# Spanish River Beach



## mattio (Sep 21, 2005)

It's been a windy couple of days lately, thursday had all the whiting you could handle, they were small though, to about 18" was a biggie. Saturday evening it was realy blowing and the jacks were out in force ! One or two were over 5lbs, but most went a pound or two. Plenty of catchin, no meat though. That brings me to a question about 'whiting', I've loked around and there are several species of fish described as 'whiting'. Most of them are called some type of kingfish, not to be confused with king mackeral, there are southern kingfish and gulf kingfish. They all have different scentific names, but are also reffered to as whiting. I've cought whiting up north ( jersey ) and they are an entirely different species, different mouth and body. So I'm trying to find out, what do you all call whiting. The ones I was catching on Thursday appeared to be Gulf Kingfish








I would've thought they were Southern Kingfish, but no color difference on top


----------



## repair5343 (Jul 8, 2001)

Up north its Kings Down here its Whitings or usually known as Croakers.
There are in the drum family when caught they make kind of a grunting or croaking sound hence the name Croakers.
Also when your talking to another fisherman in Florida about fishing for Kings, the only fish to go that name is the King Mackeral.
I hope that clears things up a little.
Just remember differant areas of the country may call a fish something else like Weakies/Trout.


----------



## mattio (Sep 21, 2005)

Thanks for the info. I think croakers are totally different than what I'm describing, I've caught a few and they look like small drum. These fish are more 'silvery'. I do all my beach fishing in the Delray-Boca-Deerfield area, but searching on the web I've seen them listed as whiting in at least one place ( http://www.texasgulfcoastfishing.com/whiting.htm ) These are definately the fish I've been catching, just never heard them refered to as 'kingfish' before. Just to be clear, are you saying some folks call croakers 'whiting' ?

Not that any of this matters, I'll keep catching them no matter what they're called


----------



## Fisheadgib (Jan 7, 2006)

There is no standardization on terminology. Wheather you are in the northern Atlantic, southern Atlantic, or the Gulf Coast, alot of stuff has different names. Here in the panhandle, we have both species of whiting. Kingfish are mackeral. What we call bonita, east coasters call little tunny or tuna. What east coasters call bonita, we call northern mackeral. Are you confused yet? The techniques and rigging vary alot also. The longer I fish, the more I realize how little I know. I just keep fishing, learning, and having fun.
And I almost forgot, croakers here are a baitfish that most people don't eat. It's a grunt and a really good speckled trout and redfish bait.


----------



## fisherkid (Jun 30, 2005)

*Sport fish of florida*

is a great reference book. the drum are in the croaker family and includes seatrout, drum, whiting(kingfish), atlantic croaker and spot to name a few.


----------



## fisherkid (Jun 30, 2005)

> And I almost forgot, croakers here are a baitfish that most people don't eat. It's a grunt and a really good speckled trout and redfish bait.


you might be thinking of pigfish. part of the grunt family


----------



## Fisheadgib (Jan 7, 2006)

fisherkid said:


> you might be thinking of pigfish. part of the grunt family


That's the point I'm trying to make. Pigfish are a different critter again. According to Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico by Vic Dunaway,(I have an autographed copy, woo hoo.) They are Atlantic Croaker., also called hardheads. What we call hardheads in the panhandle are actually saltwater catfish. We could go on and on but the point is, different areas use different terminology. Whose to say whats correct or not, I just learn to accept it.


----------



## fisherkid (Jun 30, 2005)

Fisheadgib said:


> That's the point I'm trying to make. Pigfish are a different critter again. According to Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico by Vic Dunaway,(I have an autographed copy, woo hoo.) They are Atlantic Croaker., also called hardheads. What we call hardheads in the panhandle are actually saltwater catfish. We could go on and on but the point is, different areas use different terminology. Whose to say whats correct or not, I just learn to accept it.


exactly "sport fish of florida" is by Vic Dunaway too but he does it by what it's know as in the region. so croacker hardheads are pigfish?
I'm confused


----------



## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

did what you catch have sort of a black tip on the top part of its tail?


----------



## mattio (Sep 21, 2005)

Yup. The whiting I was catching had a little black on the upper part of the dorsal fin and the tail. I'll try and get a photo soon.


----------



## repair5343 (Jul 8, 2001)

Croaker and whitting are the same.
Good eating.
To get really confused on terminology get the book Florida Fishes.
Croakers are also called ( but I never heard any of these) Chut,Grunter,Corvina,Crocus,Rocodina.
Checkout Boynton Inlet also good fishing.
And go to www.boatlessfisherman.com good guys and they also will answer all your questions won't they fisherkid.


----------



## repair5343 (Jul 8, 2001)

Hay fisheadgib sounds like what you call croakers we call Pin Fish.
Mattio just fish if its big enough eat it, if not and you don't want it for bait through it back.


----------



## bcssux (May 23, 2005)

mattio said:


> Yup. The whiting I was catching had a little black on the upper part of the dorsal fin and the tail. I'll try and get a photo soon.


yeah, thats what I know as whiting. they are tasty little critters if you fry em up too.


----------



## Fisheadgib (Jan 7, 2006)

What we call pinfish and pigfish are the same 2 critters as other parts of Florida. The one fish that we refer to as croakers are listed as Atlantic croakers. There are at least 10 different species of "croakers" listed including several species of trout, red and black drum, and whiting. So everyones actually right.


----------



## dstealinghome (Sep 24, 2005)

*round head*

we call them round head in the chespeake bay


----------



## DLTalr (Aug 16, 2005)

Whiting are called sea mullet in NC and Va. Croakers there are the same croakers we used for bait around the Sebastian/Melbourne area. The main difference in the croakers is the size. The further north you go, the bigger they get. I caught the largest croakers around Norfolk/ Va Beach. They still only go a couple of pounds though. 

Hey Mattio! Nice to see you around again. Did you make it through Wilma ok?


----------



## PullMyFinger (May 29, 2005)

*Croaker & Whiting are different (but who really cares?)*

For you detail oriented, nit pickers like me, here's a link with a side-by-side comparison of the Atlantic Croaker & the Whiting (a.k.a. Southern Kingfish). http://www.boat-ed.com/fl/handbook/saltwater_fish.htm
While close cousins, they are different. I've caught both and find it pretty easy to tell them apart. Whiting tend to have a more slender (shorter from top to bottom) body than croaker. The whiting's pectoral fins are also broader than the croaker's, and the markings on the back are broader. Also, I've never heard a whiting make the "croaking" noise a croaker makes when hooked and hoisted out of the water. Then again, I'd rather be catching seatrout, reds or sheepies instead of these guys...


----------



## Fisheadgib (Jan 7, 2006)

Great taste,... less filling,... great taste,... less filling....


----------



## DLTalr (Aug 16, 2005)

Croakers also don't have the little "nipple" (I would guess it's a feeler of sorts.) under their lower jaw.


----------



## Smashed (Jul 1, 2005)

You think that name game is confusing? How about the _Sciaenops ocellatus_, also known as:

Redfish
Red Drum
Channel Bass
Spottail Bass
Puppy Drum
Salt Bass 
Rat Red
Bullfish
Poisson Rouge
Colorado


----------

