Atlantic Croaker
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| The Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) is very similar in appearance to a small black drum. The easiest way to tell them apart is that the barbels (whiskers) on the drum’s chin are pronounced, while on the croaker’s they are much smaller. They are also called chut, grunter, corvina, crocus and rocodina and hardhead. They are great bait for grouper and snapper and many other fish when they are fished from a still boat - they don't troll well at all. You will find that most baits that live on the bottom are not suitable for trolling, but will be good for bottom fishing or even mid-water fishing if you are at anchor or slowly drifting. Croakers usually reach about a pound in size, but we generally see them from three to eight inches here on the space coast. We catch them in cast nets, sabiki rigs and hook and line (let your youngsters catch them for fun and you use them for bait the next day). I have read that they are an important commercial species, with high quality flesh, mostly exported and they don't taste bad if you can get around the bones. But in my book they are best used as a high quality grouper bait. | |
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This page was last updated November 25, 2003 |
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