Pompano dolphinfish

Looks like a small mahi-mahi but deeper-bodied, with a wider tooth patch on the tongue and the pectoral fin less than half the head length.

2–5 lb.

About 2.5 ft.

Flying fish, ballyhoo, small tunas, mackerels and squid.

Open-ocean traveler that follows current edges, weed lines and bait schools.

Found from South Florida & Keys, Florida Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Mexican Caribbean & Belize, Central America, Colombia & Venezuela, Bahamas & Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Jamaica & Cayman, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao, Trinidad & Tobago, Georgia & South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay, Delaware & New Jersey, New York, Long Island & Connecticut and Rhode Island & Massachusetts. Open ocean around weed and floating debris, often mixed with mahi.

Open ocean around weed and floating debris, often mixed with mahi.

Surface.

Surface to 100 ft over deep water (300+ ft).

Varies by species and area; winter for sailfish off southeast Florida, spring–summer for many others.

Morning bites are common; fish the whole day when the current edge is right.

Ocean current and temperature breaks matter more than tide.

Moderate wind against the current can stack bait — but only go when it's safe.

Ballyhoo strips and squid.

Small trolling lures and jigs.

20–50 lb class trolling or stand-up outfit; kite and live-bait rigs for sailfish.

5/0–8/0 non-offset circle hooks with natural bait (required for billfish tournaments and federal HMS rules).

20–50 lb mono or braid with mono top shot.

40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.

Same as mahi — troll weed lines and cast to fish under floating debris.

Many anglers think they're baby mahi — check the body shape.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Cook fish to 145°F (63°C) — the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. Fry, grill, bake or blacken.

Bills and fast runs — never grab the bill of a lit-up fish, and keep big fish in the water.

Counted together with mahi-mahi limits in Florida and federal waters. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.