King Mac vs "Kingfish"...what is the difference?
 

When I was a kid we caught "kingfish" in the bay while fishing for weakfish. These were small fish about 12-18" that had a couple short catfish like wiskers on the lower jaw.

In Florida they have the big ASA kingfish contests. I saw them haul up some huge wahoo like fish that look like giant king macs to me.

This past season we had a number of nice (what I would call) a king mackeral (looks a little like a spanish but with less yellow and a little thinner profile)

So, is the "kingfish" they catch in florida really a king mackerel we catch up here?

Yup

:uhuh:

Sandy,
Not saying that it doesn't happen, but I've never heard of a king mackeral being caught up here. Spanish macks yes, but not kings. Down south they regularly refer to king mackeral as kingfish. But they are an entirely different fish from the little striped buggers we used to call kingfish. At one time I knew the real name of the ones we used to call kingfish, but I can't recall it right now.

MM,

We got about 4 or 5 of these this year out at the hooter and one off of the fence... I know of a bunch more that were caught on other boats too. Sept/Oct while looking for bones/albies

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...4&d=1127478942

Yeah, that is what I call a king mac. There is no mention of kingfish in that description. If you look up king fish you get this little guy:

http://research.myfwc.com/gallery/im...s.asp?id=13987

Yes down south they call king macs kingfish as in the Southern Kingfish Asssociation

the SKA has touraments for kingmacs, they call them kingfish for short I guess but that is the fish they refer to not some 12" fish from Jersey.

And what we call kingfish, they call whiting.

Sandy,
Yep, that's definately a king mackerel, first time I've heard of anyone catching them this far north.