Paradise Point Whiting

[jim_farrell]

Grabbed a few yabbies on the morning low with the plan to fish through to the midday high. Got onto a good bank that was producing when either a trevor or queenie came through and smashed the place to pieces. I normally fish with lures, but re-rigged this morning for a change of pace. Cursing myself.
All up I caught about 20 or 30 whiting all in the 15cm - 20cm range.

I have never targeted whiting and was wondering was I unlucky, in the wrong spot, too shallow (2-6 feet), or just to early in the season. Any help would be appreciated. All the same, good to be out there.

Jim

[favourite_whiting]

Hello Jim,
Good on you for catching those whitings!! ;)
Where did you fishing at?? ::)
Happy life of fishing,
favourite_whiting ;)

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

jim,

the bigger whiting will cruise the ledges of the yabbie bank and in the coomera come on better on the outgoing tide. They will be up on banks at first light and you can see them "tailing" they get so shallow sometimes.

On the incoming tide try the western drop-off of the big bank near Jabiru island - anchor up on the bank and drift the baits across the ledge.

Around the corner in CBB Creek they also seem better on an incoming tide.


That area without being specific are where my biggest horses have come from but i haven't fished it for years. Look for drains thru the mangroves spilling into the main channel.


chris

[jim_farrell]

FW, caught at paradise point.

Chris, thanks for the pointers. Can I assume that if there are small ones, there should be bigger ones. If so, would they be in the deeper water along the dropoff.
Jim

[dan88]

From my experience bigger whiting are spooked easily so yes they will usually be in the deeper water off the drop off waiting for bait to flow off it. Try to find a bank that the water is running off and let the bait flow with the tide over the drop off. Should work.

daniel

[NormC]

Chris, I fish the Coomera a bit (live just 2 mins away from the boat ramp), but have never targeted whiting. I thought it might be a bit muddy, particularly up stream and the North Arm. I mentioned to my wife today that I might take her for a run down to the Nerang and try for some Whiting. Perhaps I can do it closer to home, in an area I know a bit better.

When you say the Coomera, I assume you mean the South arm around Jabiru where you mention in your post? If so, I guess yabbies are a good bait?

My main interest is to find a reliable spot to take the wife. I prefer casting lures for bream in the winter and Jacks in the summer, but my wife is not into that sort of fishing (constant casting, moving etc). She likes to anchor up, relax, but also catch fish, even little ones.

I think she would be happier with my fishing habit if I got her out a bit more often, so any advice would be welcome.

Norm C

[Remo]

Flick,

Where you on the opposite the bathing net at paradise point on the sand bank in the middle there.

Ray

[Remo]

Chris,

Your giving away to many secrets. :o :o


Ray

[jim_farrell]

Ahhhh, secrets remo. Getting warm mate, but no cigar.
Fished again this sarvo after reading Chris's advice. First cast, 37cm whiting to the tip, 35 to the fork. After that a couple smaller, then a few bream. I got a bit cocky after the first one so threw a couple of 30cm models back. Only a couple of 28-30cm bream after that and don't really keep bream. Absolutely rapped with the whiting, enough to feed the wife, I guess I'm having steak.

GWH enhancements are highly recommended.

[jim_farrell]

GWH enhanced.

[Brenno]

well done that's a great whiting, used to get some good whiting at paradise point a few years ago.

[jim_farrell]

I didn't realise they got that size until I saw surf snipers post. I now have a new target. Feels like learning to fish again.
Jim

[geoff72]

great elbow slappers at lake serenity hope island-40cm, beachworm or blood worms.

cheers

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

good stuff flick - make a note of the time, the tide and the moon's position in the sky - whiting fishing can be improved with a diary.

use two anchors when fishing for them with the bow rope twice the length of the stern rope. This helps the boat stay still. When they go off the bite turn your motor completely to one side and change the side the stern rope is attached two - sometimes the whiting have only just shifted position by a matter of metres. Still no bites raise the anchor ropes and DRIFT back a bit further then repeat. In the nerang sometimes firing the engine can bring them back on back i've never found engine noise helpful in the Coomera.

Burley for them too. A big bucket of sand with some really crushed up small yabbies mixed in - nothing else. Use a soup ladel to lower it into the water.

Use super long traces of at least 1 metre.

The north arm is ok two up beyond the mud ledge alley toward the mouth. Around the mud use mud worm of course.


chris