Can you eat white croaker

They are found from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up to Massachusetts. Go Penguins! Croaker lives in bays and estuaries in the warm months and in deeper water in the fall when it is breeding season. They are also thought to swim in the waters to the east of South America. Presumably with its mouth. If, on the other hand, you want to have a taste, the following is what you can expect.

Croaker is firm and flaky and has a mild taste in the opinion of some, while others regard the fish as lean and flavorsome, and almost sweet. Obviously, this is all subjective and depends upon your taste buds and your cooking methods. Pro tip: Be careful. Bones ahead! There is a myriad of means and methods for cooking a good croaker. Because it is a small fish, it is cooked whole.

One popular pan-fry recipe, assuming your croaker has already been gutted, and scaled, involves flour, cornmeal, buttermilk, salt, pepper, and flour. Other croaker cooks swear by cooking it in banana leaves. There are a plethora of croaker recipes, so take time to experiment and find your favorite. They even eat carcasses if given the opportunity. The biggest white croaker caught was On average, white croakers are only 8 to 9 inches and weigh less than a pound.

The white croaker is mostly found in the eastern Pacific waters of the U. They thrive in offshore, bays, and nearshore waters. They can also be found in the waters of San Francisco but they are not plenty there. They prefer shallow depths of 10 to feet but some were found at feet and mostly dwells at the bottom muddy area where they can hunt and hide.

The spawning season of the white croaker is from November to April, but it peaks from February to March. Beginner anglers can practice their skills with croakers since they are plenty and you can fish them throughout the year.

No wonder newbie anglers were sometimes confused as to what they had caught. My son Mike and a white croaker aka kingfish from the Pacifica Pier in Identification : Very similar to the yellowfin croaker, however, the white croaker has a black spot under the upper base of the pectoral fin. The tip of the snout projects beyond the lower jaw and there are several tiny barbels under the lower jaw unlike the one large barbel found on most croakers.

Their coloring is a metallic gray or brassy back, fading to a white or silver belly; fins are yellowish. Size seems to vary according to the region. In southern California and along the central coast, north to Cayucos, most of the white croakers caught from piers are under 10 inches in length and seeming to be getting smaller.

At more northern piers, fish of over a foot, and many approaching the maximum size, are common. Rarely taken north of San Francisco. Michael and a mess of fish—white croaker, Pacific tomcod and one starry flounder at the Pacifica Pier in Habitat : Recorded from the surf zone down to a depth of feet but typically found in shallow, sandy and muddy bottom areas from feet in depth—both in the ocean and in larger bays.

Generally a schooling fish so where you find one you will find more. Likes to hang out with queenfish though usually the schools of queenfish will be mid-depth while the schools of white croaker will be down near the bottom. Best bets: almost every oceanfront pier in southern and central California lists white croaker as the number one fish caught or at least in the top five.

However, there has been a decrease in numbers and average size in the last decade. Shoreline : A common catch by shore anglers in southern California. Boats : Not a major catch but taken by boaters in southern and central California. White croaker aka kingfish at the Fort Mason Pier in Bait and Tackle : White croaker will hit almost any bait, but the best is a small strip or chunk of anchovy; second best would be bloodworms or pile worms. White croaker like to hit the bait as it is descending after a cast or as soon as it hits bottom.

The best technique is to reel the line taunt as soon as the cast is completed; you will often feel the croaker hit almost immediately. Fish from mid-way on the pier to the deepest water. White croaker aka roncador and one barred surfperch, Goleta Pier