The Cypress Creek Canal C-14 Riverside Park Pompano Canal Fishing Area in Florida is a popular spot for anglers. The canal is home to a variety of fish species, including largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Nearby activities include hiking, picnicking, and birdwatching. Fishing tips include using live bait or artificial lures, and fishing during the early morning or late evening hours. The best time of year to visit is during the cooler months between November and March, with average temperatures ranging from 60-75°F.

Featured Fish - African Pompano

The African pompano is not actually a member of the pompano family and is more closely related to a jack. It is a strong fighter and an excellent light tackle game fish. It will take small live or dead baits, as well as lures, jigs and feathers. It is usually caught incidentally while trolling for other species. Most anglers who specifically target these fish will seek them out over offshore wrecks using live bait and jigs. The fish can sometimes be chummed up close to the surface using live bait and targeted with fly tackle however this is a more difficult approach. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish: The adult specimens are large, vertically flattened fish with bright pearlescent sides and the head is distinctively blunt. In juvenile fish, the forward dorsal rays and anal fins are very long and threadlike that sometimes stretches past the caudal fins. These ‘threads’ remain on the fish until early adulthood, but they are usually lost as the fish grows.African pompano can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the lower number of gill rakers on the first branchial arch (18-22 as opposed to 30-35 in A. indicus in the Indo-Pacific and even more in A. alexandrinus in Mediterranean and west African waters).These fish are characterized by 4-6 elongated, thread-like rays in the front part of the second dorsal and anal fins. In juveniles the first two of these rays may be four times as long as the fish. Normally, the rays tend to disappear or erode away as the fish grows. The fish also undergoes changes in body shape as it grows. The body of the juvenile fish is short and deep. The spines of the first dorsal fin are visible, though not very prominent at this stage. By the time the fish is 14 inches long, the body is more elongated and the forehead is steeper. In both juveniles and adults the body is strongly compressed. The lateral line arches smoothly but steeply above the pectoral fins. Large specimens are light bluish green above and silvery over most of the remainder of the body. They may have dark blotches on the operculum, on the dorsal side of the caudal peduncle, and on the anterior portion of the second dorsal and anal fins. Adult specimens are common at 15-30 lbs and sometimes grow to at least 50 lbs.