FishIN THE FISH ID CAMERATABLE: ExcellentDIFFICULTY
Compact, deep-bodied, silvery jack with a blunt nose, deeply forked tail, and yellowish belly/fins; no spots or bars. Galveston surf fish typically 0.5-2 lb (10-15 in); a 3 lb+ is a trophy.
⚖ Texas limits · 2026-27 license year No TX bag or length limit · verify at TPWD →
On the water
WhenBest in spring and fall (roughly March-May and September-November) as they migrate along the beach, though caught through summer. Calm-to-lightly-churned, sandy-green surf on a moving tide is ideal; incoming tide and morning/evening are prime.WhereThe Galveston and Bolivar SURF is the prime spot - work the troughs/guts and sandbar edges, especially the first and second guts and sloughs where waves stir up sand crabs and coquina. Also from piers and along the jetties. They cruise the wash where the surf churns up food.HowClassic pompano surf setup: a two- or three-drop pompano rig with small circle hooks, fished on the bottom in the guts behind a pyramid sinker, cast to the trough edges. Bait with fresh peeled shrimp, sand fleas, or Fishbites (orange/pink formulas). Fish multiple rods spread across the guts, keep baits fresh, and move to find the school.BehaviorA specialized bottom-forager that roots sand fleas (mole crabs), coquina clams, small crustaceans and worms out of the churning surf wash. They patrol the troughs feeding on what the waves dislodge - which is why surf presentations in the wash zone score.The fightSpunky, dogged little scrappers - their deep body and forked tail let them pull hard and run in the surf; excellent fight for their size, but locating the school is the challenge.
Baits that work
Fresh peeled/dead shrimp - top natural bait
Sand fleas (mole crabs) - premium when available
Fishbites (orange/pink EZ Flea, crab, shrimp) - durable and deadly, often paired with shrimp
Small crab pieces, clam; small jigs/bucktails in the wash
Tackle
Rod & reel9-12 ft surf rod with a 4000-6000 spinning reel for distance; a medium 7 ft works close-in from piers/jetties.Line15-20 lb mono or 20-30 lb braid with a mono shock leader.Leader20-30 lb fluoro/mono droppers; no wire needed.Terminal#1-1/0 circle hooks, pyramid or sputnik sinkers 2-5 oz, red/orange/chartreuse floats and beads; small pompano/banana jigs as an alternative.RigPompano rig - two/three dropper loops with #1-1/0 circle hooks, colored floats/beads, and a pyramid/sputnik sinker (2-4 oz).
The bait clock
☀ DawnFresh peeled shrimp on pompano rig
Early incoming tide in the first gut can produce before the main daytime window.
☼ MiddayFishbites (sand flea/shrimp) or live sand fleas
Pompano are daytime visual feeders; clear green surf under sun is the classic Texas bite.
☾ DuskPeeled shrimp or Fishbites
Bite fades with light but lingers through the evening tide in clean water.
[{'months': [10, 11, 12], 'note': 'Fall run in the Galveston surf as water clears and cools.'}, {'months': [3, 4, 5], 'note': 'Spring push: pompano jigs and Fishbites in clear green water.'}]
Water clarity (clear green surf) matters far more than time of day; night fishing is unproductive.
Don’t confuse it with
PermitDIFFERENT LIMIT
Pompano stay silver-yellow and small, with a shallow body; permit are deeper, darker, with a black blotch under the pectoral. Different limit structures.
Handling & releaseHardy and easy to release; survives well from the surf with quick handling. No venting needed. If keeping, ice immediately to protect the prized meat.On the tableOne of the most prized food fish in the Gulf - sweet, rich, firm white flesh, mild and clean. Considered a delicacy and often the reason anglers target them.As baitNot used as bait - too valuable as table fare and typically caught small. Anglers keep them, not cut them.
The bar to beat
Texas state record
6.41 lb · 24.63″ — Juan Carrillo III
Lower Laguna Madre, TX, 2006
World record
8.25 lb — Barry Huston
Port St. Joe Bay, Florida, 1999
Records as compiled in the IronJetty guide (Aug 2026) — verify current marks with TPWD records / IGFA.
