Reedy's Rigs has produced a long-form, on-the-water breakdown of Western Port King George whiting fishing that doubles as one of the more complete short-form education pieces on a single Victorian species in 2026.
The context is the bay itself. Western Port lies about an hour south-east of Melbourne, running from the Mornington Peninsula down past Phillip Island, with French Island in the middle. It is one of only two major bays in Victoria.
"But unlike Port Phillip, this one still runs wild," Reedy's Rigs says. "Whiting are hugely sought after here and there's a reason for it. In general, they grow bigger in Western Port and that's because of the bigger tides, the faster moving water."
The biology underpins the regulation. Whiting reside in the bay as juveniles for about four years before heading offshore for life.
"They don't leave, they grow up here," he says. "Then at around four years they head offshore and never come back. Because of Victoria's rugged coastline, once they're offshore, they face very little fishing pressure for the rest of their lives. That's why our bag limit works here."
That life-cycle drives the legend of the 50-centimetre Western Port whiting. A four-year-old fish is about 40 centimetres. Anything genuinely above 50 has stayed in the bay longer than the norm.
"That's why a true 50 cm fish in Western Port is rare," he explains. "You either chase the odd fish that hangs around longer or you're fishing south, basically offshore. And here's the cool part - up the northern end of the bay, catching 44 to 49 cm is common."
"There's a few non-negotiables I need on board," he says. "Number one, bait. I need pippy, squid and mussel always. When whiting are feeding freely, squid will catch them. But at some point in the tide, they nearly always get tougher. That's where pippy and mussel come into play. When they're hard to catch, they simply can't resist."
Electronics, in his account, have shifted the modern whiting game more than tackle has. A sounder with relief shading is the difference between fishing the right sand hole and fishing the wrong stretch of seagrass.
"Study your maps before you fish," he says. "On windy days, you won't always see sand holes. That's where side-scan becomes invaluable. Learn it."
The close is unusually philosophical for a tackle-channel video. After the bait list and the screen advice, Reedy's Rigs lands on something less measurable.
"Don't think you can just turn up and catch whiting. Have a plan," he says. "Read, learn, feed your brain with information. Don't chase reports, make your own. Move, but give each area time, around 15 minutes. And lastly, belief. The second you think you won't catch fish, you've already lost."
The session itself produced a 49-centimetre keeper and, separately, a personal-best gummy shark - the kind of bonus that comes from working the right sand-hole edge with the right bait at the right tide. The whiting, though, were always the point.
