WORMS A WHITING SURE BET
I WENT down to Broadbeach on Saturday morning to escape the heat for a swim with my daughter and was witness to a great sight that goes to show just how healthy our beaches are and in turn how lucky we are as fisherman to live here on the Gold Coast.
Right in front of 1st Ave a father and son were catching beach worms one after the other on low tide and then immediately placing them on a hook and reeling in quality whiting in the surf gutter.
This is fishing in its purest sense. No expensive gear, no purchasing of bait and no fuel.
It was great to see and reminded me of how I fell in love with fishing years ago doing the same thing with my Dad.
People drive from all over the country to get to Fraser Island for the exact same experience and we have it right on our doorstep.
The amount of beach worms (arguably the best whiting bait there is) around at the moment is staggering. There are thousands.
Pulling a beach worm is an art form and I’m embarrassed to say I have been a very slow learner, only mastering it in the last few years, but if you put in the time it is a skill that will repay you for a lifetime.
You’ll never need to purchase expensive worms from a bait shop ever again.
A lot of us Gold Coast fisherman get caught up in the excitement of chasing the marlin and mahi mahi around and forget how much fun catching whiting is especially when you are doing it with your children.
The great thing about whiting fishing for kids is there is always something happening.
Unlike game fishing there aren’t long periods of trolling when the kids get bored and then become reluctant to want to go again having not caught something at the end of what can sometimes be a long day.
With whiting fishing, especially at the moment, kids are almost guaranteed to catch something and enjoy the experience, hopefully becoming hooked on fishing like you are.
After the recent pounding our beaches copped due to the big swell there are plenty of new gutters on our open beaches.
These are all holding good amounts whiting and bream.
The lighter the line the better. I use 4lb line with a 4-8 hook and a very small sinker.