Newbie seeking help with Whiting in Cockburn Sound
Submitted by stumpie on Mon, 2017-01-16 07:43
Hi Guys
I'm fairly new with fishing in the sound and still learning.
I've caught squid and herring from a boat around success bank, parmelia bank, carnac etc but each time we try and fish for whiting in these areas in the sand banks all we get are blowies and trumpeters. I use a pre-made whiting rig and squid for bait with very little luck.
Wondering if the more experienced fishos here can offer some advice.
Thanks in advance.
black gen
Posts: 762
Date Joined: 13/04/11
Go out further between
Go out further between Carnac and mewstones out deeper until you find 12-18m of water
its not far
look for dead flat bottom on your sounder
use the whiting rigs like you said you are but try coral prawns and peel them and cut them into small sections
just drift you should get plenty
good luck
Hudo
Posts: 33
Date Joined: 30/11/14
^ WHS. drift rate around 1
^ WHS. drift rate around 1 kt max, light gear, put out a burly cage with chicken pellets etc and a bit of oil. let your rig ( use a bit of squid ) hit bottom then feather it so it slowly drags and stops, drags and stops etc etc. small number 1 circle hook and dont strike. you will get em almost without fail... dont ask me about KG's i still cant work them out...
stumpie
Posts: 155
Date Joined: 22/07/15
black gen & hugothanks for
black gen & hugo
thanks for the replies. the pre made rigs i have are all long shank hooks, are circle hooks the way to go?
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
I use 3 circles #1’s ( I
I use 3 circles #1’s ( I think ) on dropper loops , they’ll hook themselves up and can leave rig down until other baits are taken and hopefully bring up 2/3 at a time . If you are able to get out anywhere just beyond the islands/sound the trumpies and blowies drop off considerably and there’s sand whiting everywhere . Prawns , squid or even sand whiting all works as bait . I like squid because half the time you don’t need to rebait .
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 01/01/70
I do a fair bit of whiting
I do a fair bit of whiting fishing and I've found the Black Magic KL1/0 circles (can't miss them in bcf, they have a yellow sticker on the front saying perfect whiting hook) to be the best. I've found when Using these hooks don't strike to try and hook them just slowly lift the rod when you feel them bite. A simple paternoster rig with a number 2 sinker works a treat, well has for me anyway. I use squid for the first couple of whiting then if we get a smaller one we cut him up for bait and it works well! Once you get a decent sand whiting about 27~30cm (plenty around) put him on a 7/0 circle hook under a float approx 4m down & about 20m out from the boat. 9/10 we get hookups to smaller sharks on our whiting areas. Been smaller hammerheads lately but do get bronzies too, around 1~1.5m in length. Another thing about whiting always have your sinker on the bottom! Mark the spot on your gps when you start catching larger ones, so when the western butter fish turn up you just move to one of the other spots you have marked.
clayd
Posts: 126
Date Joined: 07/12/15
I use a running ball sinker
I use a running ball sinker to swivel and then about 60cm of line with 2 long shank hooks hanging off it. This setup means the bait stays close to the bottom where the whiting are. Long shank hooks because it's easier to get the hooks out of their mouths if they swallow them deeper. Prawn works fine for me.
I look for pretty large paddocks of sand, probably minimum 100m diameter. If you're getting wrasse, trumpeters, blowies etc.. you're too close to weed. I anchor and cast around the sand area to try find them. I've found that often they'll be in just one area of sand. If no bites within 5 mins, try somewhere else. After 4 or 5 moves you'll find them. When you find them, you can pretty much guarantee hookups as soon as the sinker hits the bottom.
I take my 2 kids out and all i do is bait and unhook fish. They bring them in so fast i can't keep up, and I only give them 1 hook with a crushed barb.
Between Carnac and Mewstones has always produced for me.
Moist and Salty
Posts: 102
Date Joined: 28/10/14
Keep in mind the little
Keep in mind the little circle hooks the others are recommending pretty much can't hook deep (your reason for long shanks) and will only hook the fish once the rod is slowly lifted or the fish turns its head and the angle changes on the hook. This makes for clean hookups in the side of the mouth 99% of the time and removes the need to strike to set the hooks
stumpie
Posts: 155
Date Joined: 22/07/15
Hi allThanks very much for
Hi all
Thanks very much for the advice.
Is water depth important when fishing for whiting? black gen recommends 12-18m can I find them between 5-10m ?
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 01/01/70
10m and up
10m and up
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Try 22-25m and just off to
Try 22-25m and just off to the side of broken ground. Ate a feed of big sandies last night and they are like fillets of pure joy
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I do alright in the shipping
I do alright in the shipping channel mate. You just need to keep your eyes out for ships although they don't exactly sneakup on you and you're not allowed to anchor there.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
billy69
Posts: 125
Date Joined: 16/01/12
go out wesr of Carnac in
go out wesr of Carnac in about 20m line up the sand patch on the island with the Cockburn cement tower and you should be on them. I use the Black Magic kl1/0 circle hooks in red and 15lb fluorocarbon tied with two droppers. Beef heart cut up into 1cm cubes for bait. Heart is cheap as. Only a couple of bucks for a packet which gets enough bait for several trips out.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Be aware
Ships in the shipping lane are deceiving in the speed you think they are doing and can be right near you before you realise just how close they have become.
It gets to be "exciting" when you lookup and see 80000 tons of ship doing X knots about 150 metres from you...move quick
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
You like the sound of a horn
You like the sound of a horn 5 times?
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Can't say I've ever heard it
Can't say I've ever heard it so couldn't comment. I've only ever had two ships come through the channel the half a dozen times I've fished it and I've dropped out when they're still about 2 miles off.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Well said
Very well said Swompa.
stumpie
Posts: 155
Date Joined: 22/07/15
I tried to target some
I tried to target some whiting today but once again failed.
I was out pass carnac between the island and mewstone in about 13-16m of water, the sounder showed a flat bottom and we used prawns for bait. Didn't catch any blowies, wrasse or trumpets instead caught some flathead but no whiting.
What am I doing wrong?
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
You are in the right area
You are in the right area based on my previous spots though they have not produced in recent trips either.
OOH YEH
Posts: 384
Date Joined: 16/06/15
Berley
I found is the go down low ....
stumpie
Posts: 155
Date Joined: 22/07/15
Have anyone been succesful in
Have anyone been succesful in catching whiting using poppers or lures around shallow sand flats or around a wash?
Jimbob01
Posts: 134
Date Joined: 20/02/17
Try pengos went there a
Try pengos went there a while back n got a good lil feed of king george. But this was a while ago so i dunno about this time of year
Fishin since "01"
Sam57
Posts: 104
Date Joined: 17/08/14
All my normall whiting
All my normall whiting producing areas have turned up heaps off small flatties latley (wish I could find the larger ones) and no sandies may be time of year or maybe flatties beeting them to it.