Here are a number of tips for the whiting anglers fishing Georgia’s beaches this month. Stay with the deep water. Fish the deepest water on the beach. It will be the water with the least “break”, and may actually look calmer than surrounding water.
- Fish with a small bait and a short shank 2/0 hook. Whiting have comparatively small mouths, and the small hook is easier for them to take. The short shank lets you cover the entire hook with a small piece of shrimp.
- ]Remember to peel your shrimp. The more odor the bait sends out in the water, the better your chances of attracting some whiting. Some anglers take this too far and believe that some half rotten shrimp that smells really terrible will work even better. This is simply not the case. Unlike freshwater catfish that seem to prefer the smelliest bait, whiting are looking for fresh food to eat. The smell of that peeled, fresh shrimp is what they are pursuing.
- Finally, don’t stay in one place too long. If you fish a previously scouted area for more than thirty minutes without a bite, it’s time to move. Whiting are not very particular when it comes to feeding. If they are in the area, they will usually take you bait with very little hesitation. This is why a good scouting trip is important. If one spot you marked does not currently hold fish, move on to other marked spots.
- Don’t rule out coming back to your first spot before the tide is all the way down. Sometimes the school will move and position themselves on other run outs or cuts. A good angler will learn the fish movement patterns and be able to follow them throughout the falling tide.
A typical whiting outing on Georgia’s beaches is an ideal time to take youngsters fishing. If they tire from catching fish, they have the beach on which to play. It’s an ideal method to teach kids basic fishing principles. Get to the beach and do your scouting, and then get ready for some late summer fun catching possibly the most cooperative fish in the surf – the whiting!
