Atlantic Croaker
Micropogonias undulatus
Atlantic Croaker is a schooling Atlantic and Gulf coastal fish that moves inshore over mud and sand bottoms, often near estuaries and bays. It feeds on small crustaceans, worms, and fish prey, and is a common bycatch as well as a regional food fish.
Identification points
- Silvery to brassy body with wavy, oblique dark lines on the sides
- Subterminal mouth and a pronounced chin barbel absent; instead it has a blunt snout typical of croakers
- Many small barbels on the chin and a deep body with a slightly arched back
Habitat
Estuaries, bays, tidal rivers, and nearshore continental shelf waters over soft mud or sand, often around creek mouths, channels, and oyster-adjacent areas where benthic prey concentrates.
Bait notes
Effective baits include live or fresh shrimp, bloodworms, mud minnows, finger mullet, and cut fish. Small jig heads tipped with shrimp or soft plastics also work when fish are feeding near bottom.
Behavior
Bottom-oriented and often forms schools; feeds by rooting through sediment for shrimp, crabs, polychaete worms, and small fish. Activity commonly increases with moving tide and low-light periods.
Caution
Has sharp gill covers and can be swallowed easily by larger predators, so handle carefully if released. Check local size, bag, and seasonal rules; consumption advisories may apply in some estuaries for contaminant concerns.
Fishing notes
Fish light bottom rigs, fish-finder rigs, or small double-drop rigs along channel edges, sloughs, and deeper holes. Keep baits near the bottom and use a slow retrieve or subtle drift; smaller hooks help when croakers peck at bait.