The Fishing Report
Fishing seasons & conditions by region
Whiting (Kingfish) Menticirrhus americanus
Whiting (Kingfish) Size, Range & Diet
| Typical size | 10–14 in, 0.5–1.5 lb |
|---|---|
| Maximum | up to about 19 in and 3 lb |
| Lifespan | Short-lived — about 3–4 years for northern kingfish, 4–6 for southern and Gulf |
| Range | Surf and nearshore bottom from Cape Cod and the Chesapeake south through Florida and all around the Gulf of Mexico to Texas; the three kingfish species overlap through most of that and are often caught side by side. |
| Habitat | Sand and muddy-sand bottom — the surf trough and outer bars, inlets, sloughs and high-salinity sounds; Gulf kingfish work the breakers themselves while southern and northern hold a little deeper. |
| Diet | Mole crabs (sand fleas), coquina clams, shrimp, small crabs and marine worms, rooted out of the sand with the chin barbel. |
Sizes are typical rod-and-reel and documented maximum figures, not size limits — see the regulations links below for the rules where you fish.
How to Identify a Whiting (Kingfish)
- Long, round-bodied silver fish with a flat belly and a small underslung mouth
- ONE short stiff barbel under the tip of the lower jaw
- Grayish-brown to bronze back fading to silvery sides and a white belly
- Southern kingfish: 7–8 soft-edged dark diagonal blotches along the side, parallel — never meeting in a V
- Gulf kingfish: plain silver with no bars and a blackish tip on the tail
- Northern kingfish: bold oblique bars, two of them forming a V behind the head, and a long trailing spine on the first dorsal fin
Tell it apart: One short barbel under the tip of the lower jaw on a long, round-bodied silver fish is a whiting — a young black drum carries several barbels under a much deeper, high-backed body.
Easily confused with: Black Drum
Side by side: Whiting (Kingfish) vs Black Drum
How to Catch Whiting (Kingfish)
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- Georgia and the Carolinas — spring and fall are best; a two-hook bottom rig with fresh dead shrimp or sand fleas, cast into the second trough off the beach or worked along the sand beside the jetty rocks.GearTwo-hook pompano/whiting rigsFishbites bait stripsSurf spinning combo (9–10 ft)
- On the Gulf beaches, a year-round surf fish that peaks in the cool months — small chunks of fresh dead shrimp on a #4–#1 hook, fished on a Carolina or two-hook bottom rig in the first gut.GearTwo-hook surf bottom rigsCarolina rig kitsPyramid sinkers
- A Mid-Atlantic summer visitor, late spring through October — small bits of bloodworm, clam or Fishbites on a two-hook high-low rig dropped into the sloughs and cuts between the bars.GearHigh-low surf rigsBloodworm FishbitesSize 4–6 baitholder hooks
When & Where Whiting (Kingfish) Are in Season
Peak Good Fair Slow
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Atlantic Inshore | ||||||||||||
| Gulf of Mexico Inshore | ||||||||||||
| Mid-Atlantic Inshore |
Whiting (Kingfish) Regulations
GeorgiaGeorgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources DivisionSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources DivisionNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ), Division of Marine FisheriesSouth Atlantic Fishery Management CouncilSAFMCAtlantic States Marine Fisheries CommissionASMFCFloridaFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)AlabamaAlabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (Outdoor Alabama)MississippiMississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR)LouisianaLouisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)TexasTexas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD)Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council)GMFMCVirginiaVirginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)MarylandMaryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing and Boating ServicesDelawareDelaware DNREC, Division of Fish & WildlifeNew JerseyNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDEP Fish & Wildlife)New YorkNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Division of Marine ResourcesMid-Atlantic Fishery Management CouncilMAFMC
Always check local regulations — seasons, size, and bag limits vary by state and species, and change year to year. When in doubt, release.