Fish o' the Day - Gulf kingfish

Another Gulf coaster, this one closely associated with sandy beaches. The Gulf kingfish, Menticirrhus littoralis, known commonly along the coast as "whiting", is one of the more common fish in the surf zone on Gulf beaches. Like the spotted seatrout, it's a member of the Family Sciaenidae, the drums. Whiting reach lengths of about 18", and typically weigh a pound or two. There are a couple of other kingfish species that share the same geographic range - the southern kingfish (M. americanus) and the northern kingfish (M. saxatilis) have dark markings on the bodies, while M. littoralis tends to be uniformly silver, with some darker pigmentation on the rear of the caudal fin. All have a single chin barbel. M. littoralis is fond of high energy beaches, while its congeners like calmer areas with softer bottoms.

Whiting apparently spawn offshore in the spring, after which the young fish recruit to the surf zone. They're benthic feeders, taking worms, small bivalves, and other invertebrates. They're a popular fish for surf casters, and one of your most likely catches if you simply take a rod and reel, bait up with a piece of frozen shrimp, and toss it beyond the breakers. That is, if you can avoid all the hardhead catfish long enough for a whiting to find it.