Saltwater
Northern Kingfish
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The northern kingfish, often called whiting, is a small, barred member of the drum family and one of the classic surf fish of the Atlantic coast. It has a single chin barbel, a long spine at the front of its dorsal fin and bold dark bars, the first two forming a "V" on its shoulder. Most are 10 to 14 inches and under a pound and a half, but they're scrappy on light tackle and excellent to eat.
02Where to Catch
Range: the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan, most common from Chesapeake Bay to New York.
Habitat: schools in shallow coastal waters over sand or hard bottom: the surf zone, sloughs along the beach, inlets and bays. Kingfish feed on the bottom on small shrimp, crabs, worms and small fish.
Seasons: along the Atlantic coast they show up from late April to October, with late summer the best fishing. They're thought to move offshore into deeper water for the winter.
03How to Catch
Surf fishing
Surf fishing is the most popular method. Use a light bottom rig with small hooks and bite-size pieces of bloodworm, clam or squid (shrimp and shedder crab work too), cast into the troughs and sloughs close to shore. Retrieving the bait slowly along the bottom can draw more strikes than letting it sit.
Bay and boat fishing
In bays, anchor in shallow water about 8 to 15 feet deep over sand and chum with ground clams, fishing the same small baits on the bottom.
04Tackle
A light spinning rod (or a light surf rod) with light line, small hooks on a two-hook rig and just enough weight to hold bottom. Kingfish rules vary by state; check your state's regulations.
05Questions anglers ask
What else is a northern kingfish called?
It's often called whiting. It's a small, bottom-feeding member of the drum family, related to croaker, spot and black drum.
How do I tell it from other kingfish?
The northern kingfish has bold dark bars, with the front two forming a "V" on the shoulder, a dark stripe behind the pectoral fin, a long first dorsal spine and a single chin barbel. Southern and Gulf kingfish have faint or no bars and no "V."