Jigging for Pompano in Sarasota, FL

Pompano jigging is the signature pass fishery of Sarasota, and it runs twice a year: March through May on the spring run and October through December on the fall run, when fish flood Big Sarasota Pass, New Pass, Longboat Pass, and the Venice jetties — the passes-and-inlets reference has the layout. The lure is specific: a 3/8 to 1/2 oz banana-style jig, Doc's Goofy Jig the local standard, in yellow, pink, or white, with a small teaser fly rigged 18 inches above on a dropper.

Everything flows from one fact: pompano eat sand fleas off the bottom, and roughly 90 percent of bites come on the fall. Fish the last two hours of outgoing or the first of the incoming, and drift or anchor the pass edges and bars in 6-15 feet — the Big Pass bar and the Longboat Pass swash channel are the reference spots. Cast up-current, let the jig hit bottom, then work it back with short, sharp 6-12 inch hops, following it down with the rod tip so you feel the drop.

The bite is a distinct thump. Reel-set and keep steady pressure — pompano mouths are soft, and their broadside, circling run throws slack-line hooks.

Tackle: a 7-foot medium-light fast spinning rod, 2500-3000 reel, 10 lb braid, 24 inches of 20 lb fluorocarbon. If the current needs a heavier jig to touch bottom, tie it on — a jig that never touches sand never gets bit. Ladyfish are the welcome nuisance; where they school, pompano usually hold underneath. No boat required: the Big Pass bar off Siesta Key is a walk-in wade fishery, and the Venice jetties produce from the rocks. Regulations: 11-inch fork minimum, six per person, open year-round — see the FWC pompano page. Premium table fish; ice them immediately.