# Pompanos



## Fisherman001 (Dec 31, 2021)

Just wondering if anybody ever catches pompanos in Georgia, or is that a Florida thing?  Also, does anybody ever catch stripers in the surf in Georgia?


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## Railroader (Dec 31, 2021)

Fisherman001 said:


> Just wondering if anybody ever catches pompanos in Georgia, or is that a Florida thing?  Also, does anybody ever catch stripers in the surf in Georgia?



Draw a line from Jacksonville, North to the SC/NC Line.

That is approximately the route Pompano travel, and why you very seldom catch one on the Ga. coast...

Even fewer Stripers.


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## GLS (Dec 31, 2021)

Over the years they have shown up on occasion in a spring run and back down during the fall at Tybee.  They are also at the offshore bars and they can be seen skipping out of the wake of a running boat.  One issue about Tybee is the beach is sterile from efforts to renourish.  We don't have the sand fleas, important for pompano as a food source, as do the Florida beaches.  Our stripers are riverine and aren't ocean goers as are the stripers in the NE and Mid Atlantic.  They move from upriver in the Ogeechee and Savannah during the fall to spawn in brackish water.  The Savannah River fish were just about wiped out when the traditional spawning grounds were ruined by saltwater intrusion caused by the tidal gates which were a boondoggle of a failed plan to keep the shipping channel clean of silt.  Gil


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## 1eyefishing (Dec 31, 2021)

I haven't fished the Georgia coast (Gulf fisherrman here) in years but I understand they are sometimes caught at Fort Clinch jetties and groins...

All from my boat in the surf...





 Couldn't help showing off 'PJ' the redfish!
Caught on a pompano jig with 10 pound leader in the surf.


 I'm itching to go fishing! 
Headed to St Marks this week for a week.

  Looking forward to another fantastic Spring.


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## oops1 (Dec 31, 2021)

Interesting info


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## lampern (Dec 31, 2021)

You can catch pompano as far north as Maryland


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## Fisherman001 (Dec 31, 2021)

Railroader said:


> Draw a line from Jacksonville, North to the SC/NC Line.
> 
> That is approximately the route Pompano travel, and why you very seldom catch one on the Ga. coast...
> 
> Even fewer Stripers.


Thanks for the info. I’ve always wondered why Floridians always talk about catching Pompanos, but you don’t hear of it here in Georgia. What you said makes sense.


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## GLS (Jan 1, 2022)

Years (decades?) ago a buddy who is a shrimper heard VHF traffic from pompano net boats which were following the migration just off Hilton Head and Tybee.  One boat was calling for help to his buddy to help him with his net full of pomps.  The boats were fishing out of Lazaretto Creek for the short duration of the fish off our coast.  The fish can be caught in the surf off American Beach at Amelia and the Talbots during when the pomps are running.  There are some legendary rod and reel commercial fishermen who follow the runs up and down the Florida Coast.  These guys can cast the Dickens out of their rods reaching the second bar from the beaches.  Good luck in getting info out of these guys.   Gil


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## Railroader (Jan 1, 2022)

Another thing about Pompano in Georgia...

Some years there will be millions of babies (quarter to silver dollar sized) in the surf around SSI and Jekyll.

Some years you won't see a one...

The elusive Pompano is my worst subject of surf fishing knowledge...


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## Seanote (Jan 1, 2022)

No sand fleas=no pompano.  There are plenty of stripers in the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers.  They are not caught much south of the Ogeechee.


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## jfish (Jan 4, 2022)

Nice Africans offshore.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 4, 2022)

I've seen some pompano caught off the beach in SC.


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## Mexican Squealer (Jan 4, 2022)

Seanote said:


> No sand fleas=no pompano.  There are plenty of stripers in the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers.  They are not caught much south of the Ogeechee.



Say whattttttt??


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## AthenianExile (Jan 25, 2022)

1eyefishing said:


> I haven't fished the Georgia coast (Gulf fisherrman here) in years but I understand they are sometimes caught at Fort Clinch jetties and groins...
> 
> All from my boat in the surf...
> 
> ...



Could you catch them in the Saint Mary’s jetties as well? I grew up bank fishing and will probably purchase a boat in the next year. I live in Brunswick and was looking at places to target different fish.


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## 1eyefishing (Jan 25, 2022)

AthenianExile said:


> Could you catch them in the Saint Mary’s jetties as well? I grew up bank fishing and will probably purchase a boat in the next year. I live in Brunswick and was looking at places to target different fish.


 As I mentioned, I am no expert on the Georgia coast. But I think the pompano are more sand flat oriented. I don't think they would be caught up along the rocks like the other fish there.  But sometimes they will pile up on a sand flat up current from from a given jetty as their path along the beachfront is blocked...


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## Darkhorse (Apr 10, 2022)

Two of the largest Pomp's I've ever seen came from Ft. Clinch, beachside off the beach in October. Caught on fresh Shrimp.


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## mrs. hornet22 (Apr 11, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> I've seen some pompano caught off the beach in SC.



I've caught one off the beach in S.C. with shrimp.


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## Waddams (Apr 11, 2022)

Years and years ago now, but my dad and I caught them occasionally from the beach in Nag's Head, NC. Not common, but it did happen occasionally.


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