This upcoming week is shaping up to be prime pompano fishing conditions. We’re looking at a 2–4 ft swell on the beach, near-perfect water temperatures, and light winds that appear to be shifting direction day by day. I’ve always believed the surf needs a little chop and wave action to really turn the bite on. According to shop reports from the past week, the outgoing tide has produced the best action, while the incoming tide has been producing smaller fish or no fish at all — a bit of a curveball from the fish.

As for rig setups that have produced worthwhile catches, hands down it’s been white or pink floated pompano rigs paired with a heavier sputnik weight. The bait of choice has been live sand fleas and Blue Magic shrimp pieces about the size of your thumbnail. And I can’t stress this enough — make sure you peel the shrimp well. Otherwise, the smaller fish will start pecking at it, and you’ll lose your mind watching your rod tip jiggle all day long. The fish around Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach have also been feeding heavily on the jumbo live shrimp right off the beaches that the shrimp boats have been hauling in. This can sometimes slow the bite if you’re fishing close. Try casting farther out on the outgoing tide to give yourself a better chance at a bigger fish.

A little announcement for December: we’ll be running a full month of special deals on fishing rod combos, artificial bait combos, and frozen bait packages. These will all be announced on our socials, so make sure to follow us so you don’t miss out! As always, tight lines!