There are more than a dozen species of whiting to be found in Aussie waters, from the tiny red spot to the brightly-coloured grass whiting. However, despite being widely distributed right around the country in various shapes and sizes, there really are only a couple of species that anglers chase – the sand whiting and the magnificent King George whiting. Neither species grows particularly large,  but what they lack in size they more than make up for in looks and taste, especially the King George – one of the best eating fish in the sea.

INSHORE AND ACCESSIBLE

The great thing about whiting is that they are easily accessible. Favouring shallow water means they are just as easily caught from the shore as they are from a boat.  Sand flats, channels, edges, gravel patches and weed beds are all prime real estate for whiting.

Sand whiting are prolific in estuaries and coastal lakes, from Sydney Harbour to the Gold Coast beaches; usually in water less than six metres deep. King George, or KGs as they are commonly called, prefer bays and coastal waters like Victoria’s Corner Inlet or Kangaroo  Island in South Australia. They love weed beds interspersed with sandy patches in water from four to 15m deep.

When fishing in estuaries and bays take the time to wander over the flats at low tide. Search for the small holes that crustaceans like nippers make or sand worms, which are number one on the whiting menu. Another trick is to look for stingray holes where they have dug up the same species. At high tide these areas are where the fish are most likely to be found searching for a feed.

In deeper waters it is possible to study the bottom simply by drifting over the grounds reading the sea bed. Look for sand patches – these are the areas where whiting forage. Anchor away from the sandy patches and then cast back towards them to minimise chances of spooking skittish whiting. Channel edges, weed beds and man-made structures, such as oyster leases, all have the potential to hold whiting.

On the beaches the same rules apply. This is particularly so for sand whiting, which congregate on the edges of gutters and holes, sometimes right at your feet. Again it is well worth visiting at low tide, when the gutters and holes are exposed, to pinpoint the best areas to fish at the top of the tide.

WORK THE TIDES

The tide plays a major role in the whiting movements. With most of their food up on the shallow estuary flats whiting live their lives around the tides. On the low tide they are concentrated in the deeper  holes and gutters, but with the flood tide filling the sand flats and shallow weed beds the whiting venture right out to hunt the flats.

They feed throughout both tides but activity is definitely greater around the top of the tide. In deeper water the tide change usually triggers a bite which may last for up to an hour either side, especially in areas where the tidal flow is strong, such as in Western Port, Victoria.

FISHING TECHNIQUES

There is no need for fancy rigs when it comes to whiting. A basic paternoster rig with one or two droppers is all you need. Long-shank hooks have traditionally been the best whiting hooks but more recently clever anglers have adopted circle hooks. Despite their small mouths circle hooks work a treat and pin them in the corner of the mouth every time.

Fluorocarbon leaders are another big hit with these finicky feeders. Living in skinny water whiting have exceptional eyesight and will pick up a heavy leader or poorly rigged bait. The best hook is a 1/0 circle hook on 4kg fluorocarbon leader, which will fool the fish in dirty water, but in crystal-clear water you might need to drop down in leader size to just 2kg.

When it comes to lead the less the better – just enough to hold bottom. I usually use a paternoster rig when fishing in water deeper than three metres employing a loop knot so I can change the size of the sinkers to suit the prevailing conditions and depth I am fishing. Sometimes, when fishing in really shallow  water, I run a tiny ball sinker that runs all the way to the hook.

STAY OUT OF THE RED

A lot of anglers used to attach red beads, or short lengths of red plastic tube in the hope that it would give them a better hook-up rate. However, in reality this seems to have been nothing more than a con from the tackle trade to make you buy more. There is no conclusive proof that this actually works, especially when it is not even known whether whiting have the ability to identify different colours. Personally, I think natural bait presented properly is a much better option.

Whiting are opportunistic in nature and will eat a wide variety of baits like squid, mussels, nippers and sand worms. However, pipis are definitely on top of the list. The one rule that applies is to always use fresh bait. Don’t waste your time with old stuff. Whiting are fussy little snobs and will turn their nose up at anything less than the freshest of fresh bait.

Bait presentation is really important so take the time to thread the bait onto the hook and up the shank to conceal as much of the hook as possible. Use small baits and don’t smother the hook. Remember, whiting have very small mouths and they are going to struggle with a big bait, which makes them harder to hook.

Berley is a huge asset and will help to attract and, more importantly, hold the whiting in the zone. The best berley is crushed shellfish and prawn scraps, but even pilchards will work. Keep the trail light, just enough for them to smell it and get excited. One trick the pros use is to employ a berley bomb. The problem is that if there is a bit of current then you’re simply not going to get the berley into the strike zone. What’s worse is that in some cases the berley actually ends up dragging the fish away from you. The best berley bombs are the home-made ones that fill with water and drop to the bottom. Suspended from the front of the boat and given a shake now and again means that fishing off the back of the boat will put your baits right in the berley.

Another technique that is very effective for the shore-based fisherman is to wade  the flats at full tide armed with a light spin outfit. Casting a lightly-weighted live nipper out across the flats and then retrieving it very slowly, stopping it regularly is deadly on sand whiting. This is an active style of fishing that is great for covering the terrain and it produces far more species than just whiting.

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Written: Fri 01 Jan 2016
Printed: January, 2016
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