Whiting is one of the few saltwater fish species not yet regulated by the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission. This means that there is no minimum size or limit on the number of fish a person can keep. The typical way to fish is to throw your bait past the gutter/hole and enjoy the slackline while the waves push the bait back ashore. If you don`t get a bite, don`t start snatching your bait too early, as sometimes whiting can hit your bait almost at your feet. This is a good sign, as it may mean they are hunting nearby, so you don`t have to throw very far. During my years of whiting fishing, I have found that one of the most important factors is the movement of the bait. This means that a solid drift with a good run in the tide is preferable. It is interesting to read about the different types of whiting and their appearance. According to Qld Fisheries, the Sunshine State is home to Golden Line Whiting, Northern Whiting, Robust Whiting, Sand/Summer Whiting, and Trumpeter/Winter/Diver Whiting (the latter three are the same fish).

However, apart from a few sand whiting I`ve caught over the years – and I`m only talking about 40-50 fish in 40 years – I`ve never seen any of the other Queensland species in the bay. Small pieces of squid strips are a great way to get food in the bay. A light patanosta-style fishing platform set up around the Rous, Morton, North Straddle, Sandgate and Redcliffe cleans the whiting. If you want to fish from the beach, the most likely places are Sandgate, Margate and Redcliffe and of course the Wynnum coast (or you can jump to Moreton Island or North Stradbroke Island). Most coasts that have sand and mud at high tide contain whiting, but most of the time fishing is a coincidence. One option that can improve your chances is to use Berley. Over the years, I have seen many fishermen on the beach throw Berley pellets to pull whiting where they fish. The old adage „Keep it simple, stupid“ works very well for whiting. A simple paternoster platform does the job, with a hook of red whiting (a long tree hook in size #4 or #6) and a strawberry bale to get you down to the ground.

Because the hook is in a paternoster from below, it is less likely to be soiled with grass. Available for download in PDF format www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xbcr/dpi/fishingsizebaglimits.pdf diving whiting is endemic to Australia. They are found in the coastal waters of New South Wales and Queensland on the east coast, but are most commonly found in large bays such as Moreton and Hervey Bay and Lake Macquarie and Botany Bay in New South Wales. „We urge fishermen to check fish identification and fishing rules so they know the different species of fish, their size and property boundaries,“ he said. Many species of whiting are schools of fish and hunt in packs or schools. Some depend on other species for food, as most of their food sources are buried. Thus, they will shade curtain fish and feed on yabbies, worms or crustaceans brought to the surface by rays, sawfish, shovel noses. You`ll also shade packages of mackerel, bream, queens and even flat whales and plaice. Anything that disturbs the sand and hunts in this lean water. The minimum size limit is 24 inches fork length (PDF) (opens in a new tab), except that up to five fish with a range length of less than 24 inches can be caught or possessed. Sand whiting (summer) has a legal size of 23 cm and a combined property line of 30 cm in total.

The SEQ and the far north of New South Wales have many types of whiting. The great Wadden Sea in Moreton Bay provides the perfect habitat for these tiny divers. These shallow areas, including tidal basins, provide warmer waters that can increase growth rates and provide protection from fish predators. I observed how they used the Yabby Caves in the tidal pools as shelter when disturbed. These tiny juveniles feed on extremely small animals, collectively called meiofauna, which include nematodes (roundworms) and crustaceans called copepods. As they grow, they eat larger prey and their diet expands. The most common platform for whiting fishing on the beach is a ball miller on a swivel joint, and then about 60 cm from the guide to a whiting hook. You can add a little red tube on the hook if you wish. The weight of the board should depend on the conditions and the distance you throw. They may not be the most glamorous of our target species, but they are great for catching the whole family and many anglers feel like the best eaters of our local whiting species. Diving whiting is smaller than sand whiting and yellowfin whiting, with fish over 32 cm being a rare catch.

Recreational fishermen are limited by a property limit of 50 fish per person, although there is no legal minimum size. A property boundary means that you can only have a limited number of fish (or parts of fish) in your possession at a time, even at home.