Spot

Range: the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of Maine to Florida, most abundant from Chesapeake Bay to South Carolina.

Habitat: bays, estuaries, tidal creeks, inlets, beaches and shallow coastal waters, over mud and sand bottoms and around oyster bars, pilings and jetties. Young spot live in low-salinity creeks and grass beds.

Seasons: spot move into bays and estuaries in spring and feed there through summer. In fall, adults gather near inlets and beaches before heading offshore to spawn from fall through late winter, which produces a strong fall run in many areas. Their numbers vary from year to year.

Spot feed on the bottom, picking worms, small crustaceans and clams out of the sediment with their small mouths. Use a two-hook bottom rig (a hi-lo or top-and-bottom rig) with small hooks and just enough weight to hold bottom, baited with small pieces of bloodworm, clam, squid or shrimp. Piers, bridges, bulkheads, jetties and anchored boats over mud or shell bottom are all good spots. When you find a school, the action can be fast.

A light spinning rod with light line, small hooks on a two-hook rig, and small sinkers. Spot limits vary by state; check your state's regulations.