What fish is this???

[jaycal3]

So I am out fishing off my 25' Aquasport Osprey 250 and in the middle of some decent blues and fluke I pull this out of the Housatonic River in Stratford: I was using a sand worm and bottom fishing for fluke when this one came up:


The eyes were like cats eyes and the mouth was underneath kinda like a sharks mouth.  I have looked high and low online and asked many fishermen... no one I know can figure out what I pulled... cool looking fish, weird stripes, crazy eyes and a strange mouth... mutant maybe??

[seabob4]

Something from Staten Island...  

[gran398]

It looks like a member of the croaker family.

[GoneFission]

Croaker or juvenile cod?

[jaycal3]

It looks like a member of the croaker family.

Hmmm... just looked that up and you may be on to something here.  That's the closest thing I have seen so far.

[Circle Hooked]

Has our sea trout look to it, a croaker for sure.

[Blue Agave]

Resembles a fish caught here in Florida called a "whiting".

[Capt. Bob]

I'd give BA the cigar.

http://voices.yahoo.com/panfish-tasty-w ... 70586.html

[jaycal3]

Oh boy... just when I was sure it was a croaker... the only questions would be the striping and the area in which it was caught.  Are whiting found up north in the LI Sound/Housatonic and do they have the same type of striping....

[Capt. Bill]

I can't see the original pic from my work computer it must be on photo bucket or something and it's blocked. I'll look again when I get home, but the ones in the cooler look like northern Kingfish.  Quite abundant here in NJ, fun to catch on like tackle, and delicious on the table.

[Blue Agave]

Oh boy... just when I was sure it was a croaker... the only questions would be the striping and the area in which it was caught.  Are whiting found up north in the LI Sound/Housatonic and do they have the same type of striping....

Yes on the striping, no clue on your area.

[kraw2]

Resembles a fish caught here in Florida called a "whiting".

Same here;

Whiting and they are very good to eat..!

[Capt. Bob]

Are whiting found up north in the LI Sound/Housatonic and do they have the same type of striping....

Did you open/read the Yahoo link?

Lists the entire Atlantic coast. Called Kingfish up your way (also stated by Capt. Bill). The cooler pic of fish look damn close to what you posted so......

Closer to a cod rather than a croaker though they tend to sound like one.

[gran398]

Everyone is right. It is a Kingfish, also known as Northern Whiting:


http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/artkingfish.htm

[jaycal3]

Are whiting found up north in the LI Sound/Housatonic and do they have the same type of striping....

Did you open/read the Yahoo link?

Lists the entire Atlantic coast. Called Kingfish up your way (also stated by Capt. Bill). The cooler pic of fish look damn close to what you posted so......

Closer to a cod rather than a croaker though they tend to sound like one.

I did.  I know it says up and down the Atlantic Coast but I wasnt sure they would be in a river off the sound and almost high enough to be in brackish waters...