Last Updated on August 12, 2026
One of the most abundant, and popular fish found in the Florida Surf is the Whiting. Whiting are popular not only because of their abundance but also because of their great flavor, and one of the best baits for catching whiting is Fresh Shrimp.
Fresh Shrimp for Whiting
Whiting, like all fish in the croaker family, have a great sense of smell (because of the barbells located on the bottom of their mouth). This sense of smell helps the whiting find its food in murky and churned up waters.
One of the best baits to catch whiting is FRESH peeled shrimp. A fresh shrimp, one that was alive in the last few hours or frozen only hours after death, will released oils into the water. Peeling the shrimp before putting it on a hook will increase the amount of oils released into the water. These oils are very attractive to whiting and the fish will hone in on the cause of the smell and eat the tasty treat on the end of the line.
Tips
- Half a bait sized shrimp per hook works great
- Use a 2-hook dropper rig with the sinker at the bottom
- There a no limits on Whiting, but keep only what you will eat
- How to Catch Whiting in Florida
Daniel Hagan has been fishing Florida’s shores since 1985 and writing about it for more than 20 years. As Managing Editor of FloridaShoreFishing.com, he shares firsthand experience covering surf and pier fishing, tackle, techniques, and Florida’s coastal species.
