Another hot November has passed us by and provided us with some outstanding east Kimberley fishing. The gulf once again was outstanding for those that put in the time. Down the mouth of the Cambridge Gulf, the creeks tend to clear up on neap tides, this is prime big barra time for the lure enthusiasts. Curt McCartney did a few overnight trips in November and found some large schools just in front of some bigger rivers. The average-sized barra was around 900 mm, with a few just going over. The fish are brutal this time of year on lures and hooks, they are big, angry and ready to breed. Six hooks were folded or straightened out and high-quality Australian-made lures are sometimes no match for them, unfortunately.

The lake in Kununurra is a great option as the days push over 40 degrees with an early morning fish, then a swim and cold beer to unwind and beat the heat. There have been reports filtering in of barra just under the 500mm size being caught, these would be fish that were released in May, boasting their crazy growth rate in the lake! For those with a keen sense of smell, they may pick up the ripening figs in the fig trees that line the lake. This generally signals the start of great sooty grunter fishing firing up soon. They’re a great option in the lake and a very underrated sportfish. Target them on small lures or fly's or just a simple bit of red meat on a hook. They can be found under the figs waiting for the fruit to drop or any dark shaded area with a nice bit of current flow.

Spanish and boardbar mackerel are responding to bibbed minnows and rigged baits trolled within a few miles of the shore. Big schools of longtail and mack tuna have been encountered with the mackerel together with the odd yellowfin tuna. Reef fishers have been doing reasonably well on red emperor, saddletail seaperch and rankin cod when the weather has allowed to reach the 30m to 40m contour, however sharks have been very problematic this past fortnight. Barramundi have been caught on baits and a variety of lures within Dampier and Barred creeks as well as the lower reaches of the Fitzroy River.

Bluebone are being caught on squid and octopus baits from the rocks at Gantheaume Point and Entrance Point. Queenfish, small brassy and giant trevally have been turning up at the jetty, especially an hour either side of the change in tide. Yellowfin whiting can be targeted along Cable Beach and Roebuck Bay. Threadfin and bluenose salmon have been picked up at Willie Creek together with lots of brassy trevally and the odd queenfish.

Billfish enthusiasts have been encountering blue marlin out wide and black marlin in depths in excess of 100m. Sailfish were found among the blacks as well as within the upper areas of the gulf. There are still manta rays with cobia in tow within the gulf. Spanish and school mackerel can be found near the shoals within the gulf as well as along the back of the west coast reef line. Try the 120m to 200m depths for goldband and about 300m for ruby snapper.

Fly fishers have been getting among permit, blue bastards and queenfish around the gulf flats. Yellowfin whiting are at town beach while mangrove jack and squid can be picked up at the marina. VLF Bay and Oysters are worth trying for big giant trevally and queenfish. Spangled emperor and bluebone are a chance near Mildura Wreck and the lighthouse.

Spanish mackerel are being encountered some mornings in depths leading up to 30m north of the river mouth. Longtail and mack tuna have been found in similar areas while samson fish and yellowtail kingfish can be targeted near the reef areas. Rock lobster fishers reported this past week as being the first good run of the whites. One rock lobster enthusiast found 50 lobster, of size, in one pot that was set off Horrocks last week.

Surf fishers reported a noticeable increase in tailor numbers along the beaches this past week. Paul Wheatfill picked up his bag limit of tailor at Shark Fin Rock (between red bluff and the river) last Friday morning. More tailor have been coming from Red Bluff and Wittecarra early morning and dusk while bigger fish have been landed during these hours at The Siphon (Siphon road) and the river mouth. An estimated 15kg mulloway was landed at the jetty last week. Smaller mulloway were caught in the upper areas of the Murchison River as well as the beaches north of Frustrations. At least half a dozen Spanish mackerel were caught on balloons at Wagoe this past week.

Dinghy and small boats fishers are still managing to find squid and whiting within the inshore reefs. Spanish mackerel are being encountered every so often north of Coronation. A 22kg wahoo and a 15kg yellowfin tuna were among the fish landed near Wreck Point this past week.

Some nice tailor are being picked up from the first and second points at Greenough together with a few herring and pike. The beaches south of the Greenough River mouth have been producing mulloway to a metre as well as tailor and school sharks. Bigger tailor have been coming from Tarcoola and West Bank, at times, while bag limits of smaller fish have been picked up near Coronation. Yellowfin and school whiting can be picked up at Drummonds Cove as well as some of the beaches closer to town. School mackerel are a chance at the marina from midafternoon.

Most boats are still heading out early to check cray pots before the wind blows up. Well placed pots continue to be full with 20-30 size crays per pot along the white bank although some of these have been tarspot and or berried. There have been baitfish schools just behind the white bank in 15-20m of yellowtail scad and pilchards, these have been easily caught on sabiki bait jigs. These are some great baits that can be used when the demersal season opens next week.  In the 20-22m depth range, good-sized sand whiting have been on the bite and yellowtail kingfish have been feeding along the reef breaks of the bay. Schools of small pilchards 30-40mm have been passing around Lancelin island, where plenty of small tuna, yellowtail kingfish and frigate mackerel have been schooled up along the reef break in wait as the baitfish pass. They have been taking very small metal lures a similar size to the baitfish. Within the bay, herring have been a good size and King George whiting to 45cm have been caught in good numbers.

Summer chopper tailor to 45cm have been caught along most of the beaches as the sun sets. There has also been plenty of small whaler sharks along with a few school size mulloway and large guitarfish taking baits. The jetty has fished well for herring this week and small silver trevally just over the legal limit.

Dinghy and small boat fishers have continued to do well on sand whiting and squid while schools of small southern bluefin tuna have been tuning up within a mile or so of the coast on occasions. Samson fish to 20kg and smaller yellowtail kingfish have been responding to surface lures worked near the islands. Nannygai to 55cm, big breaksea cod, harlequin fish and queen snapper have been picked up out wide.

The Taylor Street and Jane Street jetties have been good for herring, skippy, garfish and squid. Bandy Creek boat harbour has small King George whiting and herring on offer most mornings and garfish at night. Salmon are scattered right along the beaches close to town including Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach while slightly bigger groups are being encountered east and west of town. Skippy to 2kg and gummy sharks were landed at Thomas River last week.

Reef fishers reported there to be good numbers of red and queen snapper, a few pinks, lots of sweep and a few dhufish in and around the 60m to 80m depths. Hapuka and blue eye trevalla were the main species caught beyond the shelf. Yellowtail kingfish were located near the bombies and islands while samson fish were in a range of depths and areas. Some have been doing very well in King George Sound and surrounding waters on King George whiting. Sand whiting and squid have been harder to come by, however interestingly there are still quite a few flathead around. Bibbed minnows and metal lures trolled around the inshore waters will likely produce herring and the odd juvenile salmon. Schools of small southern bluefin tuna were recently encountered off Denmark.

Avid rock fishers have been landing samson fish, yellowtail kingfish, queen snapper and blue groper at the platforms near West Cape Howe, Cheynes Beach and Bremer Bay. Fishing from the rocks can be really dangerous if caution isn't taken so please check out fishandsurvive.com.au for all the safety tips if you decide to go fishing from the rocks. Mostly herring, sand whiting and small skippy have been caught from the local beaches while the coastal stretches east of Bluff Creek have been producing a few salmon. Small black bream have dominated catches in the King and Kalgan rivers. The Hay has been fishing reasonably well for bream to 40cm while Taylor Inlet, Torbay and Nornalup are also worth trying for bigger fish on baits and lures. Mulloway are thought to be lurking in the upper reaches of the Kalgan and feeding during the incoming evening tides.

Yellowtail kingfish continue to be caught off the tip of Cape Naturaliste while samson fish can be found near the bombies located off the west coast. King George whiting require a little time and effort, but are worthwhile targeting for their great taste and fight on light gear, within Geographe Bay. There are still a few squid being caught along the seagrass beds and rock lobster catches have improved during the past couple of weeks.

Surf fishers have been satisfied with some of the tailor turning up along the west coast and Geographe Bay beaches. Moses Rock, Injidup, Point Piquet and Elmore Road were among the spots where tailor in the 35cm to 55cm range were caught morning and dusk this past week. Salmon were sometimes found among the tailor and have sometimes been landed at the rock platforms located along the west coast. Herring have been somewhat harder to come by while yellowfin and school whiting can be found between Quindalup and the cape.

The Dawesville Cut really is a great place for recfishers to wet a line, proving itself again this past week with many fishers catching good tailor, herring, skippy and whiting. There are also a few crabs around and drop netters and scoopers are doing reasonably well, getting a feed in a fairly short time. Beaches south of Mandurah are producing a few tailor and mulloway with an occasional mulloway up around 12 kg. Fish in the 5 – 6 kg class are the norm and are being landed in the early mornings around sunrise and well after dark. The warmer weather has slowed bream activity down, but some fishing the deeper holes are finding a few fish. Generally, the bream are spread throughout the system and there have been reports of some good fish being caught in the lower estuary and from the areas adjacent to the Mandurah Quays and up around Murray Bend. Many fishers have begun wading the sand flats in the early mornings and are finding plenty of action with good sized whiting and herring being caught often. Surface working poppers have been successful but the better lure to use is a small dark-coloured blade as these can be worked to suit the depth required. Along the beaches between Silver Sands and Golden Bay there are reports of some good tailor and a few mulloway. Better spots are the northern end of this strip with Golden Bay being the pick. There are plenty of herring, a few skippy and sand whiting being caught by anglers during the day. Small boat anglers fishing just outside of the estuary are catching similar catches with an occasional King George whiting thrown in for good measure. Out around the James Service reef there are still a few samsonfish and some skippy, and blue spot flathead being caught. Further offshore there are King George whiting and skippy on the Five Fathom Bank. If you are crabbing in the Peel Harvey estuary make sure that you stick to bag and size limits as the Departmental officers haven’t gone on holidays and are concentrating on the crab fishery. Read about the latest steps made towards bigger, better crabs in Perth and the South West here.


A great shot of a blue swimmer that Elise Blackwell scooped on the Mandurah flats with her brother Amara Blackwell last week.

Long Point, Kwinana and Warnbro beaches are still producing good fishing for tailor early in the morning and yellow-fin whiting and herring until the sea breeze makes fishing and casting lighter tackle a bit of a problem. People fishing from the beaches around Warnbro have caught some good tailor and small mulloway and one of the better spots has been along the southern side of Long Point. Anglers fishing the jetties report catches of herring and a few tailor. An occasional King George whiting and plenty of yellow-fin whiting have been caught from Shoalwater Bay this week and there have been a few tarwhine and skippy caught during the mornings. Anglers fishing the drop-off along the sandbar to Penguin Island are catching some good flathead and also report an occasional flounder.

There has also been reports earlier in the week of a marlin hooked, and dropped, near a Perth Game Fishing FAD. Schools of striped tuna are building in numbers offshore while slightly bigger, but juvenile, southern bluefin tuna are mostly west of Five Fathom Bank in about 30m to 50m. Samson fish are at the wrecks and barges wide of West End while packs of yellowtail kingfish, in the 3kg to 12kg range, are patrolling the rocks and bombies between Carnac and Rottnest islands. King George whiting can be found in depths leading up to 20m near The Windmills and off Cottesloe and City Beach. There are still a few squid being caught along the seagrass beds off Fremantle. Rock lobster fishers enjoyed the unofficial start of the white run this past week with great catches being reported by potters and divers alike.

Tailor have been caught early to midmorning on hard-bodied, metal and soft plastic lures between Cottesloe Groyne and Swanbourne Drain as well as the reefs between Trigg Point and Hillarys. Herring are still being caught along the metropolitan beaches and rock walls together with small skippy and the odd tarwhine. Smaller tailor are in the lower and middle reaches of the Swan River. Mulloway continue to be caught every so often at Fremantle Harbour, Blackwall Reach, Freshwater Bay and the narrows. There are flathead and yellowfin whiting about in bigger numbers following a sudden increase in water temperatures. Blue swimmer crabs were caught by divers and drop nets in reasonable numbers within the rivers lower reaches.