Your Fishing Photos
If you want to see yourself or your kids feature in our weekly state-wide Fishing Reports, send your best fishing photos and a description to bronte@recfishwest.org.au
Download iPhone or Android
Designed for Fishers – Get Yours Now for Christmas
Picture: Fab from Fab Fishing & Tours with some quality King George caught on the South Coast, while remaining safe in his Crewsaver Crewfit life jacket (Photo courtesy of Fab Fishing & Tours).
We have life jackets in stock just in time for Christmas. Slim-line, new and improved jackets that will not restrict you whilst you’re fishing. They are the ultimate present for fishers in every family.
Don’t miss out, get yours today!
Metro Catches
Picture: If you’re a keen squid fishing enthusiast, how about heading over to the family friendly group Squid Hunters Western Australia. Become a member and be a part of a great squid fishing community and family.
Reef fishing has been limited due to the demersal closure, however there have been a few crews who have been heading out and doing reasonably well on the species that are still on the menu. King George whiting have been caught in excellent numbers through the 10m to 30m depths south of Parker Point and near Stragglers. The sand holes located in reef areas between the mainland and Rottnest Island are still holding plenty of plump sand whiting. Small yellowtail kingfish have been responding well to live baits off West End and the northern side of Rottnest. Bigger kingfish were encountered within Cockburn Sound recently too.
Squid numbers have dwindled along the seagrass beds off Fremantle, however sizes are certainly bigger. Tailor have been a little hit and miss along most of the metropolitan coast. Surf fishers have been experiencing a brief tailor bite after sundown. Spots that have produced tailor have included South Beach, Leighton, Grant Street, Swanbourne Drain and Trigg Point. More tailor have been caught in the river with Applecross, Point Walter and Point Resolution producing fish to 50cm.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: Flounder are being found in the shallow sandy patches between seagrass and sand flats around Rockingham as a welcome whiting bycatch.
MANDURAH
The beaches south of Mandurah are still producing a few nice tailor and mulloway. The Cut continues to provide some excellent fishing with big herring, tailor, King George Whiting, skippy, tarwhine and sand whiting being taken regularly. Many fishers who are wading the flats are taking good whiting on lures. Tailor are also scattered throughout the estuary with some good fish being taken between the bridges. Crab numbers in the estuary are increasing and there are enough legal sized crabs to enable dabbers or netters to get a good feed in a reasonable time.
The beaches to the north of Mandurah along the San Remo, Madora, Singleton section of the coast have been producing good fishing for the smaller species with plenty of herring, garfish and whiting being taken by people fishing during the day. An occasional mulloway has been taken during the evening.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
At the jetties, there are herring and squid and the odd mulloway being taken late at night. People fishing the beaches south of Becher Point are taking some good tailor of an evening with fish up to 45 cm. Beaches around Secret Harbour are also producing some good fishing for tailor.
Around Rockingham there are a few small whiting on the sand flats between the mainland and Penguin Island as well as the occasional flounder and some good sized flathead. Herring and garfish are being taken from the local beaches in the morning and a few sized tailor are being caught from the surf beaches.
South West Catches
Picture: Spanish mackerel have been caught on the odd occasion in the South West reigion as weather temperatures warm up for summer (Photo courtesy of Wade Kelly).
A customer of Dunsborough Outdoor Sportz caught a small southern bluefin tuna from his kayak while fishing near Canal Rocks last week. More southern bluefin, and other varieties of tuna and bonito, are expected to turn up off the west coast and within Geographe Bay during the coming weeks as the water temperatures increase.
Spanish mackerel and shark mackerel are also a chance of appearing again this summer season. The boats working the 5m to 15m depths off Siesta Park seem to be doing better on King George whiting than those hitting the waters off Quindalup. Yellowfin and sand whiting have been responding well to small stick baits and miniature poppers along the Geographe Bay sand flats. Surf fishers are picking up tailor some mornings and evenings at spots including Honeycombs, Mitchells and Elmore Road.
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Although slow going, nice tailor are still truning up at some of the beaches around Geraldton (Photo courtesy of Abrolhos Tackle).
The tailor run has not really started along the local beaches and some observers are of the view that this season’s summer trickle may not commence until after Christmas, which was normally the time tailor would turn up along the coast about a decade or so ago. A few small tailor have been appearing at the first and second points at Greenough some mornings and evenings. Choppers have been present at the back of the breakwater after dark and there have been a few fish around the 40cm mark caught at explosives.
Bigger tailor are occasionally turning up at Southgates and there has been the odd fish caught at Drummonds and the beaches north of there. A customer of Geraldton Sports landed a good size mulloway at Drummonds on Saturday evening. West Bank has been fishing reasonably well for mulloway to a metre. Herring and pike can be sought from the Pages to Explosives stretch. Spanish mackerel and tuna are expected to turn up along the back of Pensioners Bank in the coming weeks.
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Yellowfin whiting are a common light tackle lure target, with good numbers around the sand flats of the Murchison.
The river mouth fished exceptionally well this past week with a 20kg mulloway and several 80cm-plus tailor among the fish to be caught from the popular shore-based spot. More mulloway, in the 5kg to 6kg range, were caught along beaches. Visiting fisher Mike Bird caught several tailor, mulloway and a King George whiting (unusual for these waters) at Wittecarra during a recent stay.
Black bream have been caught in better numbers in the middle and upper reaches of the Murchison. Yellowfin whiting can still be found along the sand flats. Blue swimmer and mud crabs are being picked up in drop nets. Balloon fishers are starting to see more spanish mackerel and tuna action at Wagoe.
