Fish

Scup (porgy)

Scup (pargo norteño)

Stenotomus chrysops

Saltwater

At a glance

Typical size

½–2 lb.

Depth

10–60 ft in summer; deeper offshore in winter.

Best time

Daylight; they feed best on a moving tide.

Found in

5 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Silvery, deep and thin porgy with a high back, small mouth and faint dark bars; bluish lines along the head.
Typical size: ½–2 lb.
Maximum size: About 18 in and 4 lb.
Diet: Crabs, mussels, clams, worms, shrimp and small fish living on rocks, wrecks and reefs.
Behavior: Lives tight to rocks, jetties, wrecks and artificial reefs and grabs food off the structure.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay, Delaware & New Jersey, New York, Long Island & Connecticut and Rhode Island & Massachusetts. Hard and sandy bottom, rocks, mussel beds, piers and wrecks from Cape Cod to Virginia, especially Long Island Sound, Narragansett and Buzzards bays.
Habitat: Hard and sandy bottom, rocks, mussel beds, piers and wrecks from Cape Cod to Virginia, especially Long Island Sound, Narragansett and Buzzards bays.
Depth: 10–60 ft in summer; deeper offshore in winter.
Fishing depth: On the bottom, right against the structure: 10–60 ft inshore, 60–150 ft on offshore wrecks.
Best season: Late spring through fall inshore; the bigger fish move to deeper wrecks and reefs as the water cools.
Best time: Daylight; they feed best on a moving tide.
Best tides: Moving water; fish the edge of the tide on jetties, slack or light current on deeper wrecks.
Best weather / conditions: Calm days so you can anchor right on the structure.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Clam strips, squid strips and sandworms on small hooks.
Best artificial lures: Small jigs or a hi-lo rig with a strip of squid.
Tackle setup: Medium-heavy 6½–7 ft conventional or spinning rod with a sturdy reel.
Hook size: #1–1/0 baitholder or beak hooks.
Line: 30–50 lb braid.
Leader: 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, short.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Hard and sandy bottom, rocks, mussel beds, piers and wrecks from Cape Cod to Virginia, especially Long Island Sound, Narragansett and Buzzards bays.
Rig up: Medium-heavy 6½–7 ft conventional or spinning rod with a sturdy reel. 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, short.
Pick your bait: Clam strips, squid strips and sandworms on small hooks. Lures: Small jigs or a hi-lo rig with a strip of squid.
Fish it: Fish a hi-lo rig on the bottom over rocks and shell bottom; when one bites, the school is there.
Time it: Daylight; they feed best on a moving tide. Moving water; fish the edge of the tide on jetties, slack or light current on deeper wrecks.

Fishing techniques: Fish a hi-lo rig on the bottom over rocks and shell bottom; when one bites, the school is there.
BigJoe's tip: Use small hooks (#1–1/0) — scup steal bait fast with their small mouths.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Good eating when fresh.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Sweet, white meat; scale and fry or grill whole, or fillet.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Sharp gill covers and spines; watch your footing on wet jetty rocks.
Regulations: Managed by the states, NOAA Fisheries and the ASMFC with minimum sizes (around 9–11 in), bag limits and seasons. Saltwater licenses and limits are set by each state (VMRC, NJ Fish & Wildlife, NYS DEC, CT DEEP, RI DEM, MA DMF, NH Fish & Game, Maine DMR) and by NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission — check the current rules for your state before you keep fish.
Conservation: Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.

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Sources & photo credits