Usually when we talk the Clarence River system we are focused on bass, bream, jacks or jewfish. But Nick Haynes also does pretty well targeting Clarence whiting on surface lures.
Episode 599: Clarence Estuary Whiting With Nick Haynes
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Whiting Fishing Episodes
- Once thought of only as a bait fishing species, whiting are now routinely targeted on lures in our estuaries, bays and beaches.
- During the warmer months when prawns are active on the east coast it is possible to target whiting using surface lures for visually exciting fishing.
- Lure fishing for whiting usually takes place in shallow gutters that run along quiet beaches, on sand spits and banks. Patches of seagrass are also great whiting habitat.
- Lures for this style of whiting fishing usually need to be retrofitted with small, super fine hooks. Often the rear treble hook is replaced with a small assist hook to improve hook set rates.
- King George whiting are often found in slightly deeper water and are usually targeted using soft plastic lures or small blades.
- There are several species of whiting found in Australia. The most common angling species are sand whiting, trumpeter whiting, yellowfin whiting, and King George whiting.
- Sand whiting (summer whiting), are found along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. They grow to around 30cm in length.
- Trumpeter whiting (winter whiting), are found in southern Australia and can grow up to 35 cm in length.
- Yellowfin whiting are found on the southern and western coasts and can grow up to 35 cm in length.
- King George whiting are found in southern Australia, and are the largest of the whiting species, growing to 70cm in length.
- Most whiting species prefer sandy or muddy bottoms in shallow waters and estuaries, particularly around seagrass beds. King George whiting are also found on sand and rubble patches between reefs and in slightly deeper water to around 5-6m.
- Floating stickbaits of around 70-100mm length are among the most popular lures for whiting. Lures with a “walk the dog” action are best. Ones that spit a little drop of water ahead of the lure when they’re twitched are extra effective.
- Small surface poppers are also effective for whiting fishing when the fish are a little more aggressive.
- Small soft plastic worms and grubs in the 50-100mm sizes, rigged weedless or on a standard jig head can work well.
- Small metal blades of around 35-40mm in size can also be effective on whiting at times
Episode 569: Lake Macquarie On Lures With Dan Guilfoyle. Part 1: Summer.
Lake Macquarie might cop a lot of fishing pressure over the summer months, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great opportunities on offer for those in the know about how, when and where to fish! Dan Guilfoyle shares a lifetime of local knowledge for those keen to hit the water in the coming months.
Episode 557: Corio Bay & Geelong Fishing Spots With John Didge
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Episode 545: Best Hervey Bay Fishing Spots In Spring With Scotto Mitchell
Spring is a great time to fish the Hervey Bay area land-based or from a small boat or kayak. In today’s ALF episode local personality Scotto Mitchell helpsput us onto some awesome fish with simple tackle and techniques.
Episode 527: Best Botany Bay Winter Fishing Spots With Gary Brown
Botany Bay is an incredibly productive system and in the winter months the crowds thin out and the fishing goes off! Gary Brown has written numerous books and articles on fishing Botany Bay and in today’s ALF episode he shares his favourite winter fishing spots.
Episode 489: Port Phillip Bay Whiting With Alan Bonnici
Whiting are a genuine target for the angler who enjoys flicking soft plastic lures from a kayak on light tackle. Alan Bonnici lets us in on a few secrets.
Episode 325: Port Lincoln Whiting With Dan Challinger
Port Lincoln is well know for it’s XOS Samson fish, kings, snapper and tuna, but it fishes really well for bread and butter species, too. In Episode 325 Dan Challinger takes us wading the flats for whiting on lures.
Episode 323: Shark Bay Whiting With Ben Svenson
Shark bay may be renowned for its amazing pelagic and reef species, but there are plenty of bread and butter fish to be caught too, like the humble whiting. Ben Svenson returns to ALF to share some gems on how to target these feisty little fish on lures.
Episode 231: Gulf St Vincent Whiting With David Hall
South Australia’s yellowfin whiting differ from the east coast species, but the two species share a voracity for a well presented surface lure. SA fishing identity David Hall takes some time to share his intimate knowledge of the species and how to catch it in this episode of ALF.
Episode 133: SEQ Whiting With Brad Smith
Serial podcast guest Brad Smith shares his tips for catching SE Queensland and Northern NSW whiting on surface lures on the flats.
Episode 120: Lake Cathie Whiting With Karl Attenborough
Lake Cathie on the NSW Mid North Coast is an awesome bread and butter estuary fishery, with topwater whiting being one of the primary targets available to anglers. Karl Attenborough is a well known local sand flats angler and shares his knowledge in this episode.
Episode 17: Nambucca Whiting On Lures With Scott Amon
Whiting are a surprise package and a surprisingly good lure fishing target. Scott Amon gives up his secrets for catching whiting on lures – from tackle to the “secret techniques”.