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Sand Whiting Lures | MoTackle & Outdoors
There are many different species of whiting, but in this case we will be focusing on sand whiting. Sand whiting are a fisherman’s favourite for many reasons - they can be caught on lures and bait, from a boat or land, they fight hard yet clean on light gear and produce a beautiful white, sweet fillet as a reward for your efforts. They are often referred to as one of the bread n' butter fish in Australian estuaries.
Whiting caught on a Daiwa Infeet Slippery Dog in Moebi colour
TARGETING SAND WHITING
Where to find Whiting - You can find whiting in estuaries, bays and in the surf at a beach. Their range is the eastern side of Australia from the bottom of Victoria all the way to the top of QLD. Once you’re in these areas where do you find whiting?... Sand flats, weed bed edges and surf gutters up to 5m depth but most commonly on shallow sandy areas. They are a bottom feeder and their diet consists of worms, crustaceans & molluscs in these areas. Whiting are a schooling species which can make them aggressive at times while they compete for food and this makes them a great fish to target with lures.
Estuary Sand Flats and Bays - During a rising tide you can find whiting feeding on the sand flats, digging and sifting through the sand, picking out yabbies, prawns, mussels and worms from the sandy bottom. When the current is stronger, they will sit in the current using the trenches and divots as an ambush spot for passing by food. You will also find them on the edges or on top of weed beds stalking the abundance of small shrimp and prawns that live there.
Surf - In the surf whiting can be found in the shallow gutters and deeper holes on the beaches. This makes them easily accessible to anglers and is a great way to get kids onto a few. Look for the horizontal gutters where they can move in on the rising tide, feed and move out as the water drains. To find these gutters, experienced whiting fisherman often look for them on low tide and fish them as the gutters start to fill with water. Sand worms are a popular bait in this area.
Rob Mutton - Outdoors Purchasing Manager at Motackle & Outdoors
Lure fishing - Whiting will take most bream lures such as soft plastics grubs and small hardbodies, but over the years fisherman have found surface fishing for whiting to be the most productive method. Surface lure fishing can be extremely exciting, especially when packs of whiting compete for your lure. There are two favourite lure shapes, the walk the dog style stickbait and the popper. Look for these lures in 40-75mm size. The trick is a constant, relatively fast paced retrieve from the moment your lure hits the water to when you pull it out to cast again. On certain days when they are a bit timid, replacing the rear hooks with trailing ‘stinger’ assist hooks can help with the hookup rate. A 7’6” or longer rod with a soft tip is preferred to get the proper action of the walk the dog style lure.
Bait Fishing - There are many rigs but the most popular is the rig below. A simple long shank or bait holder hook, preferably red, red beads, red tubing, about 30cm of line onto a swivel and a floating ball sinker after the swivel. This rig is perfect for both yabbies and worms.
Bait Gathering - The most popular estuary method is the yabby pump. Walk the flats on the low tide pumping the yabby holes with your pump, picking them up as you go and storing them in a bucket for when the tide starts rising on the flats. A hot tip is to have a rod rigged with a yabby in the trail of sand you just pumped, I couldn’t tell you how many times this has worked and it’s a great way to get a few sneaky fish. The stirred up sand seems to get them biting. Another popular method is collecting worms, both bloodworm and sandworms. Bloodworms can be collected by searching through the mud that lines the mangroves, simply digging through the mud until you find them. Sandworms can be collected on the beach using old fish frames. Move the bait around the sand back and forth where the water stops, eventually the worms will pop their heads up and that’s when you use your fingers to carefully grab their heads pulling the sandworm from its hole, it’s a bit of an art but with a little practice it’s a fun way to gather bait.
Cameron Hall - Estuarine Fsihing Specialist at Motackle & Outdoors
Sand whiting fishing is great fun for everyone, from kids pumping yabbies to experienced fishermen who've perfected the walk the dog technique. Get out there when the water is warm and have a great day out fishing for whiting!
- Craig Hanlon - eCommerce Admiistrator at Motackle & Outdoors
