When hooked, ladyfish will often make a fast run and wildly leap into the air. This acrobatic display has earned them the nickname “poor man’s tarpon.” Shrimp, cut bait, small jigs, plugs, spoons or streamer flies can be used to catch ladyfish but they will strike almost any appropriately sized offering. Adult ladyfish are strictly carnivorous, feeding on small bony fish, including members of its own species, menhaden and silversides, as well as invertebrates including crustaceans. This fish swallows its prey whole. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
All species of ladyfish are slender, silvery fish with a large terminal mouth, eyes partially covered with adipose eyelids, and have a deeply forked tail. They resemble juvenile tarpon without the last elongated dorsal fin ray. Some ladyfish can reach weights of 15-25 lbs, but they are most often encountered in the 3-5 lb range.