pomps we catch.

For several decades now, the pompano run has been a staple for Texas saltwater anglers during the winter months. On brisk, pristine mornings, when the pomps raid the guts, anglers storm the beaches, hoping to catch their share. Many people have perfected this pursuit by strategically timing their outings. Despite their size, pompano fight fiercely on lighter tackle, making them perfect for introducing the younger generation to surf fishing, but people of all ages enjoy targeting these sleek, silver savages. I know I'll be out on the beach seeking some after our first major cold front passes in November.