King George (spotted) Whiting
Many Australians regard the King George whiting as thefinest eating
among Australian fish, partly because the bones are less troublesome
than in the smaller fish. Victorians consume big quantities brought from
South Australia. In Western Australia the King George whiting is a noted
sportfish, particularly among holidaymakers on the south coast at such
places as Oyster Harbour, Irwin Inlet and Wilson Inlet.
King George whiting usually require one to four hooks, depending on
the size available. They bite best from November to February and the
most successful baits are squid, cockles and pipi. Like all whiting they
are selective in their feeding and the range of baits to which they
respond is limited. Sand shrimps and pink nippers, taken from the
estuary flats with gabby pumps, are soft bait but the whiting relish
them. Peeled prawns are used only when the fish are biting well. |
