Porgy
General Characteristics and Habitat
On a pound-for-pound basis, porgies are the hardest fighting fish we catch. Their struggle to get off the hook is intense and continues from the moment they are hooked until they are “over the rail and in the pail”. They are also the easiest fish to catch in large numbers, making it is an excellent fish to target for beginners. 
Porgies are flat sided fish, about half as deep as they are long. They are grey with a few thick vertical stripes of darker grey. When they are hooked, their color changes to silver. The bulk of the population is ten to sixteen inches in length and weighs anywhere from half a pound to two pounds.
A truly huge one can be 17 inches and weigh almost four pounds. They have a small mouth with small teeth. They are incapable of taking a chunk out of your finger, but caution is recommended when handling them. The spiny dorsal fins are quite sharp and stiff, often resulting in puncture wounds for the careless. Marine biologists tell us that they have both red and pink muscle tissue. The pink tissue is called upon when the fish is hooked and needs more strength to fight.
Porgies are primarily structure dwellers, found in and around rock piles, ship wrecks and artificial reefs. In the Peconic Bay they are also located in “holes”, which can be likened to an upside down hill for those of us who live on land. Porgies are bottom feeders. Their diet evolves as they grow bigger. Youngsters subsist on fish eggs, small crustaceans, and shrimp. More mature porgy go after sand eels, squid, and butterfish.
Penn Squall Lever Drag
Great all around inshore reel!
- Used by professionals worldwide
- Made with the highest quality components
- Tested for quality and durability
- Line Capacity: 25lb / 350y
Breeding and Migration
The primary breeding ground in our area is just west of Jessups Neck in the Peconic Bay. Each year just before Mother’s Day that area is as crowded as Times Square on New Year’s Eve. They spend the winter offshore and return within easy reach when the water warms up to 50 degrees or so.
How to Catch Them
A boat is by far the place to be for these bottom fish. They can be caught by simply letting the boat drift, but faster action is usually achieved at anchor with a clam chum container on the bottom to bring the fish to you.
Bait on a “high low” setup with enough of a sinker to hold the bottom works extremely well. I prefer to use clam, but squid works also. Given their small mouthes, I use number two Gamagatsu hooks.
Eating
Given their relatively small size, many people prefer to cook this fish whole after it has been scaled and gutted.
Porgy have a line of “belly bones” which extend almost the full length of the fillet. I like to cut out this line, which results in two larger and two smaller fillet pieces per fish. Some people will use the smaller pieces as an ingredient in fish dip or cerviche.
Broiling the fillets also works, but be careful to not overcook them. Five to six minutes on one side is usually enough
The Lingo
Hubcap: Any fish 16 inches in length or greater.
Bonies: A term of derision used by anglers who do not relish the prospects of filleting this fish properly.