queensland Fishing Report Moreton Bay Whiting - 11 July 2020

[Hweebe]

After reports on FB about winter whiting on the chew headed over to rous/small ships channel.

Launched from Manly @1st light (6ish). Tide was running out at start of session but turn of tide was only a few hours later.

Have found that ideal scenario is first light, incoming tide and either wind or current pushing our drift about 0.5-1knot so our guess was the bite would  be hot around from 7 to 9am

So we pulled up in the middle of spot x and we were straight on. For the next hour and half the action was non stop, between me and my partner we ran three rods, two in the water and one in the boat with whiting to be dehooked and rebaited. 

We started with peeled prawns but bite was too hot and swapped to squid which was being readily taken as well as Berkeley red worms. (I run 3 droppers).

Action was hectic and as we were out at first light only a handful of boats around.

By about 9am we had 60 in the bucket. By this time quite a few more boats probably grown to 30 boats.

Even with all the boats we could see everyone was catching just not at the same rate from earlier in the morning.

We decided 60 was enough to fillet and also we like to our whiting fresh. We left the the whiting still on the bite but I was was keen on having to constantly adjust my drift with so many boats around. Could have continued fishing but Back at the ramp by 12pm no ramp rage to be seen .

Sorry no photos other then what we cooked up for lunch. So good and fresh as....

Tight lines.

hweebe

 

 

 

[Old Scaley]

Nice report @Hweebe. Hard to beat fresh whiting, chips and salad for lunch.

[ellicat]

That's a good session, @Hweebe. 60 delicious whiting would have kept you busy filleting for a while. How long did that take you ? What was the average size ?

[Hweebe]

My filleting station is the dining table directly opposite the TV.

I filleted what we needed for lunch and did the rest whilst watching the broncos actually win a game later that night. 

Didn't really time it but finished filleting around half time. I usually factor 1 minute a fish, not because it takes that long but i usually get distracted. Hence why around 60 is ideal (60mins). When the two of us have bagged out its almost two hours of filleting (you quickly lose motivation)

With a sharp knife and actually concentrating, it probably takes 30 secs to fillet, remove rib cage and remove pin bones (a sharp knife is key). Also a fillet station where you can sit is much better then standing up and hunched over.

Size was good on Saturday - I would rate the size at the moment as above average.

 

[Allnighter]

Hell yea - nice one Hweebe !

Great fun and sooooo delicious

 The filleting is well worth the reward of those tasty whiting any day, yummo  

 

 

[Hweebe]

There are certainly worse problems to have compared to having too many fish to fillet.....so I'm definitely not complaining.

@Allnighter I'm thinking of using @Cobiaaddict tip of winter whiting as bait for a nice snapper once the season reopens.

I still haven't cracked 50cm on my pb snapper.

 

[Allnighter]

Well using baits like that and its only a matter of time  .....

P.S why wait? Just a pic and release

All this advice you have absorbed...

I can feel the pressure dripping off your brow lol, cant wait for the pics, this is gunna be epic

[Hweebe]

9 minutes ago, Allnighter said:

Well using baits like that and its only a matter of time  .....

P.S why wait? Just a pic and release

All this advice you have absorbed...

I can feel the pressure dripping off your brow lol, cant wait for the pics, this is gunna be epic

Did not even cross my mind  ...rightly or wrongly i'm trying to stay with the intent of the legislation to reduce fishing pressure on snapper and not targeting them.

Then again i almost never land target species so maybe Snapper as "by catch" and release would be ok

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Hweebe

Great report. You got a good feed of whiting there. Yum! 

I wish I could catch 60 fish in a session...

Cheers Hamish

[kmcrosby78]

Nice session there @Hweebe - didn't have any squid follow your whiting up?

[Hweebe]

12 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Nice session there @Hweebe - didn't have any squid follow your whiting up?

I know people have told me to target squid in the same areas i target whiting but i have zero experience squiding from a boat. Do people just chuck out a squid lure or pillie jig out the back on a float or are you jigging?

Water clarity would have been really good for a squid jig  but I've found running three whiting rods is just about right to avoid tangles, unless I swap out a rod for just squiding.

Once the whiting are on the chew like Saturday not much time to play around with a squid jig.

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

9 hours ago, Hweebe said:

I know people have told me to target squid in the same areas i target whiting but i have zero experience squiding from a boat. Do people just chuck out a squid lure or pillie jig out the back on a float or are you jigging?

Hey Hweebe

I have a teacher at school (in is classes we just talk fishing) that says he will always put a squid jig out the back and hope for the best. His family loves squid... I believe people both work them like soft plastics and have them out the back like you do with baits...

Squid jigs do sink, and every time I've seen them go, it has been getting hopped along the bottom - 

That is a good video - Catch, clean, and cooking!  

Cheers Hamish 

[kmcrosby78]

You could either have one under a float (add a small sinker if needed to get the jig down if the current is strong) or just have one rigged up ready in case you noticed a squid follow a hooked whiting up. I know what you mean about the whiting keeping you busy though, it can get hectic and you already scored a very nice haul of fillets so squid would just be a bonus