keeping/freezing whiting as bait...
I’m heading down past Mandurah for an early morning beach fish next week. It’s the first time I have been fishing in about 6 months, so I’m REALLY looking forward to it, and hoping to catch a decent feed.
I was planning to head down to my local metro beach a few days before to try catch some whiting to freeze and use as bait. Either whole instead of mulies, or fillets on 2 snelled 2/0 hooks. I hear tailor love them and there have been some big skippy around there lately.
Are there any tips for freezing whiting for bait? Or is it just a bad idea? Maybe freeze with a little sea water in the bag? Or just wash in sea water then freeze in an air tight plastic bag?
I know it would be best to just catch whiting and use them live/fresh, but I wont have time to catch them and still try and get into the tailor for sunrise.
Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Pembo
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tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Mate, they are bloody good on
Mate, they are bloody good on the chew after you freeze them so I cant see any fish fussin over a been frozen whiting, just throw em on ice as you catchem then into the freezer. Id be eatin the whiting over tailor any day, but if theyre little, guess theyre good bait then
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
Snags
Posts: 558
Date Joined: 07/05/09
They do make great bait, I
They do make great bait, I caught my one and only mulloway on a defrosted whiting.
Mine were just put straight into the freezer when i got home. I like to separate my larger baits into sandwich bags, makes them a hell of a lot easier to defrost and i can just defrost what i need. I personally wouldnt freeze them in any water, and in a bag with minimal air inside.
Saulty2
Posts: 644
Date Joined: 28/05/10
for eating smaller the better
top & tail roll in flour then slighty over cook / shallow fry , squeeze of lemon prize the flesh apart remove back bone re close and eat , nothing better..... bigger ones fillet and freeze
ricey
Posts: 734
Date Joined: 24/12/09
whiting are tastier than dhufish
I love them
Wise man says - first take the plank out of your own eye before trying to take the speck out of somebody else's.
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Yep family go nuts when I
Yep family go nuts when I cook up a heap of whiting fillets. They are a deadly live bait too, always stop for a few on my way out, better than Wrasse IMO.
Love the West!
crasny1
Posts: 6986
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Im like some above
never shall a whiting pass by as bait. To yummy.
Have used them in the past as bait, but then it was to catch more off them. Fishing at whitehills on a hot day, and the bait was starting to look grim. Decided to "sacrifice" a small whiting as bait and still kept getting more.
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pembo6
Posts: 175
Date Joined: 21/08/11
Eating....
Yeah, I know they are a great eating fish. But to be honest, I much prefer catching than eating. Not a big seafood lover, but the rest of the family are. I would rather the chance of possibly catching a bigger tailor or mulla (using the whiting as bait), than actually eating the whiting.
Pembo
Jim
Posts: 1321
Date Joined: 05/05/06
If its only a few days till
If its only a few days till you go fishing id keep em in the coldest bit of the fridge or in an esky salt slurry and use them fresh. Their guts might get a bit saggy but when they are fresh they have the 'eat me' glow about them.
Bend over
pembo6
Posts: 175
Date Joined: 21/08/11
Like your thinking Jim.
That's probably what I will do.
Pembo
Mad fisherboy
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 21/02/13
Whiting
I know this is off topic but since u guys r talking about whiting could u give some location/advice on catching them. I have caught many herring, snook, tailer and other bait fish but I've never actually caught a whiting. As many have said they r supposed to be great on the chew and am wanting to try some. When I go out and try catching em i either get nothing or flathead (which is a very nice by-catch). So could I get a few tips on catching them or any locations. I am land based by the way
cudbfishn
Posts: 1311
Date Joined: 06/04/09
You get them off any surf
You get them off any surf beach. I use light line, a running sinker rig (smallest sinker possible) and a small long shank hook size 8. Small bit of prawn or fresh squid for bait. get some polarized glasses and you can usually see them swimming in the shallows.
catchalittle
Posts: 1875
Date Joined: 04/09/08
use large snap lock bags $3
use large snap lock bags $3 from coles I use those for all my bait
Nathan
Doooma
Posts: 791
Date Joined: 05/12/09
unreal bait for BIG Pinkies
unreal bait for BIG Pinkies too!!
Mad fisherboy
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 21/02/13
Thnx guys
Thnx guys i will give that a go at my local beach