The Best Whiting Bait

Whiting are small shore fish that live over sandy bottoms, according to McClane's New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia. They are common in bays, but migrate out toward deep water when the weather is cold. The fish are bottom feeders that eat shrimp, crabs, and mollusks. The angling value of whiting is not very high with large game fishermen because adult fish are small, usually less than a foot. But since the fish is tasty, it is taken for food worldwide and is fished commercially in the Chesapeake Bay area.

  1. Surf Fishing For Whiting

    • Florida fishing captain Jim Hammond of the Fun Fishing television fishing show prefers using live shrimp to catch whiting. Since the fish have a small mouth, he breaks the shrimp into small pieces, about 1/2-inch-by-1/2 inch. Scented artificial bait is his alternate bait. It has an advantage over shrimp in that it does not come off the hook as easily. As he does with shrimp, Captain Hammond cuts the artificial bait into 1/2-inch-by-1/2-inch small pieces with scissors.

    Whiting in Bays and Estuaries

    • Rex Hunt of the Rex Hunt Fishing Radio Show seeks whiting in the bays and estuaries, finding them feeding on the edges of sand drop-offs. Mr. Hunt states that the best bait for whiting is worms, nippers (crustacean pincers), prawns and pippies (small clams). He did not express an opinion as to which of the four baits is the best, but did say that placing a red bead or tubing on the line above the hook will make the bait more attractive to the fish.

    Whiting Are Unpredictable

    • Whiting are unpredictable according to the Ausfish Australian Angling Forum.The fish cannot be easily recognized by its biting habits, which are changeable. To adapt to the habits of whiting, several baits are used. Worms and crayfish work well in the surf, but perform poorly in still water. Crayfish, shrimp, small black soldier crabs, and bloodworms are recommended as secondary baits in the event of a change in biting habits. The Strike and Hook Reel Fishing Forum adds squid to the list.

    Whiting in American Waters

    • Byron W. Dalrymple has written that cut bait is used for whiting. By "cut bait" he means a piece of fish cut from any species of fish. He says that marine worms are good whiting bait as are live or dead shrimp. Mr. Dalrymple stresses that there is no "best" or proper bait. He gave an example of a fisherman who was using a seemingly silly bait, gopher legs, but was catching fish larger than anyone else. He stresses that there is no accepted best bait and urges anglers to experiment and see what works.