WHITING
Lobotes surinamensis
English: Whiting, southern kingfish, channel mullet, black mullet or ground mullet.
Spanish: Merlan, plegonero.
The whiting is gray in color and has dark stripes or bars. Whiting have one barbell under the chin area. The mouth is down-turned. These slim fish have small, razor sharp teeth for eating smaller fish. They can grow to be up to sixteen inches in length and weigh two pounds. The average whiting is about one pound.
For those that prefer fishing from a boat, the best water depth is between twenty and thirty feet. Be sure that your line is long enough to reach the sea bed or else your efforts will be futile.
Surf fishing for whiting can be rather productive provided the angler selects the perfect spot. Every surf fishermen knows that although a certain area was active yesterday, that doesn’t mean there will be fish there today. Many fishermen prefer to fish beaches that have numerous cracked shells on it. Most professionals will watch for an abundance of seagulls. The gulls will often flock to an area because they see shadowing of fish in the water. This is a sure fire way to find the fish.
Because whiting are bottom feeders, it is prudent for the fisherman to be sure there is enough weight on the line. Without proper weight, it's difficult to catch whiting. Using a leader that is about thirty inches in length is another tip that seems to work for whiting. #3 J hooks seem to work well as do 1/0 circle hooks.