Gavin Dunne has the enviable job of creating and marketing some of our latest and greatest fishing products. He has grown up learning to fish on Moreton Bay; he shares his best tips for getting amongst your share of winter whiting.
Moreton Bay is one of the jewels of the south-eastern sector of Queensland’s foreshore; it is celebrated by locals and travellers alike for its sheer abundance of variety and the year-round quality of the fishery. A melting pot of northern and southern species sees anglers targeting everything from estuarine species like mangrove jacks, tarpon, king salmon, bream, flathead and whiting right through to reef and pelagic species like tuna, mackerel, cobia, sweetlip and snapper.
One of the standout species within Moreton Bay is the year-round whiting populations that are one of the most targeted fish for anglers fishing from either boat or landbased locations. The deepest ledges to shallowest flats and every creek and river system that empties into the bay have enviable summer and winter whiting populations. Anglers relish the abundance of these fish and they have become a staple food source for many a family within this heavily populated region.
Region
Moreton Bay is a substantial estuarine delta system that disperses southern Queensland’s land borne water throughout an area that comprises white pristine beaches of the outer flanking islands (Moreton and Stradbroke Islands), numerous inhabited and uninhabited smaller islands and tidal sand and mud flats; Moreton Bay is a sub-tropical wonderland for aquatic species and anglers alike. A mixture of tropical and sub-tropical aquatic life calls the bay home whilst nomadic species often move hundreds of kilometres from the north and south to feast on the prolific nutrient rich waters of the area. Moreton Bay covers a region of more than 1500 sq km so there are plenty of areas to target.
Whiting are a species that will happily thrive within the confines of the bay for the entire year and for this reason alone make them a consistent food source and sports fish for most anglers; having a virtually unlimited tidal range sees them being targeted by shore based and boating anglers alike.
Species – Trumpeter Whiting (Sillago maculata)
The most common and my personal favourite for its sweet, succulent, firm white fillets are the prolific trumpeter whiting or ‘winter, school or diver’ whiting as they are more commonly referred to by locals. Various species of whiting coexist within Moreton Bay; the smaller and more heavily populated of the two (trumpeter and sand), the trumpeter whiting is found throughout the entire bay from the deepest trenches to the shallowest flats and everywhere in between. Sleek and streamlined in appearance, the trumpeter whiting is a worthy adversary for any angler with its never-say-die attitude and its aggressive feeding patterns as the schooling fish move in packs across the bottom in search of their next meal.
Identifiable by their very distinct lateral lines and blotchy flanked sides, the trumpeter species of whiting reaches maturity between 1 and 3 years and lives for around 10 to 12 years; it can grow to around 35 cm in length. They typically spawn around weeded flats and estuary systems throughout spring and summer; the larger fish that populate the outer bay flats seem to be in spawning mode around any full moon phase year round. Pattern feeders, the trumpeter whiting prefer living and feeding amongst the countless open sand and weeded flats found throughout the bay and adjoining foreshores. The larger fish seem to always populate the outer banks of Moreton Bay while the inner banks, creek and river mouths that adjoin the foreshores seem to hold smaller sized specimens as a general rule. As trumpeter whiting have no size limit in Queensland waters, anglers can effortlessly target these fish using a variety of baits and techniques to produce many fish in a relatively short time frame once located.
Specific Fishing Locations
Landbased
Growing up in the Moreton Bay region; I have caught ‘divers’ from the southern most areas of the bay around the Jumpinpin to Bribie Island in the north and every creek and river system that empties into the bay. They live just about everywhere and as a young kid they were very sought after. We could access them via the land and having no size limit meant we could bring home a feed to the family even if it was a fiddly cleaning process with the size of fish we caught as kids.
For landbased anglers that chase trumpeter whiting, the locations are virtually endless along the hundreds of kilometres of Moreton Bay’s foreshore. From Bribie Island in the north to the southern extremities around the Jumpinpin region you are able to find whiting. Anglers can target these fish with relative ease around the countless creeks, river mouths and beaches by fishing the shallow flats or by choosing one of the hundreds of jetties and pontoons that line the creeks and foreshores in the region.
Divers are a great fish for the younger angler to target because they live in just about every location and can be targeted with the most basic of techniques, they eat just about any bait and they keep the kids amused with the constant attention on their lines once located.
Offshore
Large trumpeter whiting definitely prefer the deeper more remote sandy flats of the outer bay where the mature fish feed amongst the nutrient rich waters. I target the larger fish around Moreton and Stradbroke Islands and the adjacent flats to the west of both islands. Areas like the Sand Hills and adjacent flats to the south on Moreton Island, and the massive expanse of shallow flats adjoining the Rouse Channel which is known as the ‘Paddock’ by locals. This massive area encompasses the South Passage Bar entrance, the Amity and Chain Banks and this is the area where the majority of the larger trumpeters are targeted by anglers.
Larger fish prefer flats that have adjacent deep channels and areas that have broken ground consisting of sand and weed. Depth definitely is a determining factor with these fish because they will happily feed in very shallow water (less than a metre) but also move into the deeper channels in search of food. Continually drifting around in search of the ‘depth for the day’ is a must to successfully catch good numbers of fish. A day’s fishing will generally require you to fish a few different depth ranges as the fish move from the flats to the deeper channels as the tide recedes.
Real and artificial baits
Trumpeter whiting have a traditional food source of worms, crustaceans such as shrimps, nippers, crabs and prawns, bivalve molluscs and small fish. They eat just about anything that will fit into their small mouths. I use a variety of baits for whiting including live options such as sand and mud worms, yabbies/nippers or very small shrimp. These whiting will also happily feed on frozen bait like prawn pieces, squid strips, worms, molluscs and even pieces of pilchard or flesh baits. Collecting yabbies/nippers with the bait pump or digging worms on the local mud flats is another great way to encourage sustainable fishing with the kids as they get to gather bait and catch fish on what they have found.
A growth area of late has been the ability to catch good numbers of whiting on synthetic artificial baits such as the Marukyu Isome worm baits from Japan. Isome worms work extremely well and because I can carry a few packets in the boat at any time they also make a very handy option when targeting other bay species.
Keep your baits fresh and don’t overload the hooks. Whiting will happily engulf your entire bait and hook set-up so well presented baits are preferred with small offerings.
Techniques
The most basic of techniques are required to catch a feed of trumpeter whiting; outfits ranging from the humble handline to a light estuary combo and everything in between will get you in the mix. Even with all of the technology around today the majority of anglers still use the handline with a simple two hook paternoster rig from a boat and a simple ‘Whiting Rig’ when fishing from the shore.
I personally use an ultra-light spin outfit with 3 lb Yamatoyo spinning fluorocarbon line with a modified paternoster 2 hook rig; this consists of size 4, 6, or 8 long shanked hooks with either clear or red attractor beads on each hook. I prefer the ultra-light spin outfits as these fish fight very well for their size and on light tackle are heaps of fun to land, especially if you have a double hook-up.
I use enough lead to allow the most natural presentation of the baits as they drift across the bottom. The type of structure at my chosen location will determine the distance from the sinker to the first hook on my paternoster rig as I like to have my baits positioned above the weedy bottoms and not dragging through the weed.
Whether fishing from the boat or shore, trumpeter whiting like a moving bait and prefer some current when feeding. Slowly drifting with the current or slowly retrieving and pausing when fishing from the shore is preferred for this species of whiting. You will catch them with stationary baits but they love a moving bait and the drifting or winding/stopping technique definitely catches more fish in Moreton Bay.
As a kid the humble diver whiting were a stable for our family and now with four kids of my own that love ‘whiting fingers’ they have once again become a regular target species. Easy to catch for relatively little cost, the Moreton Bay whiting are here to stay and it is well worth the effort to chase a feed of these hard fighting critters next time you venture out fishing.
