Spot Tail Pinfish

Spot tail pinfish (Diplodus holbrooki) – I wonder if Diplodus is any relation to Hal? – is also known as porgy, spot, spot-tail porgy, and sailor’s choice. They are similar in appearance to the pinfish, but they have a large black spot in front of the base of the tail. According to the biologists, they hang around in shallow coastal waters and in lower areas of coastal bays and sounds. My experience is that they are most frequently caught in offshore waters around hard bottom and reefs, and they are good baits, cut or alive. I have read that they are a fair pan-fish (maybe that’s how they got the name “sailor’s choice”?) I have not tried to eat one, even though we have caught some very large specimens. They are easily caught with gold hook rigs and even can be caught on larger hooks that you are fishing for snapper with. They grow to around ten inches and should definitely be kept for bait if you catch them.

Capt. Charlie

Spot Tail Pinfish

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