The Cape Hatteras Pompano Season & How the "One Hook Wonder" was Started

We are fortunate here in Cape Hatteras to have a chance to catch the largest Pompano on the East Coast once a year. The Pompano’s home is Florida, Atlantic side and the Gulf. But once a year in the Spring the adults head North searching for ideal water temperatures between 70° F and 80° F. 

Cape Hatteras is also a breeding ground for the Florida pompano. Many times, in July and August you will catch small ones that were born here and you see the baby's wash up in the surf. So the Florida Pompano has 2 reasons to be here. First is they are heading North for ideal temperatures and 2nd it's a breeding ground. 

Let's talk about the breeding ground 1st. 

The Pompano used several different types of habitats. Some of the different habitats that they use include coastal regions close to shore and within the surf zone, bays, offshore regions, estuaries, inlets, and more. Fish of different ages and sizes utilize different habitat types. And for some reason they like oil Rigs way offshore. 

Now What I am about to say is pure speculation on my part but after seeing all the babies in the surf I know this is a breeding ground and I know they need food for energy and know the Sand fleas show up around the same time they migrate so, my theory is since they're migrating North they have to come in and search for the sand fleas who are now in the surf zone for energy for their long trip north. My 2nd belief is this is a spawning 

ground while they're in their eating food the female will release her eggs, and the male will fertilize the eggs in the surf zone. This happens a specific time a year only during the migration. So, once a year we have a chance to catch nice large pompano in the surf zone near the shore I call that the "inside game". 20 feet off the beach. It's a wonderful time of the year and everybody wants a piece of it. But it doesn't last forever sometimes it's 3 weeks sometimes it's 6 weeks 

The WHEN? 

is never predictable. I have seen them here in March, April, May and June close to shore. The time you can count on them being here is the week before & after Memorial Day weekend, That is the only time that's 100%. The Sand flea and the shrimp and of course a good brand of fish bites is the ultimate bait when they come in and I would say the Sand flea is the best because that's what they're looking for this is the only time I use a 2-drop rig. They're going they're going be looking down and they're going to be feeding on Sand fleas. And then they move on and migrate north. 

There are local pompano that hang out here during the summer months, but they're typically further back remember that water temperature thing. In the summer you need a nice tall rod, and you need to find the outside sandbar. So out beyond the sandbar that water temperature is more to their liking, if you catch one short it's because he is coming into feed and it's typically during the high tide cycle. You can catch large pompano during the summer deep but you always have to have that one rod out there just waiting for one to pas 

Weather and wind 

Now as for the early Spring and the monster Pompano, Black Drum and Sheepshead I'll get into that later. You want to find a bar the last bar close enough in that you can cast over. your bait that you use has to be small enough and strong enough to survive the cast whether you’re going against the wind or with the wind. South of Buxton here a northeast wind about 10 to 15 is the perfect scenario to get in a good cast. More ideal conditions would be a northeast at 5 to 10 and then you would have very clear water and what I call the "Pompano Playground". 

You should check your bait first at 10 minutes because what I call bait snatchers if they’re out there your bait will be gone and you’re going to have a tough day. 

So it's up to you do you want to catch nice fish and keep your bait fresh, or do you want to throw a line out pull out a chair drink a few beers and eat a tomato sandwich? Fresh bait and keeping fresh bait on the line will increase your catch two-fold. 

 That’s when you have to change to a different bait such as a fish bites or shrimp that and use miracle thread to rap 10 or 12 times, so the bait snatchers won't take your bait. The next time you check your bait at 15 minutes and you will continue to do so the remainder of the day. 

Your second deep Pompano line should be in front of the bar. But my favorite place to cast is where you have two bars separated by a cut and I like to put my bait right at the back of the bar but right in the beginning of the cut. I have caught more Pompano there than behind and in front of the bar combined  

The Big Pompano  

Now in the early spring when the large fish are migrating north, I will have two lines out and I will be checking both at 15-minute intervals. So, the large migrating Pompano typically come through first the largest, fastest and the strongest are leading the pack. I don’t know how long it lasts but it’s typically a two-to-three-week period. So, your first sign would be your first big pompano caught deep from that day forward you have to hope you have the Clear water and keep fresh bait out behind that bar and one in the 

ditch. 

Now let’s talk about the ditch. 

The ditch is behind the bar it’s something you can feel so if you throw out behind the bar you can reel in, and you will feel your line loosen up a little and that will tell you that it's falling down into the ditch it could be a shallow ditch or it could be a deep 

ditch you will know the difference so out of the two rods I have over the bar one is always in the ditch, and one is as far as I can throw it 

In 2023 the ditch proved to be the place to be, out of the two rods indeed the one in the ditch or the beginning of the cut always got the fish. There was only one large Pompano caught that was past the ditch this entire early season time frame. So there you have it it’s all about season it's all about timing it’s all about when you catch that first big pompano deep and what you do with it after that. There is no science there’s just effort and understanding. 

The one hook thing  

The one hook rig started a few years ago of the many years we’ve been pursuing Pompano. We noticed and every time we caught one it was on the top hook so then we went to a bead on the bottom hook and still they hit the top hook!  

So, one day I decided to use a float and move the "ONE" hook up higher on the leader, basically it looked like a 2-drop rig without a bottom hook. The Pompano catches increase dramatically. 

I remember a day when my grandsons caught 12 large Pompano in two days, of course I would throw it deep for them and they would get to reel them in, that was really the moment in time when I decided I’m only going to use one hook and throw it deep. 

From there I played with my artistic capability and I started painting some floats for rigs that would catch the fish’s attention we already know that the float was doing his job but I needed some pretty colors and my first batch really looked like a bunch of Easter eggs and they were ugly but the more I kept at it the better they looked and now they’ve transformed into something that emulates the pompanos favorite bait, the sand flea,  Coquina clam, sand flea eggs, and the ghost shrimp. These are the floats that I now sell with my rigs the one hook wonder. 

In the next section below, you will see and read why I use 25 pound disappearing pink Yo-Zuri leader line and the strongest hooks that money can buy. 

The Bi-Catch is Awesome! 

While fishing for Pompano we catch some of the most exciting fish of the year. 

Some of the largest Sheepshead and Black Drum we have ever seen we're caught last year while we were fishing for Pompano. We weren't targeting them they were just swimming in the same school as the migrating Pompano. We are using the same rigs and the same bait that we use for Pompano it just happens. So when this happens you want to make sure you don’t have cheap store-bought Pompano rigs that will bend easily or cheap leader line that breaks at the knot.  A friend of mine was so disappointed a few years back, I had bought him a store-bought pompano rig with the gold Kahle hooks and red beads and I'm sitting there watching this fish in the ditch right at the beach so excited for him and he said "hes gone" and I couldn't believe it because I was still looking at the fish. When he reeled in and for some reason that new rig broke off right at the knot before the weight. 

This would be the second reason I started making my own rigs. 

The same clear blue water and weather conditions I’ve described earlier is when we catch these fish. 

So in conclusion Pompano fishing is not rocket science here in Cape Hatteras, so it is a short season but it’s a very exciting time from mid-April into mid-June.  

Over the summer it’s just fishing for fun until the fall arrives, but this past year in 2024 we had one day in August where we just happen to have a school a very large Pompano around. The first one I landed was right at 4 lb he was very long. long enough to be a 6-pounder but he didn't have the girth. My next cast I hooked One even larger and boy was I excited. But he gave me that Pompano shake 2/3 of the way in and pulled the hook. There were other Pompano caught that day but not the size of the two I hooked landing one and losing the other. So this may change my outlook as far as summer fishing but I believe this is more the exception than the rule.  

So in summary we only use three baits a sand flea, crab knuckles and a section of shrimp along with fishbites. In the spring into early summer, We have the migration so we will have two rods deep one behind the bar in the ditch one in front of the bar in the ditch or my favorite place the corner of a bar at the beginning of a cut. Check your bait often in the beginning of your fishing day to determine if you have bait snatchers. Always keep fresh bait out on your two long Pompano rods. Your third rod is to explore different washes holes in short or mid-range. But when one of those deep rods goes off, the odds are you are about to have some real fun!  

Sincerely, Jim Price 

psycho’s surf fishing, LLC