Whiting

Season in Upper Texas

Peak months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.

TPWD Sea Rim tip sheet lists 'Kingfish: southern (also called whiting)' in the surf winter and spring. Anglers lump southern and Gulf kingfish as whiting. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Winter and spring surf at Sea Rim and nearby beaches (TPWD).

First trough, often only 20 to 40 yards out.

What to look for

A defined first trough with moving water; sandy bottom.

Bait

Fresh shrimp pieces, Bloodworms, Sand fleas, Fishbites (bloodworm or shrimp). Double-drop bottom rig, small circle hooks (#2 to 2/0), 2 to 3 oz sinker.

Leader

20 to 30 lb mono on the rig.

Common mistakes

• Casting far past the fish
• Hooks too big
• Old, washed-out bait

Landing

Simple; reel it up the beach.

Handling

No special hazards.

Keep or release

Texas lists no limit for southern kingfish (TPWD Sea Rim sheet); see the regulations file.

Recipes for whiting

Typical: 6 to 10 in, about 0.5 lb. Large: 14 to 16 in. SC record 2 lb 10 oz (1968).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.

Sources

• TPWD Sea Rim State Park fishing tip sheet, PWD LF P4504-055I (1/26), with a surf/marsh season column per species (Official source)
• SCDNR species profile: southern kingfish (whiting) (Official source)

All the fish of Upper Texas