Trying For Whiting ....... Guess What I Got?!

[arpie]

Hi all

I went out yesterday & today to try & catch some of those pesky whiting on lures ....... and tried a nice sandy shallow area where I had seen people fishing for them with lures previously. I had tried there as well, but had only had hits, no hookups!

I could see them following the lures (all pencils) & they would sometimes peel off without hitting or would hit & miss! I kept changing my retrieve, to try & make the 'hit' convert to a 'hookup'.

Finally, I am on!! The fish put up a good fight & dived & weaved its way to the yak. I put the net out & blow me down, if it isn't a decent sized mullet!!! Hmmmm, this wasn't in the script! I could still see lots of fish over the flats (their shadow is a dead give away!) so cast out again, using the retrieve that had just caught the previous fish. I could see a group of about 4-5 fish giving chase to the lure & every now & then, one would try to hit it, but miss, then when I just retrieved it without jerking, I would hook up! Another Mullet!!

By now, I was concentrating on catching quality mullet instead of whiting! I hooked up with 2 more mullet (all were a good size, about 25cm) dropped about 5 & had misses on about 30! It was really quite exciting!

Today I went out again, ostensibly to catch whiting, but ...... as fate had it, the mullet came out to play again! I landed 3 & missed about 30! Once again, nice size, feisty fighters & no whiting to be seen ( or should I say, Caught!) I saw a bloke with bait catching some tho.

It was a fun session on the water!!

I am off to South West Rocks on Wednesday for 8 nights - so will be out of contact for a while! I plan on fishing the rivers & estuaries for bass, bream, whiting & flatties! Given my history of 'offshore trips' (either falling off or throwing up!) I will stick to the safer side of things, methinks!!

Cheerio for now

Roberta

i will be catching up with Wendy for some fishing whilst I am up there too - she has moved back up the coast & rang me the other day, after she had caught a nice 70cm flattie! She was ecstatic & put it back, too!

[Hodgey]

Well done Roberta. That is one of the very few occasions that I can remember someone catching mullet on lure more consistently than just as a bi-catch ... and you did it twice!

Have a fabulous time at SWR. I hope the weather is kind, and you and Wendy get onto some quality fish. Stay safe on the roads and water

Cheers

Ian

[Sandini]

Hi Roberta,

I thought that it was just me.

On Saturday,early, I drifted across a couple of sand flats on The Entrance Lake. Using poppers, clear and white coloured, ended up boating 5 mullet, with, it sounds like as many follows as you got. Lots of fun, but no whiting.

Have a great trip.

Sandini

[Ray R]

Good report Roberta, mullet on a pencil, well that is a special catch.

Good luck up at South West Rocks, Hutcho and I wish you well..

Cheers..

[slinkymalinky]

You're just saving all your luck on the WHiting until the comp!! Have a great time at SWR

Cheers, Slinky

[Bream Mad]

great catch Roberta

a straight retreive you say does the trick?

i wish i could catch them at my local

they are massive!!!

what pencil were you using?

kael

[arpie]

Hi kael

Initially I was doing the 'walk the dog' method (or my variation of it, anyway ...... which I find very difficult to do when virtually sitting on the floor of the yak!) I was getting hits & strikes but no hookups. Then, I paused it whilst I adjusted the rudder & noted that they kept attacking it even when it was still! So next time, I chucked it out, left it for a while & then just slowly wound it straight back towards me & they were chasing it & kept hitting all the way & eventually sucked the treble in!

i was using a sammy65, rover & Stiffy top dog, small.

I reckon that what I've always assumed to be whiting in that area, are in fact, mullet! We are talking water that is less than 30cm deep! I knew I was in the right spot when my yak actually bottomed on the sand & I was casting back into the shallower water again!

If you ever get up this way, we can have another shot at them! I reckon they are always there (unless the aggression thing is just a seasonal factor, ie, after spawning.)

CHeerio & give it a go!

Roberta

[MrGenius]

Hi Roberta,

I just came back from SWR yesterday and the river is a raging chocolate milk torrent, even out at the FAD the water was a bit discoloured.

Not many people fishing the wall or landbased at all. My mates old man is still up there and he will have been fishing the river every day, keep an eye out for a white holden statesman and hassle him for the low down

Cheers,

Nathan