5 tips for targeting King George whiting

King George whiting is found right around the southern coastline of mainland Australia — from Eden in NSW to at least Jurien Bay in WA, as well as the northern half of Tasmania.

These sought-after, hard-fighting and delicious fish have been known to occasionally top 60cm in length and weigh as much as a couple of kilos, although any whiting more than 50cm is a real prize in most waters.

King George whiting range from the shoreline out to deeper reefs and gravel beds in at least 60 metres of water, but are most often targeted in areas between two and eight metres in depth, especially those that feature sand or gravel bottom strata punctuated by patches or bands of seagrass, kelp and rocky outcrops.

Most anglers target King George whiting on light to medium spinning (threadline) gear, consisting of a 2.0- to 2.5-metre rod with a reasonably light, sensitive tip and matched to a 2000 to 4000 size spin or "eggbeater" reel spooled with 3.0kg to 6.0kg line (monofilament or braid).

Long-shanked No.4 to No.1 hooks are best, and you should carry a range of sinkers and swivels to build rigs best suited to the various conditions encountered.

Here are my five top tips for targeting the king of the whiting.

Anchor yourself and your bait

Pick a likely spot, anchor the boat, and cast your lines astern, down-current, and rigged with sufficient sinker weight to hold your baits in position on the sea bed.

Keep moving until you find fish.

Don’t stay in any one spot for more than 15 or 20 minutes if you’re not getting bites. Whiting are highly mobile, and so should you be.

Use fresh bait

Whiting love strips of squid, octopus or cuttlefish, pipis (cockles), and sometimes crabs and prawns, but fresh bait is almost always better than frozen offerings.

Try catching your own before fishing.

Seize the moment!

Hot bite periods for King George whiting can be short and sharp. Be ready to take advantage of them, rather than wasting time re-rigging and untangling. Have some pre-made rigs ready to go.

Fish for the future

Take only what you need and can immediately use, and abide by all the legal limits and rules in your jurisdiction — think about setting your own even stricter limits! Whiting are too good to waste — or take for granted.

There are lots of good reasons why King George whiting are so popular and keenly sought-after in our cooler southern seas. They’re very special fish. If you’ve never chased them, you really do need to give it a go.

Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling is one of Australia’s best-known and most respected fishing communicators.

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