BEACH FISHING FOR POMPANO A SUCCESS WITH SAN FLEA BAITS

March 9, 2007, David Burns, Tecolutla, Veracruz, Mexico, Restaurant El Manglar:

Oh what a convoluted path life and fate weave, but last week when I said I'd be back I meant it.

In this week's Mexican beach fishing at Tecolutla, the shoe was on the other foot, the grass was greener on my side, and the teacher got taught. I landed a pompano per day from Tuesday through Thursday and it was Gary's turn to sit in the beach chair and watch the action unfold.

Tuesday was not a pleasant day but that has never stopped us from doing our part by ensuring baited lines are in the water. It was overcast, choppy and, by our standards, a little chilly but at 11:35 a.m. I was doing the pompano dance after pulling in a two-and-a-half pounder.

Wednesday's fishing brought clear skies and calmer waters to this part of the Mexican coast, but it was still a little chilly and got worse as strong winds materialized in the afternoon. I had a huge hit midmorning but alas the twenty-pound test didn't hold and I lost my quarry. Judging from the way it pulled, it was likely a good sized Stingray and to be more honest I likely lost it because, rather than patiently wait it out, I tried to muscle it out of the sand where it settled after some pole bending, drag screaming runs.

However all was for not, as around 4 p.m., just when I was thinking we'd have to make a run to the restaurant on the highway that serves very good grilled meats or go hungry that night, I found myself doing the pompano dance yet again. Same size as the day before and same fun too.

Thursday was a Mexican fisherman's post card perfect day: calm seas, sunny skies, and a very slight breeze to keep things from getting too hot and sticky.

Unfortunately we mostly fed crabs our bait and had very few strikes in what was shaping up as a disappointing day. During these types of lulls I usually busy myself with beer and book but was feeling rather energetic and started hunting for sand fleas at the water's edge. Those efforts didn't go unrewarded as, around 10 a.m., on my second cast of this bait, proven time and time again to produce, I found myself on the happy end of a fishing pole and a pompano on the not-so-happy end. At a risk of redundancy: same size as the others, slight variation of the pompano dance and same fun.

That's it for Mexico fishing from Teco for this week. Next week promises more pompano reports and coverage of the annual Tecolutla Snook tournament.