Young whiting delighting
While kingfish captures seem to be dominating all matters fishing, other news got me particularly excited last week.
It seems IMAS researchers recently made a very exciting find of very small juvenile king george whiting at St Helens.
The work is part of research into the ecology and life history of king george whiting in Tasmania. Two size classes were discovered at St Helens – young-of-the-year (5cm-8cm) that were likely spawned in autumn/winter 2020 and the size class up (14cm-19cm) which would have been spawned a year earlier (2019) and are nearing two years old.
Historically there are very few records of these very young fish in Tasmanian waters. This is the first time they have been recorded in significant numbers in Tasmania and it points to successful spawning and larval growth occurring within the state.
What does it mean for anglers? Hopefully this is a sign of healthy recruitment on the East Coast and while these young fish still have a few years to navigate, they will be about legal size in 2023-2025.
Anglers fishing the Tamar, the Rubicon and other NorthWest areas tell of really goodsized whiting this year, with news that some caught were allegedly around the 1m in length mark.
That size, if true, would be scary, as the pan-sized models go like the clappers, so I imagine a large fish would certainly be a worthy adversary.
In my opinion, these whiting are one of the most toothsome fish about.
I’m often asked what the ultimate bait is for whiting and you can’t beat the humble sand worm, though garden worms work just as well.
Some say that squid tentacles are the best, and that’s their choice, but either worms or squid eggs are the best.
Squid eggs can often be found washed up on a receding tide and look like clusters of little pearls. Kingfish seem to be quite dominant in the South at the moment, particularly around the Triabunna fish pens and, as I’ve said in the past, once you fire them up, hang on!
One of lures or soft plastics that are firing them up is the locally made Moore’s 7-inch hexagon slug. They are locally made and Ray Moore knows exactly what local fish like because he custom makes the lures according to what anglers and the fish want.
That’s not to say other makes won’t work, but it’s often a little more hit or miss with mass-produced brands. Meanwhile, it seems the bandit who tampers with boat trailers is at it again. Tasmanian police say that boaters and others should remain vigilant amid reports of trailer tampering at Geilston Bay boat ramp.
Last Sunday, two trailers were allegedly interfered with and while no significant damage was caused, you should always check your trailer, wheel nuts and so on before moving off.
Anyone who spotted suspicious activity at the boat ramp last Sunday or near De Bomford Drive is asked to contact Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.