LONG LIVE THE KING Janet Lambert shares some thoughts on a passion passed down from her father. Janet Lambert with a small Tamar River King George Whiting.
I
have fished for as long as I can remember, it’s a passion that was instilled in me by my late father David Locke, a wool classer by trade and avid trout fisherman. To me, fishing is more than just catching a feed for dinner, it’s the experience of getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and experiencing nature in its rawest beauty. Along with my husband Todd, many hours have been spent on the water as a family and I have been fortunate enough to catch many different species over the years. From tuna through to trout, targeting and being rewarded for one’s efforts holds its own addiction but I must admit, of late, there is one particular species that has me getting up at unsociable hours early of a morning in pursuit of success — King George Whiting. Whiting are truly a fish for everyone and along with flathead, if there ever was a relatively easy to catch high quality table fish surely this is it. King George Whiting’s distribution around Tasmania is probably far wider than people realise, fond of cooler waters they can be targeted anywhere around
the state, from the North West Coast through to the Tamar River in the North and St Helens on our East Coast. I am unsure what is available in the south of our state but would be surprised if there was an absence of availability in that region as well. Tasmanian King George Whiting can often grow well in excess of 50 cm, my husband has actually caught one 65 cm to the fork of the tail. They truly appear to be in a different size class compared to that of their mainland counterparts.
Two high quality brands are Hayabusa whiting rigs and Whiting Whacker rigs from Black Magic, they have circle hooks tied onto them that encourage the fish to hook themselves. Prematurely striking
when you get a bite will often only succeed in pulling the hooks out of the fishes mouth. Avoid the temptation and place the rod in the holder, the hook up will take care of itself.
Where to find them The edges of weed beds, sand and mud banks are perfect locations, they are comfortable in the shallows with many of our fish landed in less than 2 metres of water. They love sandworms and these are often found spewing out of their mouths when landed. Whiting love fresh squid and if you can source some beforehand this will definitely improve your chances. I like to cut the squid into very small strips and thread it onto a pre-made rig especially designed for whiting and readily available at your local tackle store.
Victorian visitor Noel, trying his skills.
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Fishing News - Page 3
