Jigging For Pompano

Florida Pompano Jigging Like a Pro

When the inshore water temperature hits 68 degrees, the locals flock to the beaches and passes to try their luck at catching pompano.  The Pompano are related to Permit and are considered a delicacy to most anglers.  Pompano seem to congregate in the winter following the sand fleas into the passes and onto the beaches.  One of my personal favorite ways to catch pompano is throwing Pompano Jigs.

One of the most popular and successful jigs is the goofy jig.  The jigs action and color sets it apart from the others.  The jig imitates a sand flea as it pumps and berries its self into the sand.  You fish them by popping the jig off the bottom then letting them sink back and TOUCH the bottom again.  The pompano will hit on the fall or after the jig hits the sand.  Try HFDepots Pompano Orange and Pompano Sun Yellow for best results in most water colors because the fish can see them best .  A teaser can also be added to the top to imitate a egg sack which will trigger more aggressive bites.  Also try adding Pro-cure scent because pompano have an excellent sense of smell.  Old school anglers will even tip the jig with a piece of shrimp or sand flea.  Sand fleas can be found by digging in the wash line on the beach.

When your ready to head out to try your luck, look for passes, sand bars, drop offs holes etc.  Pompano will sit and feed in places where the sand is swept away bringing food by their faces.  Also, along the beaches on the second sandbar or the drop off in between the beach and first sand bar.  Pompano can be found from North Carolina to Mississippi.  South Florida in the winter and spring has the largest concentration of Pompano that I have found.  Some of my favorite passes to fish are Midnight Pass near Sarasota and the Cut at St. George Island. The best thing about catching pompano is it can be done from the beach without a boat. 

Check out our selection of jigs at https://shop.hfdepot.com/pages/pompano-jigs .  I would suggest the Orange and Yellow with or without teasers and a bottle of Pro-Cure.

Do not hesitate to contact us at info@hfdepot.com with any questions may have. Send us your best pompano pictures to be featured on our social media and website. Please leave comments below! Subscribe to our blog so you do not miss out on great material.

Ugly Fish Pictures: 12 of the most scary fish pictures on the Internet

12 Terrifying Pictures of Ugly Fish

When ocean fishing or lake fishing, there is always the possibility of catching unique creatures at any time. Some times anglers get lucky and catch things that fascinate everyone. These pictures often become viral. As our curiosity grows about our oceans and lakes, so does the curiosity for the extremely weird things that live in them.

These terrifying monster fish or animals come in all shapes and sizes. Some look as if they are right from child's nightmare, while others are mutant-looking as if they were pulled right from the waters of Chernobyl. There should not be many things that haunt the nightmares of most anglers. Maybe the occasional thought of the "one that got away". But after compiling this list we are sure some of these will make you thing twice the next time you go in the water.

1) The BlobFish

No this is not a picture of blobfish sunglasses, although they are a great brand and make great sunglasses. This was 2016's world ugliest fish. The best fish picture to start this article out with, THE BLOBFISH.

The blobfish is a deep water fish that can be found often in depths of 2000ft to 3900ft. An interesting fact about the blobfish is its body is a gelatinous mass, creating a body density less than water. This allows for the fish to float above the ocean floor and not exert energy on swimming.  

This goes down as one of the ugliest and scariest fish found in the ocean. Looks like its right out of Hollywood, except this blob isn't engulfing people or buildings.

2. Sarcastic Fringehead

The sarcastic fringehead or the modern day Predator looking fish is something not of this planet. A small bottom dwelling fish that often resembles a goby, until it opens its mouth displaying its true colors.

These fish tend to be very territorial like their distant cousin, the alien predator, is with earth. Opening their mouth displays an extended jaw line made up of multiple colors. You can think of their mouth like you think of a peacocks feathers. This is all for show. If you saw this fish in the wild, it is guaranteed sure you would have to give it a second look.

3. The Tiny Tiny Candiru

This little guy is probably the smallest fish on our list. The Candiru looks awful harmless and I bet most people would even say it is even cute. This is one that needs to be feared! This is a parasitic catfish that has a huge appetite for blood.

This fish has a history of swimming up mens urethra and feasting in the persons bladder. It may not look like the scariest fish on the planet, but the pain it can cause can bring a grown man to his knees.

4. Wonderfish: Fish With Its Own Fishing Pole

This fish is truly a weird and exotic fish. It is also known as the wolf trap due to its lower jaw that forms to look like a trap. Thank God this is a deep water fish, because if you were ever to come face to face with this ugly fish you may think twice about swimming in the ocean again.

If you have ever done inshore fishing, then chances are you have caught a lizard fish. The big cousin to these guys that live in the oceans depths pack a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. These things look like they are from the movie Aliens, instead they lurk in the deepest parts of our oceans.

5. The Deep Sea Lizardfish

If you have ever done inshore fishing, then chances are you have caught a lizard fish. The big cousin to these guys that live in the oceans depths pack a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. These things look like they are from the movie Aliens, instead they lurk in the deepest parts of our oceans.

6. Acient Sea Serpent: The Oar Fish

Very rarely do people encounter the oar fish. This deep sea fish can reach lengths up to 36 feet. In ancient times, it is believed when sailors and fishermen experienced a sea serpent, it could have potentially been an oar fish. In our opinion this is still a very ugly fish. Although it is a gentle giant, it will always turn heads.

7) Goblin Shark: Swimming Fossil

The first shark to make the list. This rare species of shark is found in the deep sea. It is often times referred to as a "living fossi.l" It belongs to the family of sharks dating back million and millions of years. This goblin shark gets a A+ in the scary fish photo category. With a grill like that, it's only one a mother could love.

8) Monk Fish: A Chefs Delicacy

 

This freaky-looking fish makes our list because of how ugly it is with its large oversized head. For years this fish was feared by many in the fishing community until they realized how delicious it was. Now the monkfish is a delicacy in the cooking word. Scary fish or not, this is truly a remarkable species.

The viperfish is one of the most scary looking deep sea fish that exists on the planet. Mostly feared due to its over size teeth and its aggressive hunting abilities. It makes it one killing machine, not to mention a fish that sure creates a scary fish photo.

9) Viperfish

The viperfish is one of the most scary looking deep sea fish that exists on the planet. Mostly feared due to its over size teeth and its aggressive hunting abilities. It makes it one killing machine, not to mention a fish that sure creates a scary fish photo.

10) Anglerfish

When you look at the anglerfish, you are looking into the face of something that exist in your nightmares. This bizarre deep sea fish is named for its fish luring light helping it catch its prey. Although it may be scary in appearance, it's a delicacy to eat in the majority of the world.

 11) Snaggletooth

The snaggletooth fish looks like an alien swimming in the depths of our oceans. This scary looking fish is known as a deep sea predator. Like most deep sea fish the snaggletooth fish is luminous and has its own glowing lure that it uses to attract prey. 

12) Dragonfish 

The last fish on our list is another deep sea fish. I have the feeling that your beginning to get the picture that the deep sea is one scary place.

The dragonfish is another scary fish that catches the fascination of most people. Like most fish in the depths of the ocean, it aluminates to attract its prey. It is a ferocious predator.

 At hunting and fishing depot, we hope you have enjoyed viewing a few of these terrifying fish. Do not hesitate to contact us at info@hfdepot.com with any questions may have. Send us your best creature pictures  to be featured on our social media and website. Please leave comments below!

How to Catch a Redfish

The redfish, red, channel bass, spot tail, red drum, pumpkin, bull red, or Sciaenops Ocellatus is one of the most highly sought after and protected inshore fish in America.  Decent table fare and the explosive runs are what keep anglers coming back to the flats and rivers from Texas to Massachusetts.  In this write up, I will try to teach how to focus tactics to target redfish and hopefully help beginners put some slot reds in the boat.

There are a few things to know when starting out.  1. Redfish have a great sense of smell and will track in on scents, live bait, or dead bait with their noses. 2. Redfish key around structure; rocks, concrete, oyster beds, and channel drop offs.  Redfish generally do not travel alone.  They tend to stay in larger schools in the winter cold months and small schools during the summer.  

Redfish can be found from the inshore tidal creeks to up to 40 miles offshore and everything in between.  There are several different ways to target redfish and they all will be discussed below.  The most popular way to fish for redfish is the anchor and wait method.  It is by far the most successful way to catch these bottom feeders.  Redfish are constantly on the move from the low tide holes and oyster beds to following the bait up onto the flats.  Pay attention to the way the bait moves on and off the flats and in and out of the creeks.  Anchor the boat above a nice creek mouth with structure.  Fish with a Carolina rig with live finger mullet, shrimp, or cut blue crab on the bottom.  If redfish are in the area you should hear them slurping up in the grass and on the flats.  As the tide falls, the reds will feed at certain points as they move off the flat and out of the grass and up the smaller creeks.  Get set up in these ambush points and if the fish are in the area you will catch them. These areas are best in the late summer, fall, and early winter time.

In hotter months you can find redfish in deeper water, the channels where there are docks, pilings, large oyster bars, jetties, concrete boulders, or inshore reefs.  You can anchor up on these spots and Carolina rig shrimp, sea mullet, or blue crab anywhere from 5-30 feet.  The redfish have a good sense of smell and will allow them to find the live or dead bait.  Fish these main channel areas during the tide switch and lunar feed times.  

Poling for redfish in the grass is a true challenge. Many people like to spot stalk these fish.  The redfish feeds with his tail out of the water eating snails, crabs, shrimp, and mullet in the grass.  You can throw any of these imitation soft plastics or use live bait.  One of the most challenging ways to catch them is using a fly rod. Catching redfish by fly-fishing is very popular during the flood tides in the summer and fall.  Use a black and purple crab fly in low light and brighter colors when the sun is out.  You have to be very quiet because Redfish spook easily when feeding during the flood tides.

Beating banks by throwing any artificials, jig heads with live bait/plastics, and live bait on a poppin cork is my favorite way to fish them.  Working areas around bait and structure casting at any disturbance you see in the water.  Some of my favorite lures are suspending stick baits, soft plastics, topwater walking baits, and live mullet on a jighead. This can be done year round in different areas of your fishery. You will catch other species of fish and cover ground.  You will be surprised what structure and new fishing areas you will find.  Do not be afraid to stop and throw the anchor when you find a good spot.  Fish creek mouths, oyster bars, mud flats, drop offs, and concrete structure or boat docks.

  

The hardest part about catching redfish is taking the time to find them.  Some areas hold fish year round and some are seasonal.  If you put in the time and work to find these hard fighting good eating fish, you will be successful.