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Dear <<First Name>>,
You are receiving this because you are a Recfishwest Member! As a member, you'll receive fishing updates and info from WA's peak fishing body, Recfishwest. We're here to help make your fishing better and one of the ways we do that is by sending out WA's biggest and best weekly fishing reports! If you know someone who would love to receive these and needs some help on the fishing front, forward this onto them! Join us here.
Welcome to Recfishwest's weekly fishing report, brought to you by Joachim Azzopardi, John Curtis for the Mandurah section and Recfishwest safety ambassador Peter Fullarton from Tailored Treks for what's happening in Lancelin.
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Catch of the Week!
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| The catch of this week goes to Onstrikecharters putting one of their clients onto a nicely sized GT. Awesome catch mate! |
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Email info@recfishwest.org.au and let Ruth, our Membership Officer, know your new details - mention your name, old email and new email address, and we'll update your details.
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| Barramundi enthusiasts have been picking up fish to a metre, mostly on fresh baits, within the Fitzroy River as well as at some of the local creeks. Many of the barra have been found near eddies where baitfish are being held nice and tight. Threadfin and bluenose salmon seem to be in fairly good numbers in the creeks and there are also a few mangrove jack and estuary cod around. The strong winds discouraged many from heading out wide. Expect saddletail seaperch, blue lined emperor and fingermark bream to be between 30m to 40m when the weather comes good again. Roebuck Bay waters have been producing some nice catches of bluebone and mulloway. |
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A variety of predators, including threadfin and bluenose salmon, mangrove jack, barramundi and queenfish, have been caught on live mullet and an assortment of lures at the mouths of the local creeks. The nearby coastal areas have mostly been producing threadfin, bluenose and small trevally. Whiting can be targeted along Cable Beach and at Coconut Wells. Bluebone, queenfish and trevally are chance at the jetty, especially an hour either side of the change in tide.
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| Bella’s first fishing trip to Exmouth resulted in many fish landed including her first Red Emperor, a Coral Trout, and this queenfish. Awesome stuff! |
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| Billfish enthusiasts have been finding bigger blue marlin in depths starting from anywhere between 300m and 500m. Smaller striped marlin are in shallower waters while black marlin and sailfish have been encountered in depths of 100m. Packs of dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna are also evident out wide. Sport fishers have been enjoying some entertaining sessions on queenfish, golden trevally and cobia within the gulf. |
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Turtle hatchings are occurring at rookeries located along the west coast and the phenomenon is attracting predators to the shores. Spangled are among the predators and have been caught on baits and lures when the turtle hatchings are happening along the accesses located between Tantabiddi and the lighthouse. Queenfish and giant herring have been turning up at Old Bundegi during an incoming tide. Fly fishers have enjoyed some good sessions on permit in the gulf recently.
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| Reefwalker Charters Kalbarri headed out on a great day, calm weather along with plenty of fish and this awesome red emperor to top it off! Legends! |
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Spanish mackerel were found in bigger numbers south of the river mouth including waters off Wagoe and out from Lucky Bay. The bigger yellowfin tuna were harder to find this past week, however there are still schools of longtail and mack tuna about. Reef fishers have been doing well along the coral where red emperor, rankin cod and dhufish have been caught. Soft plastic and metal jigs have been working well on baldchin groper and pink snapper near the cliffs.
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Surf fishers have been catching tailor early morning and evening at Back Beach, Chinamans and Blue Holes. Red Bluff and Wittecarra Creek have also been producing a few tailor, however seaweed built up along this stretch of coast has been making the beach fishing somewhat challenging. Mulloway have been landed near the river mouth and expect more to be caught in this area if the Murchison starts flowing. Yellowfin whiting can be targeted near the sand flats while black bream and estuary cod remain in bigger numbers up river.
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| Paul Smith from Geraldton with another quality fish and photo. Great dhuey! |
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Spanish mackerel are being caught along the back of Pensioners Bank and in waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands. Interestingly, the mackerel seem to be more inclined to strike at rigged whole baits, including garfish, as opposed to minnow-style lures. Yellowfin and longtail tuna are also schooling offshore together with smaller striped tuna and bonito. Mixed catches of reef fish comprising dhufish, baldchin groper and pink snapper have been coming from African Reef, Mid Reef and the lumps off Coronation. Dinghy and small boat fishers have been picking up herring, pike and squid in close.
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Tailor have been appearing some mornings and evenings along the southern and northern beaches as well as a few spots near town. The first and second points at Greenough also have herring, dart and pike. Bigger herring have been coming from Drummonds and the beaches north of there. Small mulloway and school sharks are sometimes being caught at Flat Rocks and Lucys. The reef areas south of the Greenough would be worth trying for dhufish, which ordinarily move close to shore early autumn, during the coming weeks.
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| Sienna in the fore ground with a triple head whiting catch and Sophia spent a morning fishing the bays beaches for a mixed bag of whiting and herring. |
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| Plenty of boats headed to Lancelin with the great weather forecasts. Seas have been exceptionally calm often all day long, allowing boats to open up the throttle and get out wider than they usually might. As you would expect, there have been lots of demersal species being landed, with the smaller dinghy’s getting plenty of baldchin groper some snapper and even a few spangled emperor around the 30-35m areas. Some of the bigger boats have caught some great grey band cod and blue eye trevalla out wide. Trolling for pelagic species has been limited by lots of floating sea weed. Depths around 20m have been producing very good size sand whiting to 30cm, though there are plenty of north west blow fish in these depths so it may require moving a few times to gather a good feed. Some big skippy have been caught along the white bank reefs, smaller fish coming from inside Lancelin bay. Small boats and kayaks have been catching plenty of good size herring from the bay’s shallows in front of sea rescue building. Schools of samson fish are busting up on these herring schools early mornings and evenings. |
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At least one mulloway was landed over the weekend, tailor have been caught right along the coast at sunset. The bite time has been starting late well after the sun has set, making for fairly short sessions with fish bitting only till it’s dark. Some herring well over the 30cm are taking the pilchard baits as well. There are plenty of herring around the bays beaches and plenty of sand whiting. The jetty has plenty of herring each night and skippy are making regular appearances.
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| Reef fishing has been productive beyond the islands where nannygai, queen snapper and breaksea cod have been caught in numbers. Southern bluefin tuna to 10kg, yellowtail kingfish and samson fish have been found near the islands. Dinghy and small boat fishers, who worked the waters in close, did fairly well on whiting, snook and squid. |
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| A variety of bread and butter species, including herring, King George whiting and small skippy, can be caught at the Taylor Street Jetty in the morning, while squid and garfish are on offer at the structure at night. Smaller King George, fish of about 30cm, have been coming from Bandy Creek boat harbour along with herring and squid. Salmon have been appearing in small numbers at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Roses and Fourteen Mile. A bigger school of salmon was at Poison Creek for most of last week. Mulloway were landed at Fourteen Mile, Dunns and Rossiters. Skippy to a kilo and bronze whaler sharks are sometimes being caught at Roses. |
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| Brody Ogle with a nice kingy off Albany waters. Awesome picture and a even more awesome fish! Good job, mate! |
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| Reef fishers who took advantage of the calm conditions picked up dhufish, pink snapper, red snapper, queen snapper, breaksea cod and skippy along the coral in 60m to 90m. Bigger red snapper are at the edge of the shelf while hapuka and blue eye trevalla are out deeper. King George whiting catches have improved through the inshore waters with bag limits of fish to 45cm coming from areas that included Gull Rock, Caseys, Michaelmas Island, Two Peoples Bay, Cosy Corner, Goode Beach and Frenchman Bay. Schools of small, and mostly undersize, pink snapper have been found near the islands. There are still a few flathead being caught inshore together with sand whiting and small skippy. Squid numbers are slowing increasing and catches should pick up again as water temperatures start to cool. |
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| An estimated 30-tonne school of salmon was spotted several hundred metres from shore at Normans and small schools have been appearing at Bornholm, Nanarup, Salmon Holes and Cables, however many yet to claim these recent occurrences as the start of the annual salmon run. Herring have filled many of the beaches and there are plenty of skippy in areas. The rocks at West Cape Howe and Cheynes are worth trying for yellowtail kingfish and samson fish. Black bream seem to be having a go at just about anything being thrown to them at the moment including soft plastic and hard-bodied lures as well as baits. Mulloway are in the upper areas of the Kalgan, however the few that have been caught this past week required a lot of work. |
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| Dhufish are being found in 30m to 40m of water off Cowaramup Bay and Canal Rocks together with breaksea cod and queen snapper. Reef fishers who worked the waters off Hamelin Bay picked up dhuies, and other reef species, in less than 20m. King George whiting catches have been improving within Geographe Bay. Schools of small southern bluefin tuna are often being encountered northwest of Cape Naturaliste. |
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| Spanish mackerel have been caught on balloon, as well as traditional bait rigs, at some of the rock platforms and beaches located on the west coast and Geographe Bay. Yellowtail kingfish and samson fish have also been landed at some of the rock spots along with blue groper, pink snapper and queen snapper. Tailor have been turning up some mornings and evenings at Moses Rock, Mitchells, Bunker Bay and Elmore Road. There are plenty of herring along both sides of coast and a few resident salmon in selected areas. |
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| Luckless Fishermen with a mint mulloway, estimated at 110cm and released strongly, this is a quality example of good fishing. Killer fish, mate! |
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| The northern beaches have been producing yellowfin whiting in the mornings, tailor late afternoons and mulloway after dark. A few larger mulloway have been caught from the beaches at Madora and Singleton. Tailor are being caught from the beaches either side of Mandurah with Tim’s Thicket and Preston also producing some small mulloway, small sharks and herring. The Cut has been very productive over recent weeks with tailor, King George whiting, garfish and herring biting well. The jetty towards the western end of the Cut has been producing good yellowfin whiting throughout the day. In the estuary there are tailor, skippy, herring, flathead and crabs. The bridge is also producing good fish with herring, tailor, tarwhine and whiting being caught in numbers. Further upstream there are a few black bream being caught on both hard bodied and soft plastic lures. There are still some good crabs about in the estuary, but you have to work for them. Prawns are still being scooped, with good catches being caught in most regular spots. |
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SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
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Reports indicate that anglers are catching plenty of tailor along the beaches around Rockingham along with herring, whiting and an occasional mulloway. There are still good catches of herring, tailor and some nice yellowfin whiting being caught from the beaches near the grain silos right through to Long Point.
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Dolphin fish have continued to be encountered near the Recfishwest and Perth Game Fishing Club Fish Aggregating Devices. Striped tuna are near the devices and it would be of little surprise if marlin are near the Rottnest Trench considering the water temperatures and activity out wide. Small southern bluefin are in depths starting at 30m while slightly bigger bluefin are between 70m and 100m. Spanish mackerel have been caught on line and spear in a range of areas including along Five Fathom Bank, near West End and behind the Three Mile. Samson fish are mostly being caught in 30m to 40m as well as in 70m to 110m. Pink snapper seem to be getting caught in their biggest numbers in 15m to 30m of water northwest of Rottnest. Squid can be targeted along the seagrass beds off Fremantle and within Cockburn Sound.
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Tailor have been appearing at several spots along the coast including Woodman Point, South Mole, Cottesloe, Swanbourne, Trigg and Two Rocks. Herring have been caught with the tailor along with some whiting, tarwhine and skippy. The lower reaches of the Swan River has tailor while the deeper parts of the system, including Mosman Bay and Freshwater Bay, are worth trying for mulloway. Flathead and yellowfin whiting are a chance along the sand flats and there are lots of big blue swimmer crabs around.
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(Update) Swan River Algae Bloom
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| The algal bloom warning for the Swan + Canning river systems remain in place. |
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The Department of Health (DoH) has extended its warning regarding the toxic Alexandrium algal bloom in the Swan and Canning rivers. DoH is advising people not to eat fish, crabs or shellfish collected from within:
- the Swan River – from Pelican Point, Crawley to the South of Perth Yacht Club, Applecross and upstream to Meadow Street Bridge, Guildford (this includes the commonly known areas of Matilda Bay, Perth Waters, Elizabeth Quay, Barrack Street Jetty, Claisebrook Cove, Maylands Yacht Club, Ascot Waters, Hind Reserve, Riverside Gardens, Garvey Park, Sandy Beach Reserve, Point Reserve, Kings Meadow and Fish Market Reserve)
- the Canning River – from the South of Perth Yacht Club and upstream to Kent Street Weir (this includes commonly known areas of Canning Bridge, Mt Henry Bridge, Salter Point, Shelley Bridge, Riverton Bridge, and Castledare).
Find out what we had to say about it here.
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