Keep your eyes peeled for Recfishwest’s Tip of the week, see below!
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 tim@recfishwest.org.au
Tip of the week banner images courtesy of Shutterstock Ruggiero Scardigno, Smiltena & Garry L.
Escape to Dirk Hartog Island This Winter
Dirk Hartog Island is an iconic destination for many land-based fishing addicts in WA. Its western ledges are similar to those of Steep Point or Quobba and offer awesome bluewater fishing from shore, but limited access means much less fishing pressure and no other fishers to compete with at the best spots. Read more…
Esperance Catches
Picture: For better tasting squid and to humanely kill your squid, you should iki jime your squid. Watch this quick video and learn how.
Boats:
Crews who ventured to the islands and beyond picked up reasonable catches of nannygai, breaksea cod, queen snapper, skippy and samson fish. Areas west of town seem to be fishing better for pink snapper. Dinghy and small boat fishers have continued to do well on whiting and squid within a mile of the coast.
Shore-based:
The Taylor and Jane Street jetties are fishing well for garfish, squid and small herring. Herring can also be caught at the Bandy Creek boat harbour. Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Blue Haven and Roses were among the spots where mature and juvenile salmon were caught this past week. Roses has also been producing some nice skippy and tailor. Dunns fished well for salmon, herring and skippy last week. Gummy sharks to 15kg, mulloway, skippy and salmon were among the species caught at Thomas River.
Albany Catches
Picture: Albany Offshore Fishing Club’s Morris Wilkinson with a nice juvenile Salmon. Photo courtesy of Instagram @westernangler
Boats:
Boat fishers have generally had to work hard to find their fish along the coral as well as beyond the shelf. Schools of red snapper were found at the edge of the continental line while hapuka and blue eye trevalla were located out farther, however all three species required some searching. Along the coral in 60m to 85m of water, it took many crews several hours before they were satisfied with their bag of reef fish, which included pink, red and queen snapper, dhufish and breaksea cod. Samson fish were encountered in parts and skippy big enough to strike at 100g metal jigs were reportedly thick off Bald Head and near the islands. Squid catches have continued to improve along the inshore waters, which are also fishing reasonably well for King George whiting, smaller skippy, sand whiting and herring.
Shore-based:
Salmon are regularly turning up at the beach at Salmon Holes as well as at Sand Patch, Cables, Lowlands and Shelley Beach. Little Beach has been good for bread and butter species including herring, skippy and tarwhine. Tailor are occasionally being caught at Nanarup early morning and evening. A group of eight beach fishers who visited Bluff Creek a fortnight ago scored juvenile and mature salmon, skippy and loads of herring. Mulloway seem to be more willing to strike at live and whole baits in the King and Kalgan rivers during the low tide period. Both of the local systems are fishing fairly well for black bream.
Picture: Shore based squid is easy, cheap and safe. Highly recommend getting the kids down to the local jetty and catching some squid!
Shore Based Squid
Technical Rating: Novice
Squidding Tips
Jetties with lighting will often attract squid and can be great places for targeting squid at night.
Inspect jetties and rock platforms for ink which indicates it is a worthwhile place to target squid.
When using a rod and reel for catching squid, adjust the drag so that it is quite loose, this will prevent losing squid from ripping off tentacles.
Whenever you catch a squid look carefully behind the squid you have caught as many times they will come in with friends.
Always endeavour to look after your catch by keeping it on ice.
For more on shore based squid, check out our Shore Based Squid article.
