Florida pompano

1. Pre-run
   0.20≤ 62°F
2. First arrivals
   0.5062–65°F
3. Building · Wk 2-3
   0.8064–72°F
4. Peak · Wk 4
   1.0068–80°F
5. Summer · dispersed
   0.50
6. Tapering
   0.55
7. ● Fall run
   0.9062–82°F
8. Departing
   0.30

1. 1

   coquina clams · coquinas

   primary · mollusk · Donax variabilis · panhandle

   Diet share

   45%(30–58%)

   Shoulder

   Bait equivalents

   fresh coquina, sand flea, shrimp tip, fishbites

   Season

   Peak Mar–Jul · lull Dec–Feb · quiet below 60°F

   Vulnerable when

   • High on rising tide in moderate-to-high surf
   • Moderate on high slack tide
   • Low on low slack / falling tide

   Dominant in panhandle per Wheeler 2002 — Wheeler 2002

2. 2

   mole crabs (sand fleas) · sand fleas

   secondary · crustacean · Emerita talpoida

   Diet share

   25%(15–35%)

   Shoulder

   Bait equivalents

   sand flea, fishbites sand flea, shrimp

   Season

   Peak Apr–Sep · lull Jan–Feb

   Vulnerable when

   • High on rising / high slack tide
   • Low on low slack tide in calm surf

   Universal pompano forage; primary in many regions — Bell et al. 2002

3. 3

   shrimp

   tertiary · crustacean

   Diet share

   10%(5–15%)

   In season

   Bait equivalents

   live shrimp, fresh dead shrimp, shrimp tip, gulp shrimp

   Season

   Peak Apr–Oct

   Vulnerable when

   • High on rising / high slack tide

   Opportunistic; bait-of-record on many trips

Water temp

62–84°F

optimum 72°F

Salinity

20–35 PSU

Feeding

diurnal

Typical size

11–17"

max 25" fork

Lifespan

7 yr

mature at 1.5 yr

School density

1.9–2.6 fish/m²

Site fidelity

21–27 days

Group feeding

facilitates

Strictly daytime visual feeder; nose-down benthic forager working the swash zone during the prey-vulnerability window.

Field notes

• Group feeding facilitation: a single bite signals a school is in casting range.

  • prey activity ≥ moderate

  — Schrandt & Powers 2015

• Schools tighter and smaller in tapering phase as fish begin southward return.

  • migration phase: tapering

  — Ross & Lancaster 2002

• First arrivals are typically larger solitary fish or pairs.

  • migration phase: first arrivals

  — regional reporting; consistent with seasonal lit.

Schooling by phase

first arrivals

Solitary fish or pairs; size-stratified larger fish first

building

Schools forming; mixed sizes

peak

Settled schools; high site fidelity at productive sections

tapering

Schools tighter and smaller

Citations

1. [1]Ross & Lancaster 2002 · school density 1.9-2.6 fish/m2
2. [2]Ross & Lancaster 2002 · site fidelity 21-27 days
3. [3]Schrandt & Powers 2015 · group facilitation
4. [4]Iverson & Berry 1969 · spring run trigger 62-65°F
5. [5]Wheeler, Stark & Heard 2002 · max diet percent coquina 58%
6. [6]Modde & Ross 1981; Wheeler 2002 · preferred temp range 62-84°F
7. [7]Heilman & Spieler 1999; Wheeler et al. 2002 · diurnal feeding
8. [8]Ellers 1995 · swash prey mechanism