# What is a Whiting?



## HuntFishDrink

What do they look like and how do you catch them? Is there a size and limit? I couldn't find anything on the FWC, but I read all the time on here about people catching whiting. I've fished the surf for years (mostly for Pompano and sharks) and have apparently never caught a whiting.


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## 69Viking

Google Whiting Fish and you'll come up with this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiting_(fish)) and a bunch of pictures of them!


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## HuntFishDrink

Whiting, southern kingfish, kingfish, sea monkeys, sea mullet, round heads....whatever you call them, I can't find anything about size or catch limits.


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## whyworry

The general 100 lb rule would apply since there are no size or bag limits for them - also locally known as "ground mullet".


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## tld15uga

This is a whiting:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...e=1&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=957&bih=485

They're everywhere. Over here on the east coast it's not uncommon to catch 50 in a day. Great for a fish fry.


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## jim t

They are a nice by catch when targeting pomps or reds in the surf. They'll hit the same baits as either pompano or redfish.

Meat is a little soft but good.

No size or posession limits.

Jim


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## dsar592

I love surf fishing for whiting. I buy the owner brand black circle hook #4 and I carolina rig them. Bait it with very fresh dead shrimp. Use a small piece and if you dont get a bite try peeling the shrimp. Fish it in the surf and reel it in when they bite and I have caught 30 in 2-3 hours. I have had the best luck starting at daylight. Fun and great for a fish fry. The summer months are the best IMO.


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## salt_water_guy

whyworry said:


> The general 100 lb rule would apply since there are no size or bag limits for them - also locally known as "ground mullet".


 Ground mullet is diffrent from a whiteing 2 diffrent fish


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## Charlie2

*Ground Mullet*



salt_water_guy said:


> Ground mullet is diffrent from a whiteing 2 diffrent fish


I respectfully disagree. If you have facts to support your position, please list them.

I have fished the Baldwin County beaches since a kid and they were always called ground mullet.

Thank sin advance. C2


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## jim t

There are probably 2 or three "kingfish" or "croacker" or whiting in our area...

All very close...


Same with "silver", or "sand" trout.

Doesn't matter, they all are FREE.

If you are a long time fisherman or a marine biologist you might note the differences. But for most of us it's a white trout or a whiting. NO size limits.

But for a new guy, it might be easy to confuse a whiting, from a redfish, from a black drum. The latter two are definitely regulated. If you don't know the difference, ask and learn from a nearby fisherman.

Let's not bring up lesser AJ's and counting spurs on the gills, or Dolphin and looking for bumps on the tongue.

That's a different thread.

Keep ALL the sand or silver trout, Eastern, Western, Southern Kingfish, whiting,ground mullet, etc you'd like.

(There MAY be a 100# limit though, so be careful out there).

Jim


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## jaksprat

Fry 'em up, add some tartar sauce and some Tabasco, and they'll taste like fish!


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## Pier#r

The problem is "whiting" like "ground mullet" is a colloquial (common) name and not an official or scientific name.
That's why biologists refer to fish by their species or Latin name.
Anyway there are three VERY similar kingfish species caught in this area, though the Northern Kingfish is not nearly as common as the other two. 
Here is a very good document with info on them...
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Kingfish.pdf

I made up this picture comparison (below) to show folks the difference.
Doesn't matter what you call them, they are all "groceries" :thumbsup:

Hope this helps!


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## Charlie2

Charlie2 said:


> I respectfully disagree. If you have facts to support your position, please list them.
> 
> I have fished the Baldwin County beaches since a kid and they were always called ground mullet.
> 
> Thanks in advance. C2


Please accept my humble apologies, kind Sir.:notworthy:

I can see your point. You learn something new every day if you keep your mouth shut.

Again; apologizes. Forty lashes with a gaff handle. C2


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## salt_water_guy

Its all good!


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