South Shields Pier 20/07/12 Spotty Whiting?

[Thunderpants]

I headed up the pier this morning for first light and fished up until 7am which was roughley two up and two down over high water. One bait rod with a two hook flapper and ragworm. One spinning rod with a zenith minnow and later a cheap dexter wedge copy then a couple of casts on the float with ragworm. Caught nothing on the spinning rod but the water was very brown so I didn't have high hopes there. The bait rod caught a whiting first cast, a dab second cast then nothing for a while until I caught a small whiting at the top of the tide. This was an unusual looking fish as it had lots of small black spots along it's back and on the fins (see first pic below) though I think it's still a whiting. Anybody else caught one like this before?

I forgot to take a pic of the dab but you know what one looks like

 

[Darnc]

Not a bad few hours mate nice pic of the sun coming up is that whity your lunch

 

[jameswlong1941]

Spotty whitey.

Spotty whitey.

Hi Thunderpants m8 great report and pics to show your fortune and the fish you thought was a whitey is not as if you look at your other pic of your whitey you will see the difference but well done m8 Tight Lines.

 

[dabcatcher]

ive had loads of whiting with spots like that. usually on the thinner ones.

fantastic sunrise

 

[Scotty91]

year it defo a wightining a get em from the tyne all the time but lyk you says only on the smaller ones nice pics btw

 

[Thunderpants]

Not a bad few hours mate nice pic of the sun coming up is that whity your lunch

No all fish were returned. I don't think it's worth keeping whiteys unless they are at least 38cm preferably bigger cos there's not enough there for a fish finger

 

[Thunderpants]

Cheers Dabcatcher & Scotty 91. Yeah I thought it was a whitey just with unusual markings. Presumably the spots fade as they get bigger (that one was only about 20cm).

 

[dabcatcher]

Cheers Dabcatcher & Scotty 91. Yeah I thought it was a whitey just with unusual markings. Presumably the spots fade as they get bigger (that one was only about 20cm).

not really to do with the size or age of the fish, i have seen it not always as noticable on larger fish.

the green spots on that one though are usually on thin or what i call .. sick fish.

 

[skott]

Nowt better than fishing first light, nice few hours with some fish

 

[dan1]

what rod and reel were you using

 

[Scotty91]

the ones aye got from the tyne have been 10-31cm with them spots on any bigger ther ant hade em strange in it

 

[Darnc]

The markings on fish change from one part of the river or sea bed they inhabit it depends on what they eat and the plant life they live in

 

[Pete from shields]

Nice report and pics mate, I find larger whiting tend to be full of ring worm unless you fillet them straight away, they eat out into the flesh from the stomach lining. Good mornings session though.

 

[g.ordon]

Nice report and pics mate, I find larger whiting tend to be full of ring worm unless you fillet them straight away, they eat out into the flesh from the stomach lining. Good mornings session though.

Nice catch thunderpant.

Pete, I've never ever thought about eating a ting infact I'd rather catch a granny fish but after what yev just said I'd rather eat a granny fish anal

 

[Pete from shields]

Nice catch thunderpant.

Pete, I've never ever thought about eating a ting infact I'd rather catch a granny fish but after what yev just said I'd rather eat a granny fish anal

LOL mate, I love whiting but its got to be filleted straight after dispatching them, its a sickner to get home and find when you fillet them there full of worm. I have found smaller 27-33cm whiting don't have it so bad, but yeah mate its quite off putting.

Saying that sometimes its in cod and the worms are sometimes white and unspottable.

 

[Darnc]

Makes you want to stick to birds eye, think you've just put me off fresh fish pete

 

[Pete from shields]

Makes you want to stick to birds eye, think you've just put me off fresh fish pete

Sorry mate but its just a fact of life, they aren't harmful to humans once the fish is cooked. Imagine how many parasites we have all eaten during our lifetime from eating packaged products like birds eye haha.

Have a read of this lads it will make you feel better about what I've been babbling about.

Seafood Network Information Center

The health risk from parasites is far less than the risk from "unseen" illness causing bacteria which are present on almost all foods.

 

[korky65]

alreet wor lad, those whities with those black dots are fish riddled with worms, next time you fillet a decent one look out for them in the flesh, codling often get them aswell, cheers korky. tight lines.

 

[lobsterwells]

great report cracking photos i was on the north pier i could see you fishing, i also tried a bit spinning & daylights but no success so made my way half way down the pier to use the rest of my worms up caught a few whiting dabs eels 1 lobster and another bloody hagfish

 

[Thunderpants]

That's an interesting article Pete. I have eaten quite a few whiting and not had any worms in them yet but I've had loads of mackeral with them in. Almost all the mackeral I have had from Shields this year had worms in the guts when I cleaned them but all the ones I caught on the south coast had none.

Hey lobsterwells shame I didn't know it was you I could have waved at you across the bay