Tips for Whiting Fishing in Fast Flowing Water
Fish at Dusk
Although whiting will happily bite throughout the daylight hours, the best time to fish for the silver submarine is just as the sun is setting, right up until dark. Your time is best spent collecting fresh quality bait during the afternoon.
When fishing for whiting during the day it is best to be frequently on the move, until you locate the fish. The best strategy when fishing for whiting on dusk is to actually stay in the one location and burley hard from sunset until dark. If you find the fishing slow using this strategy, you will need to hold your nerve and be patient, try not succumb to the temptation to move location, as the fishing can go from slow to frantic very quickly during dusk.
Finding Good Spots in Fast Running Water
Fast flowing water can make it difficult for anglers to find productive whiting grounds because fast running water can reduce visibility. The best way around this is to know your local area well. Conduct your prospecting during slow running water or calm days and mark them on your sounder. It goes without saying that when the water is running fast you can simply use your sounder to relocate your hot spot and cast right into your favorite sand hole. A good tip is to ensure you do not cast a shadow over your sand hole when anchoring up your boat.
Look for areas along banks that drop off sharply into deep channels, especially ones that are feed by smaller channels or drains. These sort of areas see a lot of fish movement during tidal rises and falls. But stick to the rule of thumb here and keep moving down the channel if you have not caught any fish after 15 minutes or so, until you have found a school of whiting. Once you have caught a fish, ensure you burley hard to keep them in the area. Local knowledge of the spot your fishing is so important because in some areas whiting tend to prefer one tide over another. Talk to your local tackle shop owner or local angling club if you want expert knowledge.
Hooking the fish in strong tidal water can prove difficult at times. This is dependent upon your fishing method. For example if your line is tight as a result of fast running water, you might struggle to get any slack in your line, making for challenging conditions. If you are using a long shank hook, if you sense a bite it is best to remove the rod from the holder and move it out from the boat, this lets your bait to move down the tide, and will give you just that little bit of slack which should result in a strong bite and a good hook up when the angler gently strikes the fish. However the best way around this issue is to ditch the long shank hook and use circle hooks, as the circle hooks will hook the fish on their own with no intervention of the angler, so you can fish with a tight line.
When fishing fast running water and the visibility is low, due to the movement of sand etc. the best option you can deploy is the Hook in Mouth Tackle Super UV whiting flasher hooks. The Super UV hooks have Atomic Glow and will be more visible to the fish than a standard bait or flasher rig. They are fitted with a special ultra-violate material which glow when charged by natural or artificial light. Additionally, they use size #4 circle hooks which are textbook for whiting fishing. Perfect for deep water fishing, fast flowing water or whenever water clarity is low.
Hook in Mouth Tackle Super UV Hooks only $15 per pack.
Each pack contains 10 hooks, you get two of each colour.
Yellow - Lumo - Pink - Red - Orange
