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Scup
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Stenotomus chrysops |
| Common Names: | scup, Northern porgy |
| Environment: | Inshore, Nearshore, Surf |
| Ideal Temp: | 55-77°F (13-25°C) |
About Scup
The scup (Stenotomus chrysops) is a fish which occurs primarily in the Atlantic between Massachusetts and South Carolina. Scup are deep-bodied (deeper from back to belly than they are wide). They are dusky brown with bright silvery reflections below and spiny fins. Adult fins are mottled with dark brown, and young scup fins may be faintly barred. Scup’s front teeth are very narrow, almost conical, and they have two rows of molars in the upper jaw. Longspine porgy look similar to scup, but can be easily identified by the elongated spines on their backs.
Scup grow slowly, up to about 20 inches long and 4 pounds. They can live a relatively long time, up to about 20 years. Scup are able to reproduce when they reach age 2, when they’re about 8 inches long.
They migrate north and inshore to spawn over weedy or sandy areas in southern New England from Massachusetts Bay south to the New York Bight from May through August, with peak activity in June. Most fish spawn at night, but scientists believe scup spawn in the morning. Females release an average of 7,000 eggs, which are fertilized externally. Then they migrate south and offshore in autumn as the water cools, arriving by December in offshore areas where they spend the winter.
During the summer and early fall, juveniles and adults are common in large estuaries, open sandy bottoms, and structured habitats such as mussel beds, reefs, or rock rubble. Scup are browsers – they nibble on invertebrates that live on the ocean bottom.
Scup are fished for by both commercial and recreational fishermen. The scup fishery is one of the oldest in the United States, with records dating back to 1800. Scup was the most abundant fish in colonial times Fishermen began using trawls in 1929, which increased catches dramatically. The species was termed overfished in 1996, and today there is evidence of a rebound.
The flesh is "firm and flaky", with a "sweet almost shrimplike flavor". Many consumers like their light flavor and they are characterized as panfish. Popular methods of cooking include frying, broiling, and baking. Scup contain many bones, which makes them difficult to fillet. As a result, scup are generally sold and cooked whole, after they’ve been gutted and scaled.
Scup Fishing
| World Record: | 2.06 kg (4 lb 9 oz) Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, USA03-Jun-1992 |
| # Fish Caught: | 5844036 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 1/1/1830 12:00:00 AM and located at 40.00000, -67.00000. |
| Latest Record: | 5/14/2024 3:34:07 PM and located at 41.07352, -71.93953. |
| Common Techniques: | Bottom Fishing |
| Popular Lure Types: | Bottom Rig |
| Fishing Spots: | 135 Scup fishing spots. |
Latest Scup Fishing Reports and Spots
Captain JR reports a WINDY day on the Viking Star! Conditions were definitely a bit challenging but we started with a decent catch of Sea Bass a (
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Capt JR reports another good Coxes Ledge trip onboard the Viking Star. The Sea Bass fishing was again excellent with everyone having their pick (
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Captain JR reports a very good start to our 2024 coxes ledge trips on the Viking Star. We had to do some scouting around but found some excellen (
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Capt JR reports a banner day on the Viking Star. We had excellent fishing with lots of jumbo Knothead Sea Bass. There was also a much improved s (
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Capt Dave reports really good fishing on the Viking Starlite. It was a good steady bite the whole trip. We had Porgies up to 2 lbs with very few (
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Capt Dave reports EXCELLENT fishing on the Viking Starlite. The best day we have seen so far! We had the biggest fish of the season with the poo (
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Pool winner – Eladio Cortes Staten Island NY 3 lb Scup (
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Mon May 13 – Sag Harbor Scup Express Capt Dave reports another good day of fishing. It started a bit slow with the strong tide we had. When it s (
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Thank you to everyone who showed up to Sag Harbor for our first two weeks of the season! We look forward to seeing you all out in Montauk!! Trip (
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Great start to the 2024 porgy season! Light crowds good weather and great fishing! Capt Dave reports great fishing on the Viking Starlite. We lo (
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