a lot of that is because its just not worth the gas for trying right now but let them start catching shrimp in decent size and numbers and they will be out there again.

on opening day of trawling season every year I find myself hoping the shrimp will be small in size and numbers so they leave the shrimping to the offshore and commercial fishermen so they aren't dirtying up the water in my favorite areas to find the specks.

im kinda side tracking my own thread here lol

but anywho... I was just speculating on why and how what seams to be a thriving and very abundant fish species seams to have an almost 100% mortality rate once it gets barely big enough to be of decent fillet size

thanks for all the help and advice guys

I'm sure I am missing something, but if there are plenty of 2 inch fish, there must be some adults making those babies. I wonder how big they are when they can spawn. And how long it takes for them to get over a pound.

pond reared croakers sexually mature around one year old & 10" based on studies by LSU while others suggested it may get 3-4 years depending on climate.
warmer climate, better size & reproduction.

Fish the docks that hold trout at night under lights, shrimp tipped small sparkle beetle or small pieces of gulp on bottom or Carolina rigged...we tear up the croakers fishing from my buddies wharf.

Tsunami minnow under cork will catch croakers.

I caught a nice sized craoker in Prien Lake last Wed. I was using shrimp at high tide from the park. In fact, all I caught were croaker. 1 worth keeping and the other only suitable for bait. I was there about an hour and both bites came as soon as it hit high tide. Another 4 like the big one I caught and there could have been a meal to feed the whole family.

Targeting croakers for the dinner table? What's next? Gaff top thread? Hahahahaha let's have a croaker tournament!!! BOOM!

croaker is one of the best tasting most delicious fish there is, its just not easy to catch them in fillet size so most people never bother with them. they are not game fish because they are so plentiful like white trout but they are in no way considered trash fish by any standard unless its an unknowing fisherman who never ate them.

while croakers are often used for bait, so are shrimp and I bet you eat them don't you? ;)

if you ever had a chance to eat them you would be shocked at how good they are, the problem is they are hard to find of any size and most people wont eat fish on the bone.

One of the wealthiest men I know prefers croaker over any other inland saltwater species...its gotta be good, I know this man has good taste!