Whiting Fishing Reports. Sweet tasting fillets. Pretty easy to catch.
Sometimes called “Kidney Slappers” by older fishos (hold a big one to your side while you take the hook and you’ll soon know why).
Whiting starts really getting on the bite as the weather starts to warm up.
Usually October through to March in Victoria.
Scientific Name: Sillaginodes punctatus
Whiting Fishing Report Locations
Locations | Qty |
---|---|
Bird Rock | 2 |
Clifton Springs | 7 |
Stingaree Bay | 2 |
Hermsley | 3 |
Clifton Springs,Vic | 1 |
Queenscliff,Vic | 1 |
Hastings,Vic | 1 |
Mornington,Vic | 1 |
Western Entrance Western Port Bay,Vic | 1 |
Bellarine Peninsula,Vic | 1 |
Portsea,Vic | 1 |
Coronet Bay | 1 |
Bellarine Peninsula | 1 |
Grassy Point – Bellarine Peninsula | 1 |
St Leonards | 2 |
Queenscliff | 2 |
Tankerton | 5 |
Port Phillip Bay | 1 |
Metung | 1 |
Gardiners Channel | 1 |
Lakes Entrance Footbridge | 5 |
SafetyBeach | 1 |
Sorrento | 1 |
Cornet Inlet | 1 |
Top End Western Port | 1 |
Middle Spit Western Port Bay | 1 |
Portarlington | 1 |
Pilot Jetty Queenscliff | 1 |
Lonsdale Bight Queenscliff | 1 |
Offshore Sands Caravan Park Leopold | 2 |
Tortoise Head | 3 |
Whiting Bait Reports Year To Date
Bait | Qty |
---|---|
Pipis | 14 |
Squid | 9 |
Mussel & Squid Cocktail | 1 |
Mussels | 1 |
Bass Yabby | 1 |
Mussel Squid Cocktail | 2 |
Cuttlefish | 2 |
Mussel | 2 |
Whiting fishing reports – aka – Where are the “kidney slappers” biting?
Every year the Whiting move into Port Phillip and Western Port Bays when the water starts to warm.
Many fish wintering off far western Victoria and South Australia. A great article from this from Vic Fisheries here.
Whiting is a perfect table fish. They are highly prized as such.
Plus they make fantastic bait for many Victorian saltwater species. Including snapper and gummy sharks. Which a lot of folks use a fillet of whiting for.
Victorian Whiting Fishing Season: Warmer months. Best fishing starts in October through to March. Best at dawn and dusk. More prolific around sea grasses.
Winter Whiting catches are still possible, especially if you have a boat and can get over the grassy areas. Pier and beach catches, however, are much rarer in cooler months.
Whiting Fishing Reports include all species of whiting found in Victorian waters. These include Kind George Whiting, Sand Whiting etc
Whiting can be caught right around the Victorian coastline. However most of the whiting fishing reports show the most frequent catches to be in Western Port Bay and Port Phillip Bay. Most likely due to the higher number of fishers actively fishing in these waters.
However, Port Phillip and Western Port Bays account for the bulk of whiting fishing reports received.
Whiting are more timid than species like snapper so stealth – both land based and boat – pays off.
Recent Whiting Fishing Report Hotspots
Year to date, for 2022 the top producing hot spots, based on collated whiting fishing reports, include:
Bird Rock, Clifton Springs, Stingaree Bay, Hermsley, Clifton Springs,Vic, Queenscliff,Vic, Hastings,Vic, Mornington,Vic, Western Entrance Western Port Bay,Vic, Bellarine Peninsula,Vic, Portsea,Vic, Coronet Bay, Bellarine Peninsula, Grassy Point - Bellarine Peninsula, St Leonards, Queenscliff, Tankerton, Port Phillip Bay, Metung, Gardiners Channel , Lakes Entrance Footbridge, SafetyBeach, Sorrento, Cornet Inlet, Top End Western Port, Middle Spit Western Port Bay, Portarlington, Pilot Jetty Queenscliff, Lonsdale Bight Queenscliff, Offshore Sands Caravan Park Leopold, Tortoise Head
Whiting Fishing Videos
The Getfished Whiting Fishing Reports playlist is compiled from Victorian fishos catching all species of available Whiting species, including King George Whiting. Please, like and subscribe to these guys and support their efforts in producing awesome whiting fishing reports for us all to enjoy!
Recommended Whiting Fishing Tackle

Some of the better Whiting rigs, I’ve found, a based on the paternoster pattern. That’s to say:
- A sinker at the end of a leader.
- Two hooks tied off of the leader.
- Some skirting and lumo beads.
Look.
One of the things I learned in my three-decade career as a computer programmer. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you can help it.
If something works – use it!
I apply this principle to fishing rigs. If a pre-tied rig saves me time – allowing me to start fishing faster. I go for it.
So that’s what I do with Whiting rigs. You can go budget with the basic Jarvis Walker Whiting Rigs or get a more professional – and effective – rig with the likes of a Black Magic Whiting Rig.

Why?
Because it works.
So if I’m using a cheaper rig I’ll add my own beads and skirt.
Whiting Bait
In Victoria, Pipis is by far the bait a lot of people think of when targeting Whiting. However, I’ve found mussels make a perfectly good substitute.
I’ll also target them using chicken prepared, as always, marinated in my secret sauce.
It’s not uncommon to catch decent (legal) sized Pinky Snapper and flathead when targeting whiting with these baits and rigs, too. So in my opinion a good paternoster whiting rig makes a great all round tackle in Victorian waters.
Based on 2022 to date whiting fishing reports top baits using with success have included: Pipis, Squid, Mussel & Squid Cocktail, Mussels, Bass Yabby, Mussel Squid Cocktail, Cuttlefish, Mussel.
Whiting Quick Tips
What’s The Best Time To Catch King George Whiting?
Dawn and dusk is the best time to catch King George Whiting. This goes for other whiting species such as sand whiting too.
If you can combine dawn or dusk with strong currents or waves you could increase your chances of catching Kind George Whiting. Strong water action exposes the prey items whiting feed on. Stimulating schools to bite.
What Is The Best Whiting Rig
The best Whiting rig is generally considered to be the paternoster rig. Either size 4 or size 6 hooks with a 30g sinker. I usually use a pyramid sinker. Many people put colored or neon skirts and beads – red and/or green – on their whiting rigs to improve the level of attraction to the fish. Most people do find this increases fish catches. It is certainly possible to also use a running sinker as a whiting rig.