Fishing Forecast

April is upon us already and you know what that means along the Gulf Coast, it’s time for the pompano spring run. That’s right folks, anglers will be lining the beaches once again, trying to catch these delicious silver nuggets. However, are we sure that all these caught fish are pompano and not permit? That’s right I said permit, I know what you’re thinking, permit are found in south Florida, not up here. Well, recently gulf coast anglers have been catching more and more permit along the shores. In this month’s article, we’ll be discussing the difference between pompano and permit.

There are four major things to look for when trying to figure out if you caught a record size pompano or a juvenile permit. The first thing you are going to check is the dorsal fin of the fish. A pompano’s dorsal fin will be slightly forward from the anal fin. While a permit’s dorsal and anal fin will be more aligned and longer. This is not a true telltale sign between the two but is a great way to start. Next, you are going to look at the shape of the fish. A pompano will have a gentle curve from the dorsal fin down to the mouth, whereas the permit’s head will be more rounded. While both fish have a forked tail, the pompano’s tail will be slightly broader. A permit’s tail has a sharply defined fork much like a spanish mackerel. Lastly, and in my opinion, the quickest way to tell the difference between a pompano and a permit is to count the number of spines prior to the dorsal fin. The Florida pompano has five and the permit has six. That is by far the quickest and easiest way to tell the difference if you want to know right away which fish you have caught.

To catch either of these fish, use your standard double-drop rig and choice of synthetic bait. However, if you want a real advantage, take the time to go pump up a few ghost shrimp; crab knuckles are another great bait.

It’s important to recognize the differences between these two fish because although their minimum size is the same at eleven inches, the harvest limit is different. At the time of this publication, we are allowed to harvest six pompano and only two permit a day. Well, that does it for this month folks.

Forgotten Fishing

Fishing Forecast

Capt. jeremy davidson with

Southern Salinity Guide Service • www.southernsalinity.com

850-323-0687 • Insta: @southernsalinity • FB: @southernsalinity

We have officially Sprung forward into our Spring Season on the Forgotten Coast. This time of year brings multiple target species to the Apalachicola Bay waters, from some fiery Spanish Macks to the elusive Tripletail. During this month the water temps will stay very consistent for all the migratory fish, including wide variety of bait fish. The white shrimp have been extremely plentiful this past month, while the pinfish are currently moving to the flats to healthy seagrass and oyster bars. April weather patterns tend to lean towards lighter winds and most of 70-80 degree sunny days. It's the time of year that we all have been waiting for in North Florida.

The migration of Pompano down the beaches will be steady thru the beginning of April. The best times to catch these fine fish is typically at day break for a couple of hours. Occasionally these schools will light up in a feeding frenzy allowing multiple fish to be caught in a short period of time. The key is bait selection every year around this time. First off is the notorious Sand Fleas that can be found on the Gulf shoreline at the waters edge. I like to watch the beach until I see an outer shells of Sand Fleas washing up on the beach. They are either shedding their outer shell or fresh casings of one that was eaten. Start with a good sand flea basket rake or another way is to walk the shore break in the water running a bait net as the waves crash into the shoreline. Second bait of choice is the a Ghost Shrimp which is much harder to collect and more work. I'm going to have you YouTube a "Ghost Shrimp Pump"....that's what I did. The wild shellfish bore into our shorelines leaving tiny little holes in the shallows at lands edge both on the Gulfside & Bayside waters. Third bait of choice is your trusty Live Shrimp, typically the smaller ones, which you find at local bait stores like Fisherman's Choice. We use a variety of Pompano rigs from singles to triples, but the important thing is slow pops of the rigs weight off bottom. This creates a small poof of sand similar to a sand flea or shrimp makes as the water turns over in the surf. Our go to color selection leans towards Orange & Chartuese matching the sand fleas eggs or the Ghost Shrimp worms.

The inshore fishing will be on fire with redfish, trout, flounder, mackerel, and most of all tripletail. These elusive offshore fish migrate with southeast winds to our waters to spawn for summer before heading back offshore. They are some finest fish to catch with their ability of surprise...during the fight. Our clients always get multiple chances to throw at these fish, but landing them in boat is another story. I can it "Slow Dancing with Tripletail". During these months we encourage tagging these fish with tags supplied by the Marine Institute for studying these prehistoric fish migratory patterns from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. Tripletail is some of the finest table eating in the ocean as well. I'm licking my lips just thinking about a good panseared filet now...lol. The biggest advice when selecting tackle is to be sure to use a 2/0 Circle Hook and have a 9-11" Dehooker for a safe hook removal. Even though many of these fish will inhale the hook...using a 9" dehooker in one hand while holding the fish with a pair of Boga Grips in the other...a circle hook will out easily with a quick up/down motion. Jigs & straight shank hooks will not, leaving releasing these fish in a non-healthy manner. If you have any questions about this setup or releasing technique, please contact us. We will send you links for proper equipment, tagging, and even some fine recipes.

We look forward to seeing you all on the water in April and please be safe & respectful to your fellow anglers!

Everyone talks about the difference in ethanol versus nonethanol gas in the marine industry. The marine industry recommends the use of nonethanol gas in your outboard motor. Ethanol gas in known to attract water. The main reason for using nonethanol is that ethanol loses its octane rapidly. We have customers drain their old gas from the outboard motor, put it in a car, and it runs fine. So they think it is fine to run in their outboard motor. What they don’t think of is your car cruises with an overdrive transmission at around 1800-2000 rpms. The outboard motor cruises around 4000-5000 rpms. The higher the rpms…the higher the octane needs to be. Scientists have reported that the ethanol gas loses 18% of its octane every month. Each manufacturer of outboard motors have minimum octane ratings that is safe to run in their motor. Most four stroke motors are in repair shops for fuel related problems. It is better to keep fresh nonethanol gas in your boat. Enjoy your boating.