Overview
King George whiting feed hard over the broken ground where seagrass meets clean sand, picking through the patchwork for worms, small crabs and shellfish.
They school by size, so a run of small fish usually means moving 100 metres rather than waiting it out.
Bait freshness beats everything else. Fresh squid strips and live pipis consistently out-fish frozen offerings.
Where to find them
- ▸Sand patches inside broken seagrass beds in 3–8 m.
- ▸Edges of deeper channels on the turn of the tide.
- ▸Reef and rubble margins in sheltered bays.
Tackle
- ▸Rod: 7' light spin rated 2–4 kg with a soft tip.
- ▸Line: 8–10 lb braid with 8–12 lb fluorocarbon leader.
- ▸Rig: two-hook paternoster with size 4–6 long-shank hooks and just enough sinker to hold bottom.
Tips from the water
- ▸Berley lightly and continuously with crushed pilchard and sand — heavy berley pulls in the wrong fish.
- ▸Wait for weight before striking; whiting mouth a bait before committing.
- ▸Re-anchor rather than persisting when only undersized fish come aboard.
Regulations
Minimum legal lengths and bag limits differ between SA, VIC, TAS and WA. Confirm current limits before keeping fish.