Whiting fishing

[seanyrooroo]

It always makes me laugh when people say 'just whities'!! I think they're one of the most entertaining fish on our shores.

You can guarantee day or night, cold or warm they are always there to help prevent boredom. The have that classic rattle bite, that sends your rod tip dancing. They scrap for all they're worth and when they are a good enough size, they make good eating.

I used to spend many a night targeting just whiting. Why wait for a good blow and ideal conditions for our favorite species the cod?? You aint catching fish, sat at home listening to the missus talking about curtains lol. Get some worm and mackerel, 3 hooks and pop them out 50 yards. Wait 2 minutes and bang bang!!

When i fished on Saturday night I couldn't bait my spare rigs quick enough. I also find that sections of large sandeel pick out the larger whities.

Anyway enough ranting, just thought I'd show my appreciation of such a great little character!!!:red:

 

[mick dunn]

Our fishmonger refuses to sell them. Poor relation of the Cod family. Have to agree though i love to keep a few big ones boil em up and get the meat for fishcakes.Hard work but lovely to eat.

 

[KeithB]

Filleted, skinned, shallow fried in flour then sandwiched between 2 bits of buttered bread - delicious!!! Chickens of the sea!!!!

 

[codseeker]

not my type of eating fish ,full of gut worm puts me off

 

[Topfly]

Try block filleting them leaving the guts in the fish.

 

[willywetegg]

I have to agree with Sean's post, especially about the sport. Get yourself a Carp or Pike rod and hit the beach, cracking bit of fun.

Jim.

 

[Davyred]

One of my best fishing sessions was with Whities on the Blast. We'd fished from 8pm through to about 1am with just the odd one to show, then it just went mental. We couldn't throw bait up quick enough, and they were all big whiting in excess of 1-4-0, best a shade over 2lb.

The best thing about it is one of the lads slept all the way through it all

 

[seanyrooroo]

The best session whitie wise, I had was on the north pier. 56 Fish in 4 hours!!! It would explain the title 'mr whitie' as I used to be called.

 

[Hillbilly]

The best session whitie wise, I had was on the north pier. 56 Fish in 4 hours!!! It would explain the title 'mr whitie' as I used to be called. [/QUOTE
I had a mate called mr WHITIE it was drug related though, not to worry.

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

I've been thinking about this and it appears to me that Whiting are the winters equivalent to the Mackerel sport that we all enjoy during the summer...or am I wrong?

If that is the case, then Whiting (when they are about the beaches) are as easy to catch as it is to shell peas...

There are always grumblings during the summer months of the amount of Mackerel being allowed to be entered as a weighed in fish during comps - are Whiting, therefore, not regarded in the same light? Surely weighing 20+ 1lb fish in is excessive?

 

[seanyrooroo]

I totally agree. Whiting aren't used as bait like mackerel, so what end do they come to??

 

[willywetegg]

I know when I fish for Whiting most of them go back. Problem is though, you can't just throw them back in on the beach or they will go belly up and die. You have to spend a little time reviving them in the water. If they are just lip hooked they go back pretty quickly, if they take some time to unhook then you have to spend a bit more time with them.

All too often when people just throw them back in they will be washed back up further down the beach. That said I don't mind taking a few for the pot as they are quite tasty if you get a decent sized fish. A whiting just on size is hardly worth keeping IMO.

Sometimes you might have a session where you will catch a lot of them but sometimes it may be just a few. In my experience there always seem to be a lot more of them south of the Tyne though.

Jim.

 

[seanyrooroo]

I definitely think that the legal limit should be upped quite a way. I don't keep any under a pound.
I remember a few year ago, fishing the blast, there were two lads who had about 60 fish between them. They were stood knee deep in whitey, and when i asked them what they were doing with their catch, it turned out they didn't even like fish!!!

Come to think of it is there a legal size limit area in this forum?

 

[willywetegg]

It appears not mate. I am sure there was at one time but will get it sorted.

Jim.

 

[seanyrooroo]

Handy for beginners!!

 

[johnf]

Try this link
New Page 5

 

[willywetegg]

Ya not wrong there mate, it is also handy for some more experienced anglers that don't take any notice lol.

Jim.

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

Ya not wrong there mate, it is also handy for some more experienced anglers that don't take any notice lol.

Jim.

Very true that Jim...just whipped out a ruler to give myself a visual on some of those sizes...some of those sizes are pretty titchy when you look at them so if people are keeping undersize fish then they must be tiny

Perhaps I've been spoilt by having been able to catch (and witness being caught) larger specimens on a boat and now use that as my benchmark...who knows but a 35cm fish aint very big at all

 

[seanyrooroo]

27cms for a whiting? How many do you catch under 27?? Not many I know. It's been 27 for too long. 32 would maybe a better size limit. Maybe then during matches we would see less being killed off for no good reason.