What kind of fish is this?

Can anyone tell me what this is?  Caught it while fishing fir sand dabs at half moon bay.

Looks like a croaker

Croaker.

You probably shouldn't keep a fish if you don't know what it is.
Don't want to get a ticket especially for an 8 inch fish 

Definitely looks like a croaker, most likely a WSB since the other species of croaker aren't common that far north

looks like a Kingfish (White Croaker) fairly  common lot's caught in SF and SPB

Kingfish. Loaded with worms

TACO TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Kingfish. Loaded with worms

TACO TIME!!!!!!!!!!

 

I didn't see any worms in it. I filleted them and fried them up. Tasted great. Hopefully I won't die

Kingfish. Loaded with worms

TACO TIME!!!!!!!!!!

 

damn thats nasty!

I didn't see any worms in it. I filleted them and fried them up. Tasted great. Hopefully I won't die

I use them as bait.. but they're Kingfish as said before. Great ling and Halibut candy when the time is right... Otherwise they go back in the drink for me.. can't believe you ate em. To each his own! They are a part of the croaker family and yes they look like mini WSB but they have a very different jaw line and radial line then the baby WSB's.

White croker

 They are OK to eat, put the filets on a dish in the fridge over night. In the morning lift up the filets and remove all the fish sausage the wiggles out of the filets. Yeah, they are full of worms.....

Croaker.

You probably shouldn't keep a fish if you don't know what it is.
Don't want to get a ticket especially for an 8 inch fish 

Not only this, but I don't think I would eat a fish if I had no idea what it was.

Refrigerating is no guarantee. Freezing works better.