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How to Catch King George Whiting Land Based

By Luke Smith

Down south there are not many tastier species than the humble King George whiting. Many anglers spend countless hours targeting them, with varying degrees of success. Some are stoked to get just one or two for the table, while others are lucky enough to have them dialled in. Unfortunately, I however am not one of the latter, but can usually find a few.

Summer months are the most popular times to target whiting as they move into shallow sheltered bays and can generally be found more easily and in better numbers. This is the perfect time to gear up and chase some hard fighting whiting from the bank.

Where?

Knowing where to target whiting is one of the most challenging pieces of the puzzle. They prefer shallower water in summer. Anywhere from 1-10 metres is the norm, however, don’t be surprised to see them a little deeper also. Off the bank we are generally targeting 1-4 metres of water, however sometimes it can be difficult to tell just how deep you are casting into.

Whiting need protection, in the form of weed beds, to prevent them from becoming easy prey. Generally whiting feed on small molluscs, crustaceans and worms that are found around sandy/muddy broken ground. They also prefer bodies of water that have current, and this could be a beach or set of rocks that are fully exposed to the ocean swell or a channel in a protected bay. Piece these things together and you have a location that’s worth prospecting for whiting. Keep in mind though that they do roam and cover ground. It may take several trips into the same spot to catch a fish, however whiting are creatures of habit and will often return each season during a similar time of year. For this reason, a journal is recommended, unless you have a great memory.

When?

Time of day is crucial for whiting as they are a very timid fish that is easily spooked. During the daylight hours they are more commonly found in deeper water and can be harder to reach from shore. You will catch the odd fish; however, your odds will increase dramatically when fishing either period of low light; sunrise or sunset.

Sometimes the bite may be an hour or two either side of the light. It’s just a matter of putting in the time and finding what works for each location.

Tides

Fishing the tides can be the difference on a whiting trip as they absolutely love current. I have zero clue where the saying ‘no run, no fun’ originated, however if someone told me it was from an old whiting fisho, I’d believe them.

Experimenting with different tide cycles will help you to better understand your chosen location. Sometimes you will need larger tides, especially in sheltered bay situations, as the tide will spark them to feed. In locations open to swell and waves, there will be enough natural water movement and you may be able to get around the tidal element.

Burley

The use of burley for whiting can be a huge advantage, however the trick is to not overdo the burley as you can bring in the undesirables. Burley blocks in a slow-release style bag are great but sometimes it’s as simple as a handful of pillies squashed up and chucked into a bag. Throw in some burley pellets and you are set.

Whiting will often regurgitate the bait that they are caught on and by doing this they burley up for you. This works especially well if you are not fishing in a strong current.

Bait

Whiting will eat a variety of baits at times but can also be super fussy. The humble pipi is by far the most consistent for me, along with some fresh calamari squid. It pays to experiment in your area and find what they prefer. Some days they like a bit of a cocktail bait with squid and pipi, while on other days they are fond of a small pilchard strip. Just mix it up and try to crack the pattern.

Gearing Up

Fishing these types of locations usually requires some slightly different outfits. For the casting aspect, a rod of 7’ is a minimum with 8-10’ an ideal length. This extra length also aids in the fighting of the fish as sometimes you may be near rocks, reef or kelp and be required to leverage the fish away from this structure.

Fishing in current and wash may require sinkers up to 2 ounces, with 1 ounce being a common size. The rod must be able to cast these weights comfortably, while still having enough sensitivity to feel those trademark subtle whiting bites. Pairing a reel is the easier part. Something around the 40 / 4000 size is a good starting point, depending on the rod chosen.

My current outfit that I have been fishing is a budget combo and it has been working a treat. This is not a style of fishing that I do a lot of, so when purchasing I was conscious of not going overboard, while also thinking of what other species I could use this combo for. To be honest this is something that always crosses my mind, and it makes it easier to spend more money on combos when you know that you are going to get more use out of them.

I have been using an Okuma 902M Competition spin rod (check out the Okuma Barbarian 902 spin rod released more recently), paired with an Okuma Alaris 45 reel. Naturally, Platypus braid is a must in these scenarios to assist with sensitivity and some Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader to finish things off at the business end.

Hopefully the above helps to give you a head start on finding some whiting for yourself and remember, you won’t catch them unless you give it a go.

Cheers, Luke

Gearing Up:

Okuma Barbarian Spin Rods – BN-S-902NT 9’ 2-6kg 2Pce
Okuma Inked Egi Special Spin Rods – INK-822M 8’2” PE 0.6-1.2 2Pce
Okuma Alaris Spin Reels – ALS-45
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader

Burley – Crushed pilchards and pellets
Bait – Pipi, squid, worm, and pilchard strip