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syow25

Pompano Fly

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I'm going to panama city,fl. I want to try to get a pompano from the beach with a fly. what pattern and size of hook should i use. I will also go for trout and red drum. I'm new to salt. However I have tied trout flies.

 

thanks

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Pompano love mole crabs (sand fleas).

Here is a great pattern: http://www.danica.com/flytier/kmiller/epoxy_mole_crab.htm

or this

http://www.deepcreekflyfishers.org/education/fly-tying/fly-of-the-month/84-fotm-april-2011-sand-crab

or this

http://www.mr-tea.com/flibox/bilder.php?foto=49

 

Be sure to weight your fly and work it fairly slowly near the bottom.

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At the other end of the state, around Stuart and to the south, pomps are suckers for brightly colored Clousers on a #1 or #2 hook. Tie the fly with bright pink or fl. Chartreuse wing, keep the wing short enough that the overall dimensions of the fly are less than 1 1/2" and use a lot heavier lead eyes than you normally would for a standard Clouser. In conjunction with a sink tip line or a full intermediate line, lay the fly out, allow it to drop down near the bottom then work it with sharp, short strips with definite pauses between each strip so that it hops upward from the sand bottom.. Hope this helps.

 

Tight Lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

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The Target...

 

DSCF4232.jpg

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DSCF0042.jpg

DSCF0056.jpg

 

The Ammo...

 

IMG_0856.jpg

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Good Eats...

DSCF0082.jpg

 

 

Some great advice posted so far, the mole crabs CB posted are like crack to pomps and are some excellent examples.

 

Shoot me an IM with your address and I'll send you some flies with tying instructions. I live in Panama City and would be happy to answer any questions you have, Pomp fishing has been getting better and better over the last couple of years.

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Dave, that's a gorgeous pompano. Is it bigger than average? I've always been under the impression that they run smaller than that. We've got them around here in the surf during the hot weather, not that I've had the time to fish, with all the boxes to unpack. :( Those fillets look amazing as well. Bon Appetit!

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I love your snacks, all you need is some cold fried chicken and your set. I picked up a few items at bass pro this morning. gonna try my hand at saltflies. Im gonna get a rod for the salt, what #wt do you reccommend? what ever wt i get ill end up with 2 rods. I put a clouser on my #6 didnt have much luck with distance.

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I love your snacks, all you need is some cold fried chicken and your set. I picked up a few items at bass pro this morning. gonna try my hand at saltflies. Im gonna get a rod for the salt, what #wt do you reccommend? what ever wt i get ill end up with 2 rods. I put a clouser on my #6 didnt have much luck with distance.

 

It depends entirely on conditions, what kind of fishing you want to do, and the size of the flies you'll be throwing. I use a 7wt, a 9wt, and a 12wt, plus a 15-foot two-hander 10wt for the times when I feel the need to humiliate myself. A 6wt is too light for most surf fishing, but fine for bonefish on the flats and some other applications. A couple of rods will handle most situations - it just depends on what situations you'll encounter in your area.

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I'm sure most will be from shore. I don't know what conditions to expect. 1st time fly fishing salt. Standard clouser or deciever on mustad #2 or #4 hook. They dont weight much.

 

thanks for your help

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I'm sure most will be from shore. I don't know what conditions to expect.

 

(LOL) Nobody knows what conditions to expect - that's why we keep a few rods on hand. I've had days when a 7wt is all I need for false albacore, and the next day, a 12wt won't get the job done. Extreme variations in conditions come with the territory. Where do you expect to fish? Surf? Bays? Rivers? Where do you live?

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Mainly fishing off the beach in Panama city and somewhere around st andrews bay. i plan to have a spinning rod in case i want to spend more time enjoying adult drinks than fishing. hope to have 2 flyrod, however my budget may only allow 1 for salt.

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The few times I've been to the Gulf, the surf was pretty mild compared to what we usually see in New England. Assuming that's the case, (a big assumption on my part) an 8wt might make a pretty good workhorse rod. I tend to fish a bit heavier than most, but I'd rather be over-gunned than under-gunned. Saltwater conditions can change in the blink of an eye. Panama Red is probably your best source on this, as long as you're not looking for fashion advice.

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There are several others on this forum that can give you more defined info than I. I have tried a 5wt and I found it lacking the needed backbone to cast in the wind found on the panhandle beach and on the ML. I also have a 7wt with lots of backbone that is over lined and it works for me in light to moderate wind. I also have a 8wt that is over lined and it fishes very similar to my 7wt. I am looking to get a true 9wt to suppliment my 7wt in more harsh conditions. If I had to have one rod for the salt it would be a 9wt with lots of back bone to fight the wind and cast large flies.

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I would recommend an 8wt or maybe an 8/9wt as the best all around rod. Remember, you not only have to think about casting in the wind, but on the flats and beaches down here, there is always a possibility of hooking into something a lot larger than what you are targeting. I will use a 6 wt loaded with 7 wt line on the flats for trout, but that is from a boat so if something big comes by I can chase it. From the beach I would go 8/9 wt

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Dave, that's a gorgeous pompano. Is it bigger than average? I've always been under the impression that they run smaller than that. We've got them around here in the surf during the hot weather, not that I've had the time to fish, with all the boxes to unpack. :( Those fillets look amazing as well. Bon Appetit!

 

As you well know PJ, I am prone to embellish a wee bit. So.....I will answer a question with a question :unsure:

 

a. I'm so talented that I always pick out the biggest fish in the school and catch it...

b. The fish pay homage by sacrificing only the finest specimens to my superior fishing intellect...

c. Even a blind squirrel finds the nut from time to time...

d. Photoshop...

 

Actually, the bigger fish are fall run and tend to be bigger than the fish we catch in the spring. And...The pomp fishing has really been improving over the last few years, we seem to have larger numbers and a more consistent population with larger fish.

 

Unpack the vital fishing gear and leave the rest for later bro... Get out that speedo, find an extra pair of socks to fill any voids and get to fishing my friend!

 

I love your snacks, all you need is some cold fried chicken and your set. I picked up a few items at bass pro this morning. gonna try my hand at saltflies. Im gonna get a rod for the salt, what #wt do you reccommend? what ever wt i get ill end up with 2 rods. I put a clouser on my #6 didnt have much luck with distance.

 

Funyuns and beer baby! A treat worthy of the gods right?

 

All the folks have provided excellent advice... The consensus centers on the 8/9wt and I fall into that group (8wt GLX), either will perform very well for the variety of fish you are likely to encounter.

 

Another critical component of your outfit will be the line you choose. If you are going to be primarily be fishing the surf, a good WF intermediate clear tip line will work very well and can be used on the flats as well. I happen to like Wullf Bermuda Triangle Taper lines, however, there are many other manufactures that also produce quality lines. Just make sure you get a line that stands up well in tropical conditions if you will be here while the water is still upper seventies plus.

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Dave, that's a gorgeous pompano. Is it bigger than average? I've always been under the impression that they run smaller than that. We've got them around here in the surf during the hot weather, not that I've had the time to fish, with all the boxes to unpack. :( Those fillets look amazing as well. Bon Appetit!

 

As you well know PJ, I am prone to embellish a wee bit. So.....I will answer a question with a question :unsure:

 

a. I'm so talented that I always pick out the biggest fish in the school and catch it...

b. The fish pay homage by sacrificing only the finest specimens to my superior fishing intellect...

c. Even a blind squirrel finds the nut from time to time...

d. Photoshop...

 

Actually, the bigger fish are fall run and tend to be bigger than the fish we catch in the spring. And...The pomp fishing has really been improving over the last few years, we seem to have larger numbers and a more consistent population with larger fish.

 

Unpack the vital fishing gear and leave the rest for later bro... Get out that speedo, find an extra pair of socks to fill any voids and get to fishing my friend!

 

Embellish? Does this mean that the Panama City Kid we all know and love has been padding his resume? Shocking! (BTW - I would have guessed Photoshop - that's the method I use) You're right - I've gotta get out there. All I've gotta do is get the trailer to the boat ramp without killing somebody, get the boat in the water without drowning my Jeep or backing into somebody's $30,000 Grady White, and dodge the oyster bars, blacktip sharks and rabid pelicans long enough to get a line in the water. Piece of cake, I'll get right on it. B) BTW - All I'd have to do is leave the house wearing Speedo, and I'd wind up in District Court answering to a charge of an Abominable and Detestable Crime Against Nature. Justice may be blind, but it's not that blind.

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