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African Pompano
SPEARBLOG SPEARFISHING Forecast Nolan Sadorf
Location:
Florida Gulf Coast (Bayport to Naples)
Visibility: (2 sections near shore and offshore)
Visibility is as good as it gets near shore right now. Typically during the summer months, algae blooms and plankton take over the warm shallow waters and visibility is limited however that has not been the case so far this summer. Waters out to 50ft have had stellar visibility with the best being around 30ft. A thermocline has still been sitting offshore in depths ranging from 70ft out to 110ft and that has made offshore visibility a little less consistent.
Wetsuit this week:
For most scenarios a light skin is all that is needed, mostly to serve as protection from sun and jellies. However with the thermocline lingering it may not be a bad idea to carry a 3mm suit just in case.
Shark Factor:
Sharks are bad and getting worse! Its almost a guarantee you will see them on any wreck or large structure. Its important to get your fish in and to the boat quickly. Its not the time of year for carrying a stringer full of fish at your side. On a recent trip out of Boca Grande we lost multiple permit to a group of large bull sharks and decided to call it a day after that before things got even worse.
Weapon of choice:
Just as last week, there is no real need to carry a cannon around all day when the main target is only hogfish. A 110cm is plenty enough to get the job done and still take down a cobia or permit if need be. The shallow wrecks have been swarming with large mangrove snapper but they have been shy as usual. A smaller gun for “hole hunting” is ideal for getting the larger snapper that like to hide deep down in the holes of the wrecks. For offshore hunting, the bigger the gun the better right now. Big African pompano and wahoo have been spotted on most of the deep structure starting around 150ft. You never want to be under-gunned when the fish of a lifetime swims by.
Best Bets:
Last week’s offshore hunting was lacking compared to prior weeks but great days were still had. The red snapper have been pushing deeper but are still reachable with a good amount of chum. The African pompano have been thick and should stick around for a little while longer. I would recommend starting in 140ft and working out to deeper wrecks until you locate the magic depth where all the fish are holding.
As far as inshore waters go, keep it simple! The small ledges and rockpiles have been producing the most fish. The larger bottom structures have been hit hard all year and the fish have moved to areas of less pressure. Keep a close eye on the bottom machine in between spots, you never know when you will run across a honey hole!
Open Seasons of note: Don’t forget!!! Gag grouper is now closed through the end of the year with the possibility of a 2 month season later on in the year. Amberjack is also closed till Aug 1st. However red snapper has opened up for a short while so get them while you can!
Regulations and size limits for your area:
Be sure to check out the myfwc.com website to stay current on all the rules and regulations
Rumour has it:
Hogs are showing up in good numbers again but the key is to stay shallow. 25-35ft of water has been the prime depths for nice sized male hogs. Rumor has it the cobia and flouder are still around on many of the wrecks and reefs. Make it a point to be the first boat out to the wrecks and you can usually count on seeing a cobia or two. On a recent offshore trip, multiple medium sized cubera snappers were seen throughout the water column leading me to believe they are beginning their spawn so keep a close eye out for them while hunting the deeper water.
