These were thought of as "striper candy" back in the day. Nowadays, I'm not sure what else likes them more than sharks.
There has been a nice run of Northern Kingfish in the surf this year.
Brigantine has a fairly flat surf, with subtle features... but the kings have been running the open surf, while the backbays are chock full of virtually every bait this area can offer.
We have 2 species of kings that run up here, the northern and southern kingfish. Southern Kingies are often called "Whiting" down south, while up here "Whiting" refers to a different species of fish altogether.
A Southern King looks very similar to a Northern King but without the bars or stripes:
The Northern Kingfish
Menticirrhus saxatilis
Profile by
Heather Corbett
Assistant Fisheries Biologist
The Northern kingfish, Menticirrhus saxatilis, is popular with
many saltwater anglers, and it's no wonder. These fish are known to put
up a good fight, and their tasty, white meat is well worth the effort.
Common Names:Other names for the Northern kingfish include
king whiting, sea mullet, northern whiting, roundhead, sea mink,
minkfish, whiting and barb.
Characteristics:Northern kingfish are part of the drum
family, Sciaenidae, which also includes weakfish, spot, Atlantic
croaker, red drum and black drum. Since they lack an air bladder,
Northern kingfish do not make typical "drumming" sounds like other
members of the drum family, but they can vocalize somewhat by grinding
their pharyngeal (throat) teeth.
Notable characteristics are the long spine on the first dorsal fin
and a barbel on the chin. Dark, irregular bars are present along the
body of the fish. The first two bars form two distinct V-shapes. The
bold markings and a dark longitudinal stripe behind the pectoral fins
distinguish it from the two other species of kingfish. The markings on
Southern kingfish and Gulf kingfish are not nearly as prominent and do
not form the V-shaped pattern.
Range:Northern kingfish are found in the Atlantic Ocean
from Maine to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Yucatan.
They are most commonly found from the Chesapeake Bay to New York.
Habitat:Usually found in schools in shallow coastal
waters, Northern kingfish prefer areas with a hard or a sandy bottom.
They regularly appear along the Atlantic coast from late April to
October. It is unknown where Northern kingfish migrate for the winter,
but it is thought to be offshore and in deeper water.
Size:Northern kingfish can grow 18 inches long and can
weigh up to three pounds, but greater lengths and weights have been
reported. Commonly, these fish range from 10 to 14 inches long and weigh
from one-half to 1.5 pounds. The largest ever recorded anywhere, a
three-year-old female caught in a commercial gill net, was more than 21
inches long and weighed 3.3 pounds. The New Jersey state record was
caught in the surf in Margate on Oct. 25, 2003 by Art Higbee, who used
bloodworms for bait. The fish was 18 1/4 inches long and weighed two
pounds and six ounces - just three ounces more than the record set 10
years ago.
Spawning and Growth:Spawning typically occurs at the
bottom of bays and sounds, but has been reported to occur outside of
estuaries. The spawning period ranges from April until August, depending
on the region; older fish tend to spawn first. Males become sexually
mature around age two and females around age three. The eggs float, and
within 46 to 50 hours, they hatch in waters 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Northern kingfish grow quickly during their first year of life. Fish
spawned in late May or early June can reach a length of 11.8 inches by
October. The major period of growth is from mid-summer to late fall,
with little or no growth occurring in the winter. The average life
expectancy of the Northern kingfish is two to three years, although they
are known to live as long as four years.
Feeding:Northern kingfish are bottom feeders that eat
shrimp, small mollusks, worms, young fish, crabs and other crustaceans.
Compared with other members of the drum family, the smaller eyes,
barbel, inferior mouth and body shape indicate that Northern kingfish
feed primarily by using their senses of smell and touch.
Commercial Fishing:Currently, there is no directed
commercial fishery for Northern Kingfish in New Jersey, so any
commercial harvest is landed only as bycatch. In 2002, 1,500 pounds of
Northern kingfish were reported harvested commercially in New Jersey.
Most were caught by gill nets and otter trawls with only a few caught by
fish pots and traps.
Recreational Fishing:Late summer produces the best
results, and fishing can be done in the surf or by boat close to shore.
Small hooks and light tackle should be used and clams, bloodworms or
squid cut into bite-size pieces are the most effective bait. Fishing in
the bay can be done by anchoring in shallow water about eight to 15 feet
deep and chumming with clams. Single or double hooks can be used,
depending on your preference, with a small weight to assure you are
fishing on the bottom. Some anglers like to use bobbers also. The same
bait and hooks are used for surf fishing, which is the more popular
method. Try retrieving your line slowly to improve your catch.
References:Bigelow and Schroeder (1953), NMFS (2002), Virginia Tech Web site, http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/www/macsis/fish.htm
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