A yellowfin croaker can weigh as much as four to five pounds. Were fortunate to have beautiful yellowfin croaker biting along the beaches in Southern California. Comments: Yellowfin croaker are attractive fish that reaches a decent size and put up a scrappy battle. They frequent bays, channels, harbors and other nearshore waters over sandy bottoms. all night long. In California, it is illegal to catch this species for sale. Caught more than 30 croakers in a few hours. Still another reason anglers like to learn how to catch croaker is that they are rather tasty. I prefer bloodworms, squid, and fish bites. These croakers are more abundant along beaches during the summer months and may move to deeper water in winter. Since 1915, it has been illegal to sell or buy yellowfin Croaker in California so the only way to get them is to catch them. Their head is blunt and conical. The fin is a yellowish color with dark dorsal fins. Lets see. Whatever you have in the garage or fishing shed should suffice, but if you need a Sometimes they will hit artificial lures if they are shiny but prefer to attack live bait. Croakers are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, family Sciaenidae. The most prominent point in the identification of this croaker species is the single, coin-sized black spot located at the base of the pectoral fin that fostered its common name. The yellowfin croaker is attracted to the scents of these baits. In this case, I Fishing Report from 3/17/20 at the bottom of page Its mid-March and in the last couple of weeks, a lot has changed in the surf. You have a lot better chance of cutting yourself with a dull knife because the knife will drag and youll put your finger across it and youll get cut. These fish arent large so you dont need a big hook to get them. List Of Croakers You Can Catch In The Pacific + Their Scientific Names & Nicknames 1) Bairdiella Scientific Name: Bairdiella Icisia Nickname: Romeo Croaker, Covineta 2) Black Croaker Scientific Name: Cheilotrema eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'catchandfillet_com-box-3','ezslot_4',109,'0','0']));They mainly eat small fishes but they will also eat worms, mollusks, and crustaceans. Yellowfins prefer sand or mud bottoms, where they root around and feed on clams, worms, amphipods, and the occasional small fish. Im a huge fan of the Penn Battle II size 3000, but smaller or larger will be fine depending on what other fish you want to catch during your hunt. Take the rib cage, put your knife underneath the skin and you just kind of push and pull to get a nice, beautiful fillet. Disclaimer: Fry it, bake it, just dont burn it. This makes them a fun catch and could be considered by some to be a sports fish. However, if catch and release is the goal, consider circle hooks. Croaker Peeler crab, bloodworms, cut bait, squid, shrimp Bottomfishing with bait, anchored or drifting from boats, and also caught from piers, docks, shore and surf Chesapeake Bay, tributary rivers of Yellowfin croaker is a good, mild-flavored fish but you need to realize that they are a bottom feeder. Some like to use a ounce egg weight in order to get the bait down to where they are located. White Croaker from the Avila Pier Specie s: Genyonemus lineatus (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek words genys (lower jaw) and nema (barbel) and the Latin word lineatus (striped). The yellowfin croaker will go to depths of about 60 feet but they are most common in shallow water. Cast & Spear occasionally links to goods or services offered by vendors to help you find the best fishing products. To catch Atlantic Croaker, youll want to target them after winter passes, and the water temps have warmed up.The best times will vary slightly by region, but generally this will be from late spring through fall. The key to cutting fish is a very sharp knife. Growing up on the south shore of Long Island, Chum Charlie has always had a passion for fishing. Here is one recipe that you can use to fry up your fresh caught yellowfin croaker.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'catchandfillet_com-box-4','ezslot_5',130,'0','0'])); Mix all these ingredients together and coat your fish with it and then fry them. During the summer months, they are more abundant along the beaches. Theres nothing like catching a fish fresh from the sea is there? I use a 3/4 oz egg weight with a small colored bead that comes off the mainline and attaches to the swivel. Just rapidly tighten the line instead. Catch and photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California. The yellowfin croaker is known to strike at the bait without hesitation and if they are hooked, they will put up a heck of a fight to try to get away. Sometimes they will hit artificial lures if they are shiny but prefer to attack live bait.