←Species
Sciaenidae
Spotfin & White Croaker
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Field guide · §4.4b–c

Spotfin & White Croaker

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Roncador stearnsii / Genyonemus lineatus
Sciaenidae
Water
58-70°F
Best time
Dawn
Tide
Incoming
Robert's pick

How to catch a spotfin & white croaker

Bait
Ghost shrimp, mussel, bloodworm
Rig
High-low 2-hook surf rig, 1/2–1 oz pyramid, #6 hooks
When they bite
Tide preference
Incoming + outgoing
Time of day
Dawn, dusk, night
Pressure
Any
Sources
  • · CDFW Croaker family pages
  • · OEHHA fish consumption advisories
Full citations in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md §4.4b–c.
← All species·§4.4b–c in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md

Spotfin & White Croaker

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Roncador stearnsii / Genyonemus lineatus
SciaenidaePrefers 58–70°F
Habitat & range

Where they live

CA range
Magdalena Bay → Vancouver Island (White is cold-tolerant); Spotfin Magdalena → Pt. Conception
Habitat types
Sandy surf zoneSandy pierInner harbor
Water temp
58–70°F preferred
Life history

Biology

LifespanSpotfin ~12 yrs; White ~15 yrs
Size at maturitySpotfin reaches 27" (trophy 20"+); White smaller, common 8–12"
SpawningSummer surf-zone aggregations (Spotfin); year-round (White)
DietCrustaceans, mollusks, polychaete worms, small fish
Behavior

When they bite

Tide preferenceIncoming + outgoing
Time of dayDawn, dusk, night
Pressure biasAny
Field ID

How to identify

**Spotfin** — black spot at upper gill cover base; brassy silver. **White** — single chin barbel, longitudinal pencil-line markings, brassy underside.

Look-alikes

Each other; Yellowfin Croaker (yellow fins); Corbina (longer body)

Robert's pick

How to catch

Best baitGhost shrimp, mussel, bloodworm
Best rigHigh-low 2-hook surf rig, 1/2–1 oz pyramid, #6 hooks
California regulations
No min size for Spotfin (game-fish protections); White croaker — consumption advisories in PV Shelf and other contaminated areas (check OEHHA)

Always verify current regulations on the CDFW site.

Where to fish for Spotfin & White Croaker

SoCal hotspots

Top spots from the doc: Every sandy surf beach · most sandy piers · Belmont Shore
All spots in the TideRead catalog that target Croaker (58):
Aliso Beach
Laguna Beach · Orange County
Balboa Pier
Newport Beach · Orange County
Cabrillo Beach
San Pedro · Los Angeles
Cardiff State Beach
Cardiff · San Diego
Carlsbad State Beach
Carlsbad · San Diego
Carpinteria State Beach
Carpinteria · Santa Barbara
Channel Islands Harbor
Oxnard · Ventura
Corona del Mar SB
Corona del Mar · Orange County
Coronado Municipal Beach
Coronado · San Diego
Crystal Pier
Pacific Beach · San Diego
Del Mar Beach
Del Mar · San Diego
Doheny State Beach
Dana Point · Orange County
El Capitán State Beach
El Capitán · Santa Barbara
El Porto Beach
Manhattan Beach · Los Angeles
El Segundo Beach
El Segundo · Los Angeles
Embarcadero
San Diego · San Diego
Gaviota Pier
Gaviota · Santa Barbara
Goleta Beach Pier
Goleta · Santa Barbara
Hendry's (Arroyo Burro)
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara
Hollywood Beach
Oxnard · Ventura
Huntington Beach Pier
Huntington Beach · Orange County
Imperial Beach Pier
Imperial Beach · San Diego
La Jolla Shores
La Jolla · San Diego
Leadbetter Beach
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara
Leo Carrillo SB
Malibu · Los Angeles
Long Beach Breakwater
Long Beach · Los Angeles
Manhattan Beach Pier
Manhattan Beach · Los Angeles
Mission Beach
Mission Beach · San Diego
Moonlight Beach
Encinitas · San Diego
Newport Pier
Newport Beach · Orange County
Oceanside Harbor
Oceanside · San Diego
Oceanside Pier
Oceanside · San Diego
Point Mugu
Point Mugu · Ventura
Port Hueneme Pier
Port Hueneme · Ventura
Redondo–Torrance Beach (incl. RAT)
Torrance · Los Angeles
Refugio State Beach
Refugio · Santa Barbara
Rincon Point
Carpinteria · Ventura
Salt Creek Beach
Dana Point · Orange County
San Buenaventura SB
Ventura · Ventura
San Clemente Pier
San Clemente · Orange County
San Onofre State Beach
San Onofre · San Diego
Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica · Los Angeles
Scripps Pier
La Jolla · San Diego
Seal Beach Pier
Seal Beach · Orange County
Silver Strand SB
Coronado · San Diego
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach · Orange County
Surfers Point
Ventura · Ventura
Surfrider Beach
Malibu · Los Angeles
T-Street
San Clemente · Orange County
Tamarack SB
Carlsbad · San Diego
Tide Beach
Solana Beach · San Diego
Topanga State Beach
Topanga · Los Angeles
Torrey Pines SB
Torrey Pines · San Diego
Tourmaline Surf Park
Pacific Beach · San Diego
Trestles
San Clemente · Orange County
Venice Pier
Venice · Los Angeles
Ventura Pier
Ventura · Ventura
Zuma Beach
Malibu · Los Angeles
Did you know

Spotfin croaker make a deep drumming sound by vibrating muscles against their swim bladder — you can sometimes hear them from the surf line.

Sources
  • · CDFW Croaker family pages
  • · OEHHA fish consumption advisories
Full citations + cross-references in SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md §4.4b–c.