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Want to know the best tips for taking great fish photos and also on how to handle fish out of the water? We've got you covered with our responsible fish handling and photography tips page. The page gives a perfect explanation on the types of images we love to use in our weekly Fishing Report and why.
If you've got a cracking fish photo you want to send in, remember to keep sending us your catches by tagging #recfishwest in your online posts! You can also follow and private message your catches to our Instagram page @recfishwest and make sure you let us know where and how you caught it!
Keep up to date with events, clinics, news and amazing catches across WA by following our Instagram page @recfishwest and give our Recfishwest Facebook page a like!
For your photos to appear in the weekly fishing report, please make sure they reflect our responsible fish handling practices (so fish held horizontally, no blood, hand under the belly, no fingers in gills, etc), just like the images below.
If you're planning to head out this week, stay safe, take plenty of photos and have fun! |
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William Bennett
RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT WRITER
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Pic of the Week!
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| Shabir Vagh @shabeerman catches some awesome fish on the south coast but we can tell he was pretty chuffed with this 1.2m+ stonker of a YTK, especially after a 45 minute battle! |
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| If you want to be included in our weekly State-wide Fishing Reports, message your best fishing photos and a description to our Instagram page @recfishwest. |
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| If so, please e-mail our Membership Officer your new details and mention your name, old email and new email address in order to keep receiving the State-wide Fishing Report. |
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| The mouths of the creeks produced the goods again this week, with William Martin @willmart87 taking his youngster out for a great session on the northern mulloway to round out the school holidays. William said 'memories aren't made sitting in front of a TV' and we couldn't agree more. |
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Threadfin salmon were the main species targeted throughout the West Kimberley and they have been in very good numbers in Crab Creek and down at the Fingers. Dampier Creek held mainly blue salmon and a few mangrove jack but also produced the odd barramundi. Around the bay’s moorings, tripletail have been worth chasing and if you see any structure on the surface try flicking a soft plastic next to it. Boats that headed way out around 30-55km to target the 40-60m depths were rewarded with good catches of red emperor, coral trout and Rankin cod so it’s worth burning through a bit of fuel. Some eye-watering underwater footage captured by Steve Palumbo earlier this week at one of the Broome FADs (in the video below) showed around 100 dolphinfish sitting on one of them, so if you want to experience some incredible fishing make sure you visit one of the Broome FADs, you can find the coordinates for those here. The evenings throughout this week are looking like the calmest time to go fishing as the easterly winds will rage early until they start to drop off from midday along with the swell. Around 3:30pm until 6:00pm most afternoons should be the sweet spot.
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Not bad for your first barra at four years of age! Nice work Flynn! This low 60's barra was reeled in thanks to some help from experienced fisher @good_dhu_dhu this week at Lake Argyle located south of Kununurra, which continued to fire for barramundi. Spare a thought for the swimmers belting out 20km across this lake with a few freshwater crocs around in a few weeks time!
Willie Creek fished well for blue-nosed salmon, especially at Flat Rocks, which also produced a few mangrove jack. At Crab Creek threadfin salmon and blue-nosed salmon have been caught, while Barred Creek mostly held barramundi. Town Beach has been the best bet for a feed of whiting, while the Town Beach Jetty was consistent for bream, javelinfish, small trevally and queenfish. Bigger queenfish and trevally have been landed at the Port Jetty, along with a few bluebone, while Entrance Point offered trevally and queenfish. Barramundi captures have been very good in the Fitzroy River, with Eric Locke landing a 126cm monster this week on a Raptor Fizz Bait. No wonder he is known as the “Metrery God.” Better barramundi spots in the Fitzroy included Langi Crossing, Telegraph Pool and the Cuttings. Down at Eighty Mile Beach good catches of threadfin salmon have been reported as well if you’re after a delicious feed.
Big thanks to the crew from Tackle World Broome for their tips! Make sure you pay them a visit for the best gear and advice for your next fishing trip. |
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| The crew from @innkeepersportfishing doing what they do best - helping families create epic snaps for the pool room. Young Kosta will remember his 20 minute battle with this nice sailfish for life and this beauty was released after a quick snap. |
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Good conditions on the west side of Exmouth enabled crews to get out to the FADs where they have been doing extremely well on dolphinfish in the 6-7kg range. Billfish have also been active with most crews hooking up to two or three sailfish a day and often small black marlin have been mixed in with them in 50-80m depths. Similar depths also produced good catches of goldband snapper and spangled emperor, while out wide in 200m depths ruby snapper were caught in decent sizes and numbers. Closer in to shore on the west side the main catches have been spangled emperor and blue-lined emperor. Further out from the Muirons towards Peak Island, Rankin cod and goldband snapper were common. Despite the ideal conditions this week the Gulf has been quiet. Trevally and blue-lined emperor were the main catches, but if you want a chance at a mackerel, try drifting your boat over King Reef with a Gardie floating about 30m behind your boat on gang hooks, just make sure you use a wire trace so your line doesn’t get snipped by their teeth. In close along the Gulf, squid have been in reasonable numbers, just keep an eye out for the isolated weed patches. Early on Saturday and Sunday morning until around 8:00am looks best but expect a little bit of wind and chop to come in from midday tomorrow. The swell will gradually increase to around 1.7m on Sunday, so if you're looking for flatter conditions, Saturday morning or afternoon is your best bet. Monday through to Wednesday also doesn't look bad on the forecast.
Thinking of heading to Exmouth's King Reef for a fish? We spoke with Exmouth Tackle & Camping's Steve Riley who knows this spot like the back of his hand, so click on the image above to watch our quick video containing his best fishing tips for King Reef! |
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Land-based fishers in Exmouth have noted the town marina has been fishing its best in a long while. One highlight this week was a 66cm coral trout and several other decent trout were also landed, along with bluebone, small trevally, cod, bream and queenfish, while squid have been caught from the ocean-side rock wall. Two Rocks near the industrial area has also fished well for squid, while at the mouth of Wapet Creek there were plenty of big flathead hanging around. Bundegi has still seen lots of baitfish which continued to attract queenfish and trevally, including some decent golden trevally. Down at Learmonth the jetty fished well for mangrove jack in the 35-40cm range, along with trevally and queenfish, while over at Tantabiddi spangled emperor have been mixed in with dart, trevally and queenfish. Early on both mornings this weekend should have the calmest southerly winds if you're thinking of wetting a line off the Cape or within the Gulf.
These great tips were courtesy of the friendly team at Tackle World Exmouth. Swing by their store for the best advice and gear ahead of your next trip! |
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The warmer water temperatures have spiced up the pelagic action. Tuna to 30kg, cobia and Spanish mackerel have been caught in good numbers, especially around the Sand Patch. A few Spaniards have also been caught close to the cliffs, mainly on trolled deep-diving lures such as Halco Laser Pros. Spanish mackerel and tuna also have been active at Lucky Bay with trolling working nicely but crews have also spotted bust-ups and thrown stickbaits into the feeding frenzy. Bottom fishing off Kalbarri has also been rewarding with plenty of pink snapper out deep in 40-50m depths, while closer in the odd dhufish has been landed along with coral trout and red throat. Early on both mornings this weekend until around midday should see low to moderate easterly winds and swell, so that should be the best windows to duck out. From Monday onwards is looking windy and rough.
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The mouth of the Murchison River has been one of the better spots this week, offering mulloway, decent tailor and good-sized whiting. A big mulloway was landed at Red Bluff earlier this week and this location and Wittecarra Creek have also fished well for chopper tailor and dart. At Frustrations a few big mulloway have been landed and quite a few have been lost to the heartbreak of anglers. Just remember if you catch a monster, it's always best that it goes back so the breeding cycle continues. The odd pink snapper has also been caught there along with decent tailor. At Wagoe, Spanish mackerel have been caught by balloon fishers, along with solid tailor. Further into the Murchison River, bream and cod have been caught from the marina jetty and further up. Mud crab catches in the river have slowed, but there have been a few around. If you're thinking of a land-based flick this weekend you should have the wind in your back early on both mornings. Ballooning is also an attractive option.
Shout out to Dean from Kalbarri Sports and Dive for his tips! Feel free to venture into his store to ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri! |
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| There's been a welcome bump in the Spanish mackies turning up off the Mid-West coast over the past week, with ballooners doing well off the beach and fishers in both the dinghies and yaks finding them throughout inshore waters. @mat.svenson hooked up to this fish after only five minutes of paddling! |
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| Crews have been doing well on dhufish across a wide area, including African Reef, Southwest Bank, off Coronation and further north. Reports suggest that in the northern areas pink snapper catches dominated, with most snapper in the 55-70cm range. Coral trout also featured among catches. Recently a Rankin cod was landed about a kilometre or so off Drummond Cove and other Rankin cod catches have been reported this week with fish in the 3kg range. Divers have also encountered Rankin cod in surprisingly good numbers. Spanish mackerel catches have been patchy, but on some days they have been in great numbers with some fish up to a metre long. Tuna have been keeping them company and north of town has been more consistent for both species. Good reports of Spanish mackerel and tuna catches have also come from the Abrolhos Islands and out from Port Gregory, where dinghy fishers have been getting their fair share but sharks have been a challenge, so make sure you move around and try free spooling your reel if a shark is hot on the tail. Closer to town crayfishers have been doing well in shallow water between Bluff Point and Drummond Cove, while squid have been active in 7-11m depths both north and south of the harbour. Both mornings this weekend should see decent boating conditions with drop offs in the wind around midday for Saturday and Sunday. |
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School mulloway have been caught in the Greenough area, especially around West Bank, along with tailor sitting close to the 40cm mark. At Southgates (especially when there has been no weed) tailor catches have improved, with a couple of 60cm models landed. The rock walls in the Fishing Boat Harbour offered whiting in the 20-30cm range at night but in the daylight hours blowfish have been ravenous there. At the back of The Lives pike and small chopper tailor have been the main fare. Squid have been caught on the north side of the Batavia Coast Marina and big herring have been taken on the north-eastern side. Drummond Cove produced the odd big mulloway, with an 18kg model caught near the carpark, while school mulloway have been landed northwards to Buller River but catches have been inconsistent. You're in luck if you want to have a fish off the beach this weekend with easterly to north-easterly winds set to aid your casting. Ballooning looks very promising, especially on Saturday until midday. The swell will bump up from 1.0m on Saturday to around 2.0m on Sunday though.
Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and the solid advice for your next fishing trip. |
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| Peter Fullarton 'fluked' this 91cm mackerel after floating a pilchard close to shore in only 5m of water. He was targeting pinkies, but hearing the reel sing more than he expected pointed towards it being a mackie! |
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| Boat fishers were reporting difficulty finding larger specimens, though most still managed a feed after putting some time in. Dhufish, snapper, baldchin and the odd gummy shark made up a good portion of the catches. There have been plenty of skippy along inshore reefs and throughout the bay along with plenty of herring, squid and a few King George whiting in the sand holes. Lobster potters have been reporting very good catches. Pelagic species have been quiet, but a few tuna have been found and only the odd spotted mackerel. The FAD’s have been frustrating anglers with dolphinfish jumping off the hooks and then going off the bite, but they do provide plenty of fun. The weather this weekend right up until around midday on Sunday should provide the goods for the boaties. The conditions should be flatter on Saturday as the swell will rise slightly from Sunday morning. |
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A spate of large mulloway have been landed between Guilderton to Wedge island throughout the week. Chopper tailor have been quiet along the open beaches. Most tailor action was confined to specific areas and the tailor tended to be schooling up over reef while also remaining fussy on lure sizes. It was the smaller lures that seemed to be doing the trick. There are plenty of herring along the beaches to make up for it, with Edwards Island point a hot spot when casting small lures to schools sitting behind the seaweed wrack. Casting near some of the reef breaks there has also seen large tarwine, snapper and skippy. Drone fishers found snapper numbers down with the calm clear seas, though some fish to 8kg have been found with persistence. Land-based fishing conditions are looking great on the forecast this weekend.
A big Recfishwest thanks to Peter Fullarton for his tips on what's biting around Lancelin each week! If you want Peter to put you on to the fish directly, make sure you check out his Tailored Treks Tours page. Always a great time and Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand. |
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| @_james_landers_ enjoyed the perfect morning wetting a line off West Beach near Hopetoun this week, with this healthy mulloway making his reel sing. Thankfully this great beach has avoided being slapped with a proposed no fishing sanctuary zone although a few to the west of here have been earmarked. You can see these proposed sanctuary zones marked in green by clicking here. |
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| Thumping harlequin fish, some around 65cm, have been landed at Sunk Rocks, while nannygai up to 60cm have been caught at Figure of Eight and Mondrain Island. Big Samsonfish have been landed at Charley Island and tuna have been active around Boxer Island. Breaksea cod have been plentiful and widespread on the offshore lumps. Closer in, the 12m depths at Twilight Beach have held big sand whiting, while plenty of King George whiting have been caught in the corner of Wylie Bay. In Esperance Bay the 5-7m depths has been the sweet spot for squid, which have been caught in great numbers and sizes. Saturday and Sunday until around midday are expecting decreasing northerly winds with a very low swell so you should have some nice shelter from the mainland if you wish to punch out. You can then ride the calmer south-easterly winds back in from around 1:00pm. |
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Beach fishing has been quieter than usual but mulloway and salmon were landed at Roses Beach, and big gummy sharks have come from Munglinup. Poison Creek has also held salmon, mulloway and gummy sharks. The Town Jetty was a hotspot for squid, herring and big garfish. Taylor Street Jetty fished well for King George whiting, while more King George whiting and skippy have been caught at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Big sand whiting and skippy have come from Blue Haven Beach, and further along the tourist loop, big flathead were landed at 10-Mile Lagoon. Bream to 40cm have been hitting lures at Woody Lake. Land-based fishing conditions are looking fantastic early on both mornings this weekend with a light northerly wind set to aid your casting and a low swell. Given the swell should be less than one metre, the gutters should be easier to spot.
Hats off to the very knowledgeable team at Southern Sports & Tackle for their tips! These guys love their fishing as well, so make sure you swing by their store for the best gear and advice before wetting a line around Esperance.
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| Last weekend's Southern Ocean Spectacular had a fantastic turnout with some great catches reported, with mostly pink snapper, nannygai and some monster Samsonfish featured among the catches. Some of the snaps from the day included a 150cm Sambo, 123cm yellowtail kingfish and 67cm nannygai which just shows the awesome fishing on offer along the south coast. Congrats to all of our prize winners and the Southern Squid Spectacular is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 8 June. As for the past week, it’s been hit and miss for crews that headed out to the coral ground. Some did well on prized Samsonfish, dhufish, harlequin fish, queen snapper, nannygai and breaksea cod, while others returned with nothing. Around Baldhead crews have been picking up smaller Samsonfish, yellowtail kingfish, tuna, bonito and salmon when trolling. In King George Sound, King George whiting, sand whiting, snook, herring and flathead have been the main catches, along with squid which have been around in good numbers. The weather is looking glorious for all of Saturday and early on Sunday for the boaties, make the most of it! |
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The south coast has been thick with herring and it has almost been impossible not to get a feed from the town marina, Emu Point, Frenchman Bay and Whalers Cove. Small King George whiting have also been caught at these locations. At Gull Rock mixed bags have included herring, skippy, garfish and leatherjacket. Squidding has also been good around town with Middleton, the marina, Frenchman Bay, Whalers Cove and Emu Point worth a go. The salmon action has waned a little, but the better spots this week were Cable Beach, Shelley Beach, Sand Patch, Nanarup and Lowlands. A big mulloway was plucked from a salmon school this week and at Cheynes Beach salmon chasers have tangled with Samsonfish. Denmark’s Ocean Beach has also fished well for salmon. In the King and Kalgan rivers, those in the know have been catching bream and the odd mulloway but it pays to move around. It's not often that gentle northerly winds and a low swell arrive perfectly in time with the weekend, so make sure you wet a line off the beach early on Saturday and Sunday!
Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, you'll also catch just as many fish off the beaches than the rocks and it is always much safer to go with this option on the south coast.
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| Dhufish have been the main game off Bunbury with those making the long trip out to the 40-45m depths being rewarded in spades, with big pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and some thumping King George whiting among the top quality bycatch. Squid baits, Vexed Bottom Meats and big soft plastics have produced plenty of good fish. A few dhufish have been caught in close as well but crews have had to work harder. They have also found plenty of King George over the broken ground in 15-25m depths, with Vexed Micro Meats jigs fished with a speck of squid or prawn accounting for lots of decent KGs. Snapper chasers in close have been doing it tough, but they have picked up plenty of solid skippy and plump sand whiting as a consolation, while for those fancying giving their arms a stretch Samsonfish have been around in good numbers. Squidding off Bunbury has also been fun either side of town, with anywhere from 3-15m depths fishing well. Squid and King George whiting fishing has also been steady in Geographe Bay, which was full of herring. Crabbing has slowed down a fair bit in Bunbury, but the outer harbour produced a few for those prepared to work hard. It has been a similar battle when trolling for tailor in the estuary but most fishers have been bringing home two or three choppers each after a couple of hours. Kayak fishers have been doing well on whiting and squid in Geographe Bay and around Abbey Beach. When conditions have allowed it they have also been targeting Smiths Beach and Canal Rocks with dhufish up to 85cm, pink snapper and breaksea cod. Expect some more glassy conditions out on the water for all of Saturday and until around midday on Sunday with minimal winds and swell forecast during that time. |
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Dunsborough double up! Isabella Tan @castawaybell is building quite the reputation as a skilled fisher all around WA, with this nice salmon plucked off one of the beaches, while @luke_latty waded out to reach the school as well. These experiences are quintessentially West Australian so make sure you get out there while the schools are running!
Salmon action has been hot around the Capes region, with good catches coming from Smiths Beach, Bunker Bay, Yallingup, Rocky Point, Redgate, Injidup, Hamelin Bay, Castle Rock and Eagle Bay. Pete and Sue Hastie who won last year's Salmon Slam competition checked in with Recfishwest and said they landed 37 salmon in one day from Bunkers, so it just goes to show they are clear favourites to go back to back! Salmon have been active at Conto’s too and one lucky angler landed a harlequin fish as a bycatch. The odd salmon has turned up at Myalup and Preston beaches but they have mainly skipped the Bunbury area, although juvenile salmon have been swimming with herring and chopper tailor at the Bunbury Cut. Windy Harbour and Yeagarup have also produced good salmon catches as well. Preston Beach has offered the odd school mulloway and drone fishers have picked up a few pink snapper. Tailor have been in reasonable numbers and all the beaches either side of Bunbury have offered heaps of herring. They have also been plentiful from the shore at Geographe Bay and off Busselton Jetty, with the latter also fishing well for squid. A few anglers have been using their fresh squid catch to land pink snapper in the deeper waters at the end of the jetty. The Collie River held quite a few bream but with the lack of rain they have been concentrated in the upper reaches. Given the conditions are going to be dead flat and pristine this weekend, it should make for easy spotting of salmon schools. Make sure you prowl the South-West beaches and keep a sharp eye.
Big cheers to Whitey's Tackle & Camping for their top fishing tips as always! If you're in Australind or Bunbury and are keen to wet a line throughout our South-West make sure you ask their very friendly team who love their fishing for advice and stock up on gear at their store. If you're in Busselton, the 2 Oceans Tackle team are also incredibly helpful. |
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| It's been a minute since we saw a beefcake of a redfin perch in the report and this 46cm beauty was uploaded into the Southwest Fresh Water Fishing Facebook page by Jai Parkinson! |
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| The odd brown trout has been caught at Logue Brook Dam, while small redfin perch have been taking variety of lures at Harvey Dam. If you're chasing trout in a kayak or on foot, try using vibe lures with a rattle that can get down quite deep as given the water is still a tad warm, the fish will be slightly lazier than usual and you'll need the lure to pass very close over their heads as they sit in the structure. Kayakers were finding bigger redfin perch throughout the remote waterways in the Pemberton region where rainbow trout were also active in 30cm sizes. The deeper pools among the low water levels in the Collie River have also held some bigger redfin. |
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Boats: The 40m depths either side of town have been fishing well for dhufish with the odd baldchin groper thrown into the mix. For those chasing pink snapper, the normally reliable Five-Fathom Bank has been quiet, but plenty of pinkies have been caught around Bouvard Reef. There has been no shortage of skippy at Five-Fathom though and some good yellowtail kingfish have been landed there as well, while inside the Five there were plenty of plump sand whiting caught. The 40-45m depths have held plenty of bait which has attracted small tuna in good numbers, just try trolling deeper diving lures. Chopper tailor have been active for those trolling in the estuary and a few big herring have been among them, while reports of squid have come from inshore waters off Dawesville. Crabbing has continued to be better nearer the estuary’s ocean entrances. The weather gods have lined it up beautifully for the boaties this weekend with some glorious conditions expected across all of Saturday and until midday on Sunday. Early next week becomes windy and choppy so get out there.
Land-based: There was a brief flurry of mulloway activity with big fish landed at Golden Bay and Madora Bay recently, but since then things have quietened down. Herring have been the main catches from most beaches, although sand whiting have been about in good sizes and numbers in the mornings. At Tim's Thicket a few salmon have been caught, mainly on live baits. The Mandurah bridges and the Dawesville Cut have offered a bit of variety with herring and garfish caught throughout the day and tailor caught at night under the lights. The estuary end of the Cut near the Seba’s Song Giant has been a hotspot for juvenile salmon, while the Serpentine and Murray rivers have continued to fish well for bream.
Thinking of wetting a line around Mandurah? These great tips were courtesy of the super friendly and helpful team at Tackle World Miami so make sure you swing by their store for the best tips and gear before your next fishing trip! |
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SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY / WARNBRO SOUND
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Boats: The 40m depths out from Garden Island and towards Five-Fathom Bank have fished well for dhufish and pink snapper with quite a few baldchin groper and breaksea cod among the bycatch. Closer in at Garden Island trolling has produced some nice tailor, while the exposed reefs at Mewstones have also yielded tailor along with tuna, small yellowtail kingfish and the odd resident salmon. In the deeper depths Samsonfish have been active, while the edge of the shipping channel has fished well near the D9 for mulloway and pink snapper, along with sand whiting. Parmelia Bank, Mangles Bay and Warnbro Sound all held herring, sand whiting and the odd King George whiting. Squidding has also been good at these spots on the drift and also inside of Garden Island. There will be minimal swell and wind this weekend until midday on Sunday so if you wish to punch out for a bottom fish, troll or have a sneaky visit to the FADs, this weekend is the time to do it. Make sure you're courteous and patient to others at the ramps!
Land-based: The good run of tailor continued at Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy and Long Point and sizes have improved, with a lot more fish pushing the 50cm mark. Evenings with a bit of chop on the water have fished best, but in calmer weather herring and sand whiting have been caught throughout the day, especially when burley has been used. Port Kennedy and Secret harbour have also produced school mulloway at night. Herring, sand whiting, flathead and the odd flounder have been caught at Long Point and also at the Penguin Island spit. Palm Beach and Rockingham jetties produced the odd mulloway in recent weeks but things were quieter on the big-fish front this week. However, both jetties held herring, chopper tailor, juvenile salmon and squid and schools of small tuna have also passed by. There was plenty of scaly mackerel at the Ammo Jetty along with herring and small chopper tailor. Squid have been caught at the Ammo Jetty and also at Woodman Point, which has been a reliable spot for herring. Squid catches have been rewarding at Point Peron for those who put in the distance on foot and small skippy and a few small King George whiting have been caught there as well.
These great fishing tips were provided by the friendly team at Compleat Angler & Camping World in Rockingham, so make sure you chat to their experienced crew in store and stock up before heading out! |
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| @joelborgers experienced what most Metro fishers dream of this week - red hot dolphinfish action all to himself at the FADs south of Rottnest! Great fish and snap considering he punched out for a solo mission! |
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| Demersal catches have been excellent in a range of depths. Big pink snapper have been in 80-100m depths at the back of Rottnest Island, while the 40m line north of the island has also produced pink snapper as well as baldchin groper. The 50m depths have been productive for dhufish. All three species have also been caught off Two Rocks and Ocean Reef, along with breaksea cod. King George whiting have been been on the chew in 9m depths at Rottnest and bigger KG's were further out tin the 30-40m depths, where pink snapper have been among the bycatch. Vexed Micro Meats lures adorned with a long strip of squid have been effective on the KGs. The Recfishwest Fish Towers have fished well for yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish, while the FADS have held a few dolphinfish and tuna. Samsonfish have been stretching arms in the 100m depths, while at Rottnest’s West End and around Parker Point yellowtail kingfish and small tuna have been caught. North metro waters produced tuna, yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish. Crews have been coming across sand whiting when anchoring and using burley off City Beach in 15m depths and at the Windmills, while inshore from Hillarys has also been good for sand whiting. The broken ground targeted by King George whiting chasers has also thrown up some big skippy this week. At Three-Mile Reef crews targeting King George whiting and pink snapper have picked up the odd salmon as a bycatch. Early morning squid catches have been good, with kayakers and boats using small jigs doing well from South Fremantle down to Coogee in 3-9m depths. Drop netting for blue swimmer crabs has also been productive with kayakers getting among them in as little as 2m depths near the Omeo Wreck and out from Bathers Beach. The deeper sections of the Swan River such as Claremont, Blackwall Reach and Mosman Bay produced blue swimmer crabs as well and it has been worth trolling for chopper tailor in the river but the sizes seem to have fallen away. Most of Saturday and until around 3:00pm on Sunday are looking inviting for the boaties, with the calmest conditions expected around midday on both days this weekend. The waters around Rottnest should also be nicely sheltered. Make the most of it as Monday onwards is going to cop some ugly winds and 2m swell. |
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Only in Western Australia can we experience the incredible duo of a sunset over the water and monster mulloway putting a bend in our rods. Alex Carter @alex_carter_fishingwa ventured up to Wilbinga north of Perth and landed this thumper before taking a quick snap and releasing it to fight another day. It's always a good idea to release larger mulloway like this so the breeding cycle continues.
Swarms of herring have been at North Mole and there have been a few garfish about too but the herring have beaten them to the bait. In the evenings, chopper tailor have been caught there and the odd bonito has cruised past in the day. The rock walls around South Fremantle have also fished well for garfish, herring and small chopper tailor. Grant Street Reef has been the pick of the spots for big garfish, while in the evenings some nice tailor have been hanging around under the mullet schools there. Tailor catches have been good off the north Metro beaches, including Quinns and Burns Beach, while Floreat Beach and City Beach have held good numbers of sand whiting, herring, skippy and the odd chopper tailor in the mornings, especially when burley was used. In Fremantle Harbour, herring, juvenile pink snapper and smaller Samsonfish have been the main catches. At the Fremantle bridges big tarwhine have been landed. Some good hauls of flathead were taken in the East Fremantle area of the Swan River last weekend, where fishing the drop-offs on a slack tide has produced good results. Flathead also have been a prominent bycatch for bream fishers in the upper reaches. Those chasing chopper tailor have found fish at the Narrows, Canning Bridge, Applecross, East Fremantle, Claremont and around Mt Henry in the Canning River, while reports of school-sized mulloway have come from the Narrows. Soapy mulloway have been caught from the Causeway up river as far as Guildford. The Causeway to the Guildford stretch has also rewarded bream fishers, although the sizes have been nothing special. Better bream around 35-40cm have come from the flats in the Canning River and at Canning Bridge. Early on Saturday and Sunday morning should hold relatively light north-easterly winds so that should provide the best land-based fishing window this week before some stronger easterlies roll through from around Wednesday.
A big thanks to Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle for their great tips! These guys love their fishing just as much as we all do, so make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat! |
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