UTERPompano fishing in The Florida Panhandle
In The Florida Panhandle, pompano peak April–May and October–November and are around March–December, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Peak spring run: pompano in every cut in the bar. Pink and yellow jigs in the passes, sand fleas and Fishbites in the surf.
The fall run: fish back in the surf and the passes as the water cools into the 70s.
Pompano in The Florida Panhandle, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchArrivingThe spring run starts when the surf passes 65°F — sand fleas in the first trough at Navarre, Pensacola Beach and Okaloosa Island.
- AprilPeakPeak spring run: pompano in every cut in the bar. Pink and yellow jigs in the passes, sand fleas and Fishbites in the surf.
- MayPeakStill good early in the month, then the fish spread out.
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberPeakThe fall run: fish back in the surf and the passes as the water cools into the 70s.
- NovemberPeakPeak fall run on the beaches; fish the cuts on the moving tide.
- DecemberLeavingThe last of them before the winter water drives them offshore.
Where to fish pompano near Pensacola, Destin, Panama City
Deep bays behind long barrier islands — Pensacola, Choctawhatchee, St. Andrew, St. Joseph, Apalachicola — with grass flats on the bay side, bayous and creek mouths, and the passes cut through to the Gulf. Emerald water on the beach side; the surf is a real fishery here.
Fish Scouter charts 783 grass flat, 79 beach / surf, 12 pass / inlet spots in the The Panhandle map area — the kinds pompano hold on.
What to use for pompano
- Sand fleas (mole crabs)On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Leader15–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–1/0
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 62–82°F water, best at 66–76°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch pompano in The Florida Panhandle?
Peak season is April–May and October–November. Pompano are in The Florida Panhandle March–December. April: Peak spring run: pompano in every cut in the bar. Pink and yellow jigs in the passes, sand fleas and Fishbites in the surf.
Where do pompano hold in The Florida Panhandle?
Look on beach / surf, pass / inlet, grass flat, channel edge — around Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, Apalachicola.
What is the best bait for pompano in The Florida Panhandle?
Live bait: sand fleas (mole crabs), live shrimp, fiddler crabs. Sand fleas (mole crabs): On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait. Tackle: leader 15–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–1/0, braid 10–20 lb.
What are the rules for pompano in The Florida Panhandle?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and change — read the current rule at https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/.
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