When do pompano run at Gulf Shores?
March through May as surf temperatures pass 65°F, with a shorter second run in October. Sunrise on a moving tide with clean green water is the window worth protecting.
Florida pompano · Gulf Shores
Florida pompano in Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores' surf between the pier and Fort Morgan carries the run, and the pier itself is a pompano jig fishery all spring.
Best monthsMarch–May run; October encore
Go-to baitssand fleas, fresh peeled shrimp, Fishbites on a two-hook rig
Local waterLittle Lagoon Pass · Gulf State Park Pier
State rulesOutdoor Alabama
The local pattern
Gulf Shores' surf between the pier and Fort Morgan carries the run, and the pier itself is a pompano jig fishery all spring. The west-end beaches toward the fort fish emptier on weekdays.
Pompano key on clean, green surf between 65 and 75 degrees. Read the beach first: the trough is the highway, the cuts are the on-ramps, and the moving tide is the schedule. A two-hook rig in the right water beats six rods in the wrong water.
Common questions
What rig catches pompano at Gulf Shores?
A two-hook pompano rig with small circle hooks, bright floats, and a sinker that holds bottom, baited with sand fleas, fresh shrimp, or Fishbites, cast into the first trough.
Plan the trip
Conditions decide more than tackle. The live dashboard scores each Gulf Shores morning from NOAA tide swing, wind, and sky, with solunar windows and marine alerts, and Hooked Up Bait & Tackle and Beach Bum Outdoors keep live bait through the season.
Seasons and limits change. Verify with Florida FWC or Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish.