Believe it or not, I often use strips of bluefish belly to deter small scup when they start to swarm—given the problematic relationship little porgies have with choppers. It takes a fair-sized scup to keep chewing when there’s the smell of predators in the water. The jolthead porgy is found further south than the scup porgy. Slowly raise and drop the rod tip. They will take bait readily and are fun to catch. Scup battles can be particularly exciting on a medium-weight spinning or lightweight surf outfit carrying a 10 to 20-pound test line. There are 2 primary species known as the scup and the jolthead. Clam is for scent, the other, tougher bait for staying power. Otherwise, you're just waving around an empty hook like a pirate. Medium tackle with a 14 lb test line and natural bait like squid, worms, or clam is the most popular with these fish. Good saltwater lures are a must for attracting fish to your line and for holding up in the deepest, saltiest waters. In August, scup can be caught all around Rhode Island, from shore and boat. One necessity in porgy fishing is that the bait must be in the porgy… Some anglers prefer jigging small lures, but most prefer bait fishing. Scup was the most abundant fish in Colonial Times, landing the name "porgy," which was the American Indian for "fertilizer. Bait and Hooks. The Scup (Stenotomus chrysops), or porgy is an Atlantic fish found from New England through Florida and the Bahamas. A good way to rig them is on a 3-way or sliding-sinker (fishfinder) rig, with an 8’ leader and an 8/0 circle hook. While porgies feed well throughout the tide, baits are best presented during the slow-current periods of one to maybe two hours on either side of slack tide. Drift over holes, humps or reefs and pay attention to your bait. How To Catch A Scup. The bream live shallow 1'-20' while scup live 10' - 40' most bream lures are designed to fish shallow similarly to how one would fish for small bass. Hogy Pro Tail Eels are excellent imitations of sand eels and squid. The recommended scup setup includes a spinning rod and reel combo suitable for … Technique and Bait Selection Though the porgy is not one of the hardest fish to catch technically, a proper presentation is still necessary. First off let me say that scup and bream are a bit different. Scales are large and firmly attached with iridescent purple tones. Scup must be over the legal size limit to use as bait, which means they need to be big. The head is rather short with a small mouth and small, harmless teeth. 111 Myrtle Street New Bedford, MA 02740 Phone: (508) 997-4787 Store Hours: Mon – Fri: 8am -4pm Popular methods of catching Scup are drifting, bottom fishing, and jigging. We have saltwater fishing baits for sale from Yo Zuri, Northbar, Super Strike, 24/7, Daiwa and more than 100 other top brands. Bottom fishing with bait DESCRIPTION : Scup is a small silvery marine species with a body shape very similar to the freshwater sunfish. Slow, Targeted: Drop the bait to the desired depth. Usual protocol while fishing for scup is one that is quite easy and similar to flounder fishing. Scup Method and Lures. Let the bait swim down near the bottom, but have control of the bait, as to not allow it to swim into the kelp or rocks or your going to be getting snagged often. Scup should be hooked through the lips and drifted in deep water, preferably over hard-bottom areas where these fish typically gather. Colors: Hogy Pro Tail Paddles are excellent imitations of bunker, herring, mackerel, butterfish and scup. The baits of choice for scup are sandworms or clams; however, porgies are known for their bait-stealing abilities, especially the shorts. This will simulate a wounded baitfish that can’t make much progress swimming. 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