Photo Gallery - Pompano and Permit

There's been lots of talk lately about permit and pompano—where the best beaches and flats are, what the best baits are, what's the status of the stocks.

The March issue of Florida Sportsman --on sale now--features a special five-article package covering these two similar fish. From the deep wrecks of the Florida Keys to the white sand beaches of the Panhandle, it's probably covered.

Here are some outtakes from the photo selection.

 

 

Long rods aren't always needed for pompano fishing. When the surf is calm and clear, often the fish prowl right up to the sand, within reach of light tackle.

 

Pompano are among the hardest fighting fish, pound for pound, and here a good one gives a tussle to a Gulf Coast fisherman.

 

Natural baits like sandfleas and crabs aren't the only things these fish will strike. Chrome-headed jigs in gaudy colors like pink, yellow or chartreuse catch their interest.

 

These Keys anglers are scouting a wreck for the telltale silver flashes of permit. At times the fish swarm on the surface, particularly during the April to June spawning months.

 

Permit and pomps may be similar in coloration and shape, but the permit can far outweigh its cousin. This one scaled some 30 pounds.