the conditions over at moreton today
I have given up offshore fishing and am now going to focus on whiting. Nah - just kidding
Once or twice a year I take my father-in-law for a trip to the sandhills at Moreton chasing whinter whiting. Well today (Sunday) was the the planned trip and with a 10knot forecast it was looking pretty good. Got to the ramp about 5:30 and headed over to Moreton with a following north westerly for a pretty good trip accross. It was only when we stoped that we realised just how strong the wind was - about 20knots. ??? The weather bureau strikes again
Conditions were fishable with about half a meter of slop, so we decided to give it a go. After we boated 70 winteries, we decided that was enough for a good feed and we would leave them biting. It was one of those days when you could easliy get a double ton, but who wants to fillet that many whiting. They were good size nearly all between 24cm and 27cm, with a couple over 30cm - which is pretty good for winter whiting.
The wind had picked up even more and must have been pushing 25knots for the run home. It wasn't too bad a run but we did travel at only 17knots to avoid any pounding.
Back to offshore next weekend
Mark
Here is a picture of the catch - doesn't look like much in an esky that is 1100mm long
the conditions over at moreton today
when do i drop in for a feed mark, il bring the chips!
what depth of water were you fishing and what bait
thanks nice catch
Vertico,
We used blood worms for bait. Were were drifting from about the 5m depth into 2m (had to use a sea anchor to slow the drift due to the wind strenght ???) . This had us starting from between the 2 sandhills and with a north west blowing we were ending over towards the oyster leases. The fish were in all depths but seemed thickest in the 3-4m depths.
Foxy, I have to admit that those winter whiting are great eating. Had a good feed last night. Done in bread crumbs with chips on the side
Cheers,
Mark
yerh they sure are great eating and make great snapper baits
SeaSaw,
Nice catch of winteries Mark .
If the weather is a bit suss for outside ,its a realistic option chasing a few .Good chewing & top bait .
Hoping to get out this weekend ,Just need a good forecast . Then I'll see you out there .
Peter
Searaider 2
Does anyone have a comparison picture between a winter whiting and a summer whiting?
I have considered chasing a few winter whiting, but I did not realise they had yellow fins so I may well have thrown them back as undersize. Never actually caught a winter whiting before.
Cheech
Cheech the winter whiting have irregular paterns of black blotches over the body and a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin.
Summer whiting are more silver in colour with NO BLOTCHES.
sorry don't have any pics.
Cheers #Brent
PS ;was just reading about whiting and the summer whiting apparently has a black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin.
Book was GRANT'S FISHES OF AUSTRALIA.
Cheech,
The blotches described by aquarius are the normal way to tell, although it can be hard to see the blotches on the bigger ones when they are first caught - but they seem to come out more strongly after they die. Another way to tell is to run your fingernail against the scales. If it is a Winter Whiting the scales just flake off real easily. With summer whiting, the scales wont move.
Cheers,
Mark
thanks for all the information
much appreciated
might head out thursday or friday morning and try get a feed of whiting or snapper
heres hoping
I love fishing for these little fish. They give a darned good acount of themselves on light line, they are easy to scale and fillet and are such good eating.
I know they're not much in the way of building the ego or for a skite on this forum but I spend a lot of time after them, especially with my grand kids on board.
The kids love catching them and I usually just bait up the hooks, take off the fish and hand out the sandwiches and drinks when they are with me. I don't know who has the most fun, me or the kids.
Vertico
I use live blood worms or squid cut into thin strips on #6 long shank hooks. I find it easier to dehook them using long shanks.
Any worms left over from the trip, I just chuck some salt on them and put them in the fridge.
The winteries seem to bite just as well on the salted worms as the live ones, once you get them going.
Often they go for the squid strips, so I use 2 rods, one baited with worm the other with squid until I see what they are on and then change accordingly.
I also use a marker buoy made from a weight and a length of light cord with a float (milk bottle) tied to it. I drift over the banks until I get a bite and immediately throw the buoy over to mark the spot. If the bite turns out to be a whiting, I simply motor back and drift over the same spot again or anchor upwind and fish back around the marker.
GES
in nsw i know the leagal size for summer whitting is 28cm but their is nothing about winter whitting
so i'm wondering if anyone could help me out
when i'v taken the wife and son out fishing in the river we have been getting in some very thick schools of these whitting
now they are mainly silver with yellow fins but down the sides it has a pink kind of strip along it
now the bummer of these whitting is that they don't seem to be any bigger than about 23-25cm (just under leagal summer size)
now are these in fact summer whitting or one of these winter whitting types and does anyone know if they are able (if winter) to be kept in nsw leagaly ???
nothing bets a freash feed of whitting
winter shiting usually have blotches on the sides
Originally Posted by vertico
Thats interesting Vertico, but hardly on topic.
Thought I better quote it before you found the modify button.
Basserman,
The size limit applies to "sand" whiting only, and a total bag limit of 20 for all whiting. Not sure if we get other than sand whiting down NSW way. Not sure of any subtle differences in ID. I've seen different whiting whilst fishing up Fraser Is way, but have only got the yellow finned jobbies (presumably sand, going on the fisheries website picture) in NSW.
Would be handy to know, coz you could then use a smaller non-sand whiting for live bait.
Cheers
Jeff
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