Hooks for whiting (and a food safety question)

[DexterCatt]

Hello fisherfolks.  I got a couple of 35 cm whiting yesterday, and decided to release them. I was in doubt about whether to keep them.  The first reason being that they were hooked deep in their gullet. The eye of the no. 2 longshank hook was about 15 mm from their mouth. I didn't want to mangle their insides, and there was no visible bleeding, so i figured the hook would rust out (or fall out if the wound ulcerated a little). But I was concerned that I might be consigning a handsome adult fish to death, and that I might better have kept them. 

However,  the other thing that encouraged me to release was that I was fishing between the airport and Port Botany, from one of the little beaches on the bay. From time to time I got a whiff of avaition fuel, and wondered about toxins in the water. 

So my questions:-

1. When fishing worm baits for whiting, what hook size and pattern to use that assists hook removal and healthy release (hooking the front of the mouth) without strongly penalising catch rates? 

2. How confident are you about eating fish caught near the port and airport? With whiting, is it a matter of them just as likely having travelled from Maroubra or Cronulla beach 72 hours earlier, or do they stay in place for weeks, months?

 

[frankS]

If you squash the barb , or better still file the barb off and with a pair of long nosed plyers it is a easy job to remove the hook.

I have never had any issues with eating fish from the area

Frank

[Fab1]

1 hour ago, DexterCatt said:

Hello fisherfolks.  I got a couple of 35 cm whiting yesterday, and decided to release them. I was in doubt about whether to keep them.  The first reason being that they were hooked deep in their gullet. The eye of the no. 2 longshank hook was about 15 mm from their mouth. I didn't want to mangle their insides, and there was no visible bleeding, so i figured the hook would rust out (or fall out if the wound ulcerated a little). But I was concerned that I might be consigning a handsome adult fish to death, and that I might better have kept them. 

However,  the other thing that encouraged me to release was that I was fishing between the airport and Port Botany, from one of the little beaches on the bay. From time to time I got a whiff of avaition fuel, and wondered about toxins in the water. 

So my questions:-

1. When fishing worm baits for whiting, what hook size and pattern to use that assists hook removal and healthy release (hooking the front of the mouth) without strongly penalising catch rates? 

2. How confident are you about eating fish caught near the port and airport? With whiting, is it a matter of them just as likely having travelled from Maroubra or Cronulla beach 72 hours earlier, or do they stay in place for weeks, months?

 

I use a #4 or #6 long shank hook from mustaad and don’t ever recall gut hooking them.A #2 hook is a much bigger hook and you’d think you’d gut hook them even less.The few times I’ve caught them I strike straight away and maybe that’s why they have always been pined in the corner of the mouth or lip.

you could try circle hooks I guess.

i can’t comment on the eating as I don’t fish there.

[DexterCatt]

Thanks for the replies - striking earlier and barbless (or filed) hooks both sound like good ideas. Barbless are hard to find in the shops but there are online sellers. "Owner" is a brand that seems to show up in the searches.

 

[fragmeister]

Good advice above from some very experienced fishos.

All I can add to that is for whiting, I would use a super slow retrieve... aside from the fact that it fires them up it also usually ensures that they get lip hooked.

Ususally, gut hooked fish are the result of  just soaking a bait on a slack line.

Cheers

Jim

 

Edited August 26, 2022 by fragmeister

[HawkesburyParadise]

Is it Whiting season already or are they around all year? I thought they were a summer fish.

[Rebel]

I use a no.6 hook for whiting. Never had a problem.

[DexterCatt]

On 8/26/2022 at 5:27 PM, fragmeister said:

Good advice above from some very experienced fishos.

All I can add to that is for whiting, I would use a super slow retrieve... aside from the fact that it fires them up it also usually ensures that they get lip hooked.

Ususally, gut hooked fish are the result of  just soaking a bait on a slack line.

Cheers

Jim

 

It could also be in the timing I suppose. I did give a little slack on feeling the bite as I had missed a couple of hookups. 

[DexterCatt]

23 hours ago, HawkesburyParadise said:

Is it Whiting season already or are they around all year? I thought they were a summer fish.

The blokes at the bait shop said "goodluck, most of the whiting are upriver". I figured a couple might be around. Overcast, sun setting, tide rising, small sinker.

[jenno64]

I use the larger hooks and larger nippers when available….I drift for them so the bait is always moving👌

[slowjigger]

Just follow, or stay within to be on the safe side, the government guidelines. I think there are recommendations not to eat too many from Botany Bay.