DECEMBER means warm water, Christmas Bush, growing excitement and whiting.
Big, broad shouldered, bright eyed, 40cm whiting swimming onto all the beaches between Stockton and Fingal.
Recent reports suggest we are in for a bumper season as schools of whiting have taken up residence in the shallows on the beaches.
Catching a whiting is not all that difficult.
All you need is a deck chair, two fishing rods, half a dozen worms, a few pipis and two pipes to drive into the sand.
Find a likely deep-water hole along the beach and set up as the tide runs in.
Unfold the chair before driving the pipes about 10 metres apart.
Bait up your rods with a worm on one hook and a pipi on the other – toss out and place the rods in the pipes.
Take a seat and let the whiting catch themselves.
Once hooked the rod will buckle over.
For a reasonably small fish, whiting put up a surprising battle once hooked.
Their best performance is saved for the kitchen.
Crumbed and dropped into hot oil until golden brown, a fresh fillet of whiting is hard to beat with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt.
So good you will be back on the beach the next day.
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
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