Pinfish are small saltwater fish that live in coastal areas in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
They get their name from their needle pin like fins and feed on tiny organisms in their preferred habitat….But what do Pinfish Eat?
For example, will they eat bread? Do they eat bread? And what are the best baits to catch them?
Let’s investigate!
Table of Contents
- What Do Pinfish Eat?
- Do Pinfish Have Teeth?
- Do Pinfish Eat Bread?
- Do Pinfish Eat Phytoplankton?
- Do Pinfish Eat at Night?
- Where Do Pinfish Live?
- What Is The Best Bait for Pinfish?
- How Do You Catch Pinfish?
- Related Posts
What Do Pinfish Eat?
Pinfish mainly feed on small crabs, shrimp, worms, amphipods and marine invertebrates. While they do not regularly feed on other fish, they will eat fish fry and other larvae when they can find them. Small food is swallowed whole, while larger food is nibbled into pieces.
Adult pinfish forage and feed along the bottom and will also regularly feed on plant life and marine detritus in order to supplement their diets.
This is the reason that they prefer to live in and around seagrass beds, sand flats, bridges, and other structures.
Do Pinfish Have Teeth?
Pinfish have small chomping teeth that they use to crush and grind up their food. They have eight incisor teeth and an entire row of molars that help to grind up the shelled creatures that are their preferred food.
The teeth of the pinfish are accredited for the pinfish’s genus name Lagodon, which translates to “rabbit teeth” in Greek.
While pinfish do not go out of their way to bite, you should always use caution when removing a hook from their mouths so as to not be bitten on the finger.
The teeth of a pinfish is the last thing you need to worry about…the pin-like fins pose a much larger threat. Always use a bait net or gloves when handling these fish!
Do Pinfish Eat Bread?
Pinfish are not particularly picky eaters and can be caught in traps or on a line with a wide variety of different baits.
One popular bait and attractant that is used for pinfish is store-bought bread.
Pinfish prefer to eat worms or crustaceans but will eat bread that is given to them by anglers. While it is not the most ideal attractant, bread can be successfully used to catch pinfish or chum them into an area.
Do Pinfish Eat Phytoplankton?
Pinfish are much more carnivorous while they are juveniles, and will slowly start to eat more plant matter as they get older. Part of the diet of freshly hatched pinfish includes phytoplankton and other small organisms.
Most pinfish, however, do not eat phytoplankton. The typical pinfish diet includes small crustaceans and various plant life that is found in their habitat. As pinfish grow older, they do not feed on phytoplankton and will change their diet to plants and vegetative matter.
Do Pinfish Eat at Night?
Many fish are more active at night than they are during the day. Many anglers are able to catch pinfish both during the night and during the day, leading them to wonder when is the best time to catch them feeding.
Pinfish will eat at night but are much more active during the day. This is when they do the majority of their hunting and feeding, and will become much less active at night when the larger predatory fish are hunting.
Where Do Pinfish Live?
Pinfish can be found as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts all the way down to Yucatan, Mexico. Their largest populations occur in the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Florida, Texas, and the northern coast of Cuba.
The primary habitat of pinfish is seagrass beds. Pinfish will hang around seagrass beds and flats in order to feed on the crustaceans and other invertebrates. They can also be found around pilings, rocks, and other vegetated areas.
Other areas that can hold good numbers of pinfish include mangrove swamps and manmade structures such as piers and jetties. Pinfish like these areas as they use them to hide from predators and hunt for prey.
They have even been known to venture into brackish and freshwater environments.
Where I live, along the Indian River Lagoon, Pinfish are plentiful along the mangrove shorelines and one of the best baits to use when targeting giant Snook.
What Is The Best Bait for Pinfish?
Because pinfish are not particularly picky eaters, you can use a wide variety of baits in order to catch them. The most popular bait choices include shrimp, fish bites, squid, and silversides.
Other items like bread can even be used to catch pinfish. The more oil or scent that comes from the bait the better.
Pro Tip: Try biscuit dough! It stays on the hook much better than regular bread and works great!
How Do You Catch Pinfish?
Pinfish can be caught on a hook and line, with a cast net, or with pinfish traps. All 3 methods are popular, depending on where you are fishing.
Since pinfish are most commonly caught to be used as bait, cast netting for them or baiting pinfish traps is the most passive way to get a lot of pinfish quickly.
If you wish to catch them on hook and line, use a #6 Aberdeen J-jook, and bait it with a small piece of shrimp. Add a split shot if necessary to get your bait down into the seagrass or near the bottom.
Pinfish bite quickly and are known to steal your bait, so pay attention! After you feel a nibble or see your line begin to move, set the hook.
Where you catch one pinfish, there are almost always others nearby.
Chumming an area before fishing with hook and line, or cast netting is a very effective way to concentrate pinfish and make them easier to catch.
When fishing from an elevated position such as a pier or jetty, or in deeper water from a boat, pinfish can also be caught on a sabiki rig.
Good luck!
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