DEFINATIVE WINTER/SUMMER Whiting identification....

[solemandownunder]

I am posting this for a reason.....

Winter whiting have a bag limit of 50 per person...NO SIZE limit.
SUMMER whiting have a limit of 30 per person...AND Are limited by size...23ms I believe.

By all accounts, I should be able to have 50 Winteries & 30 Summeries on board at any given time. IS this correct

IF the above is correct......

CAN I have a DEFINATIVE answer from "Fisheries" as to just WHAT defines the two.

Pictures & identifying marks etc. would be appreciated.

The REASON I am pushing this so much is that there seems to be conflicting views on what constitutes EITHER Species.

I would like it written down...HERE...for anyone to refer to at what would seem a changeover for both species

We are ALL told that "IGNORANCE" is NO defence....hence I ask to be ignorant no more and obey the rules as they stand.

Can I PLEASE have this clarified by Fisheries THEMSELVES ?

Thank, Ray.

[Noelm]

A look on the fisheries site should have pictures to identify them, they are very different, and hard to confuse (in my opinion) 23cm is a small Whiting, in NSW the size limit is 27cm and even that is not exactly huge.

[Noelm]

http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries...winter-whiting
http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries...g/sand-whiting
there you go, took 2 minutes.

[solemandownunder]

http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries...winter-whiting
http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries...g/sand-whiting
there you go, took 2 minutes.

Thanks Noelm...I appreciate what you have done...BUT....from what i READ and then what i SEE.....there seems to be rather large differences.....and there are differing requirements between states as noted.

I do NOT want to be boarded here in QLD and then fined for not having the correct knowledge...hence I ask this to be clarified BEYOND contention.

Different states have diff rules....the point in question pertains to Qld ONLY.

It may seem rather pedantic to some....however MY obligation is on the line here....NO-ONE elses.

Thanks, Ray.

[Noelm]

Not sure I understand what you are after then, those descriptions are for QLD, and are specific for the two species.

[thelump]

One wears a Flano and trackie dacks the other a blue truckers singlet and King Gee scoops (with zip up fob pocket). BUT and its a big but. If you get one with blue singlet and trackie dacks throw it back because its not a whiting at all. Its a QLD bogan. They are a no take species.

[Fisheries Queensland]

Hi Ray

In Queensland, trumpeter whiting (AKA winter whiting) have a possession limit of 50 and no size limit. Northern, goldenline and sand whiting (AKA summer whiting) have a combined possession limit of 30 and a 23cm minimum size limit for all three species.

You can possess a total of 50 winter whiting and 30 summer whiting at any one time as they are separate possession limits.

It is important to remember that size and possession limits can change. To stay up-to-date with the most current size and possession limits check our website here. To view whiting species identification information, please click here.

Cheers,
Fisheries Queensland

[crikey macca]

Lets do a quick whiparound for ray as he seems to need a fish id chart. Ill kick it off with $1, anybody else wants to chip in let me know

[Daryl McPhee]

In Moreton Bay, there are three species of whiting that are commonly caught by anglers – diver whiting (Sillago maculata) and two species commonly lumped together as summer whiting, sand whiting (Sillago ciliata) and golden-lined whiting (Sillago analis). Mostly in Moreton Bay they occur in separate locations, but there are a number of locations where they overlap but when this occurs one species usually predominates. If you are fishing deeper open waters from a boat your catch will be solely diver whiting, or at least strongly dominated by that species. If you are fishing from the beach at Moreton Island, your catch will be solely sand whiting. If you are fishing around Red Beach on Bribie Island, depending on the day you will get a mixture of sand and golden-lined whiting.

When I teach my students how to identify closely related fish species, I have them either with the actual fish species side by side, or photos side by side. This allows you to develop an instant recognition of the differences which can be applied later on. In separating closely allied species, there is often a number of minor relative differences which overall creates clear visual differences. A fish i.d. chart should more than suffice. The focus should be in separating diver whiting from the other two species.

Diver whiting have a silvery stripe along the side of the body which is more distinct than in the other two species. There is a black spot on the pectoral fin base and large distinctive dark blotches on the body. The scales are much smaller than the other two species, even when the fish are the same size.

[solemandownunder]

Not sure I understand what you are after then, those descriptions are for QLD, and are specific for the two species.

M8, I really do appreciate your honest input into this, but the problem I am having is this...

From one angle...AND ACCORDING TO THE ID CHARTS.......they are quite 2 different fish, however, what I have caught seem to be an anomaly, like some charactaristics of 1....and another of the 2nd.

Once I can find some pics, I will post what I am seeing.

The thing that is confusing me most is that the winters are basic enough....blotches, black spot, no bigger than 30cms etc,......BUT the ones I have caught recently have the SUMMER whiting dorsals....NOT winter dorsals....AS DEFINED BY PICS ON SAID SITES....just in case the idiots had gone deaf again.

So, all I am trying to work out is.....is there a cross over of some sort on these whiting....or is it all just cut & dried......do I just use the blotches & the black spot as CONCLUSIVE evidence that I have a winter(diver)whiting....EVEN though the dorsals would say different

Thanks, Ray.

[rtp1984]

Perhaps you could just keep whiting over 23cm and keep a max of 30 of them.
This way, there is no way you will be breaking the law. Can't get it wrong then M8.

Thanks
Rob

[Horse]

Ray, I think you are making this a lot harder than it has to be. Trust me, if you are floating around the Rous in the middle of the day catching 30or more Tings on bits of Squid then THEY ARE DIVER WHITING (for the deaf idiot/s). Its not rocket science to pick the species. If they have blotches, small, easily dislodged scales and a black pectoral spot then THEY ARE DIVER WHITING. There is no secret conspiracy to catch you out

[solemandownunder]

Perhaps you could just keep whiting over 23cm and keep a max of 30 of them.
This way, there is no way you will be breaking the law. Can't get it wrong then M8.

Thanks
Rob

VERY good point Rob...and I have no problems with that....just trying to work out if there is a species that may be a "changeover" from the winters to the summers.

At the end of the day, despite the idiots that try to crucify rather than help, I still believe my question is valid.

If I only had access to being able to post pics of what I am trying to explain here....I am sure it would help all to understand what I am actually trying to ask.

If anyone takes the time to look at the links that have been posted, 1st by Noelm & then fisheries.....Take the Summer whitings' pointed dorsal fin....THEN add that to the blotches/black spot, of the winter....and therin lies my question.

The above is what we have caught yesterday.....SUMMER dorsal with WINTER blotches & black spots

YET...according to the "links"....these 2 CANNOT be the same fish

Ray.

[crikey macca]

Just thank your lucky stars you got out there without your prop falling off

[solemandownunder]

Ray, I think you are making this a lot harder than it has to be. Trust me, if you are floating around the Rous in the middle of the day catching 30+ Tings on bits of Squid then THEY ARE DIVER WHITING (for the deaf idiot/s). Its not rocket science to pick the species. If they have blotches, small, easily dislodged scales and a black pectoral spot then THEY ARE DIVER WHITING. There is no secret conspiracy to catch you out

M8, please see above reply & post.......maybe there is a cross-over species is all I am thinking.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Ray.