# California Corbina vs the southern Kingfish



## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Are the California Corbina and the southern Kingfish (Whiting) the same? (The northern Kignfish dont get near as big). These sure look the same based on the videos Ive seen. But the Corbina get to be 6 to 7 pounds and the record is 8 pounds. They come up with the waves and eat sand fleas in several inches of water then go back out with the receding wave and you can actually see their backs. They bite best at low light.
A lot of folks sight cast for them, throwing the rig in front of the fish and some even fly fish for them in the surf. Corbina are mainly confined to southern CA since the water temps farther north are
too cold in the 50s. Apparently the yellow fin croaker get fairly large too. I might have to pay a visit to the San Diego-San Clemente area and do some surf fishing, perhaps one summer when the
water is warm enough. Its about the same distance to both coasts for me. They have large fluctuations in water temps there too, One week in August it could be in the lower 70s and then the next week
upper 50s. The average water temp around San Diego is 68-70 in mid-summer.

Attached is a video of a guy who looks to be sight casting for Corbina in the wash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbe1-bvmfA4

jf


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## Starboard (Apr 23, 2008)

They are closely related but are different species according to Wiki. The scientific name for California corbina is Menticirrhus undulates and Southern kingfish (or sea mullet or whiting) is Menticirrhus americanus. After watching the video and looking it up, California corbina looks like a sea mullet on steroids to me........


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

hugehail - i wondered the same thing as you when i first saw the corbina before....assumed it was similar to a pompano - permit thing....look very similar, behave similar, but one just gets way bigger...


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Also, a fish is imported from central and South America that looks like huge sea mullet filets an is often used at local charity events as whiting. Think the same fish. Taste great,, :-( and I preach local seafood :-(..!! best - glenn


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## StillSearchin (Apr 9, 2007)

Lots of fish fries use "whiting" that is offered in retail stores in 5# boxes. Many of those boxes are packed with silver hake. Whiting is a generic term much like whitefish. When I see whitefish on menues I like to ask what kind of fish it really is. I never yet have received an answer that it was actually whitefish.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Looks very tasty to me....


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Supercharged seamullet...


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

gshivar said:


> Also, a fish is imported from central and South America that looks like huge sea mullet filets an is often used at local charity events as whiting. Think the same fish. Taste great,, :-( and I preach local seafood :-(..!! best - glenn


The white fish they serve at our local seafood restaurants is dang sure not whiting. The meat has large flakes and it is not even in the same class taste wise as whiting, Virginia Mullet, kingfish or whatever you choose to call them.

Darin


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

I dont think the flounder you eat at the restaurants is real fllounder wither, not the flounder like you catch along the NC coast anyway.


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## Oldscout2 (Sep 15, 2008)

Corbina fight harder than whiting, more like a pup. Caught one when I was out there a couple of years ago. Game warden showed up like magic and checked my one day permit.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Finger mullet-- Not talking white fish...


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

StillSearchin said:


> Lots of fish fries use "whiting" that is offered in retail stores in 5# boxes. Many of those boxes are packed with silver hake. Whiting is a generic term much like whitefish. When I see whitefish on menues I like to ask what kind of fish it really is. I never yet have received an answer that it was actually whitefish.


Silver hake is commonly known as whiting.

As for corbina, I saw one while surf fishing the LA area last Christmas. I didn't get a hook-up nor even a hit but I was still shocked to see a whiting the size of a puppy drum.


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