Know your target

Florida pompano fishing around Tampa Bay

Florida pompano grub for sand fleas and other small crustaceans over sandy Gulf beaches and pass bottoms. Spring and fall movements give Pinellas shore anglers a reason to fish small baits in the wash or bounce compact jigs over clean sand.

Also known as: Pompano

Harvest status today: Open (as of Oct 26, 2026)

Season: Open year-roundSlot: Minimum 11" fork lengthBag: 6 per harvester per day

Florida pompano, side view — Photo: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Reference Standard Sequence Library) · Public domain (U.S. government work) · Source

FWC regulations (Tampa Bay region)

Season	Open year-round
Slot/size limit	Minimum 11" fork length
Bag limit	6 per harvester per day
Special rules	Hook and line, cast net and beach or haul seine only No multiple hooks with live or dead natural bait for harvest; snatching prohibited

Source: FWC: Permit · Checked Oct 2026

“Checked” is the dataset reference date.

Regulations change; always confirm with FWC.

Fishing license: who needs one

When they're biting

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

JanGood

FebGood

MarPeak

AprPeak

MayGood

JunFair

JulFair

AugFair

SepGood

OctPeakThis month

NovPeak

DecGood

Swipe or scroll the table to see all months. General guidance: 0 = Rare, 1 = Fair, 2 = Good, 3 = Peak. Current month: Oct. Harvest status as of 2026-10-26 (America/New_York), at build time.

Month-by-month shore fishing guide
Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	OctThis month	Nov	Dec
Florida pompano	Good	Good	Peak	Peak	Good	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Peak	Peak	Good

winter: Use small shrimp pieces over Gulf-side sand during mild weather, shifting casts between nearshore troughs and deeper water.
spring: Work beach troughs and pass-side sand with sand fleas or a small bouncing jig during the spring migration.
summer: Treat catches as occasional and fish sandy water at first light rather than spending the hottest hours on exposed beaches.
fall: Follow cooling Gulf water with sand-flea rigs and jigs over sand during the southward coastal movement.

Top baits

Best months and baits are general guidance, not official.

live

Sand fleas (mole crabs)
Small live shrimp

cut

Peeled shrimp pieces
Clam strips

artificial

1/4 oz pompano jig
3/8 oz banana jig with teaser

Image credits

How to catch

General guidance; adapt tackle to conditions and follow current rules.

Hook: Size 1-1/0 small inline circle hooks
Leader: 15-20 lb monofilament
Weight: 1-3 oz pyramid sinker
Rig: Double-dropper pompano rig: tie two short hook droppers above a pyramid sinker to keep small crustacean baits just off sandy bottom.
Technique: Start with one bait in the near trough and another farther out, moving casts until you find the feeding lane. Bounce a pompano jig with short lifts so it puffs sand without sweeping through rocks.
Best tide: Incoming through early outgoing over beach troughs; lighter current along pass margins
Time of day: Morning or late afternoon, especially with a light surf

Keep sand fleas and shrimp pieces small enough to expose the hook.
Choose clean sand instead of rocky bottom for dropper rigs.
Use the lightest pyramid sinker that holds without rolling.

Where to go

Habitat suggestions, subject to access. Check each spot's status before going.

Fort De Soto Gulf Pier The Gulf-facing sand and nearby passes suit bottom crustacean baits and short pompano-jig hops. Open
Sand Key Park Fishing Piers Gulf and Clearwater Pass water provide sandy coastal feeding lanes to search with compact jigs. Call ahead
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve Shoreline The beach offers an inside-bay sand option for small crustacean baits; keep casts away from the rocky shoreline. Open
Pier 60 Fishing Pier Gulf beach pier where bait schools draw Spanish mackerel and pompano along the swash zone on calm mornings. Call ahead
Honeymoon Island State Park — Beaches and Pass Gulf surf and Hurricane Pass on the north end; pompano and whiting run the trough, snook cruise the beach in summer. Open
Fort De Soto Park — North Beach Gulf-facing beach near Pass-a-Grille Channel; pompano and whiting work the first trough, snook cruise the shoreline in summer. Open
Fort De Soto Park — East Beach Bay-side beach facing lower Tampa Bay grass flats; wade for trout and reds on a moving tide. Call ahead
Pass-a-Grille Fishing Jetty Rock jetty at the mouth of Pass-a-Grille Channel; sheepshead on the rocks in winter, snook and mackerel on the outgoing tide. Call ahead
John's Pass Park (Madeira Beach side) Beach beside John's Pass inlet; snook and mackerel follow bait through the pass on strong tides. No boardwalk fishing 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Open