Welcome to Recfishwest’s weekly fishing report, brought to you by Recfishwest’s fishing expert Joachim Azzopardi, John Curtis for his Mandurah and Surrounds report and Matt Cox for the latest in Kununurra.
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.
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Awesome shorebased Spanish mackerel. Caught at Wagoe Beach by one of the members from the Kalbarri Offshore Angling Club! Photo courtesy of the club.
Boats:
Spanish mackerel continue to be caught along the 10m to 30m depths north and south of the river mouth. Soft plastics have been working well on bluebone, pink snapper and coral trout near the cliffs while the ground in excess of 30m have been producing a few dhufish and red emperor. Expect cobia to be around the bait schools following reports of good catches of the prehistoric looking species from waters south of town during the past fortnight.
Shore-based:
Wagoe’s Ash McLintock took out the recent fishing tournament with the Spanish mackerel, mulloway and big tarwhine he landed from the shore. Tailor have been a little hard to come by along the coast with 35cm to 55cm fish turning up only some mornings and evenings at Red Bluff, Wittecarra, Siphons and Chinamans. Mulloway catches have been better from the beaches north of Frustrations. Beau Ralph has been doing well on mulloway and black bream in the lower reaches of the Murchison. The bream in the middle and upper parts of the system have mostly been small.
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Pink snapper seem to be everywhere at the moment. There’s plenty of ways you can target them, including fishing whole baits in a good burley trail, jigging soft plastics or even trolling deep diving lures!
Boats:
Pink snapper have been caught in relatively shallow waters off Coronation, near African Reef and along the drop offs behind Pensioners Bank. Jigs have recently been producing better dhufish catches than baits at Mid Reef and Africans. Cobia were encountered west northwest of the shipping channel and north of Coronation.
Shore-based:
Balloon fishers who took advantage of the recent spell of easterly winds were rewarded with Spanish mackerel and longtail tuna to 18kg north off Horrocks. Surf fishers have been catching a few mulloway ranging from school-sized 4kg to 8kg fish to bigger fish of around the 15kg mark. The mulloway have not been coming from any area in particular with fish caught from the northern side of Drummonds, at Southgates and along the West Bank to Flat Rocks stretch. Skippy have turned up in numbers in front of the Sail Inn. Bigger skippy have been picked up in the reef holes at Point Moore and Separation Point. Whiting have been good at Separation Point, Point Moore and Drummonds.
South West Catches
Picture: The south west artificial reefs have been developing really well, with plenty of growth forming on the modules, meaning plenty of bait fish. Good news for fishers is our Reef Vision footage has shown some big samson fish on the reefs, pink snapper and skippy, with our volunteers flagging that it was this time last year that mulloway schools made their way in too, so plenty to fish for on the reefs!
Boats:
Bag limits of squid have been achieved along the seagrass beds extending from Eagle Bay to the Busselton Jetty. Boat fishers who have been anchoring and burleying near structure in Geographe Bay have been picking up good catches of pink snapper to 7kg. Dhufish have mostly been caught off the west coast. A few reports of big samson fish have been coming in from the Dunsborough artificial reef too.
Shore-based:
A consistent stream of burley is almost guaranteed to produce a feed of herring from the rocky headlands and bays located along the west coast as well as in Geographe Bay. Salmon seem to have completed their annual spawning run, however there are still a few tailor turning up at Mitchells, Bunker Bay and Elmore Road to whet the appetites of beach fishers keen on tackling bigger surf fish.
South West Freshwater
Picture: A south west rainbow trout caught on spinner is a common way to catch trout for those who haven’t yet mastered the art of fly fishing. Learn how to catch trout here.
There are many water catchments and quite a few rivers in the South West that are stocked with trout. To find out which waters are open all year round, download the Free Recfishwest App on your Apple or Android smartphone and be kept up to date! To check out where Trout have been stocked, click here.
Your best chance at the moment to catch a trout is around the Pemberton area. Here you have two great rivers namely the Warren and one of its tributaries the Lefroy. These are open to fishing all year round and also have Redfin perch as well as rainbow and brown trout in them.
At this time of year trout can be difficult to catch, as many of these fish are in spawning mode, but with the right presentation either by using a small lure or a fly they can be caught.
If you are part of the spinning fraternity, I believe small spinners work the best, possibly a size 1 Mepp either with a silver or gold blade depending on water and weather conditions. If you are a fly fisher then using a seven foot, 4 weight with floating line with a short tippet of 4-6 pounds with a nymph suspended from an indicator is probably the way to go. Always try to fish upstream, as most of the time fish are looking for food coming downstream towards them. Wear drab clothing and nothing too bright, have a good pair of quality sun glasses for spotting the fish and approach the water quietly and carefully as this will help towards trying to outwit the trout.
Thanks to WATFAA (WA Trout and Freshwater Angling Association) providing us with what’s biting in the south-west waterways.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: How’s this for a land based catch! Simon Gillett caught this southern bluefin tuna from the beach down at Preston. Here’s what Simon had to say “Awesome day down at Preston Beach chilling out and fishing. Came across a school of southern bluefin tuna within casting distance on their way back down the coast and managed to pull a fish in the second cast! Pretty stoked considering how rare they are that close to shore!!”
This week’s report comes from 16 year old Harry Tropiano – a keen and upcoming fisher who loves his bream fishing and can be seen on local Mandurah beaches or around Mandurah’s estuaries.
The southern beaches along the Tims Thicket to Preston Beach stretch have been producing a few large herring and tailor, and also the odd mulloway and salmon. Casting metal lures at the reefs has been working the best for tailor and herring in the early morning along with sunset. Before, during and after the incoming storms, is definitely worth a try for a pink snapper and even mulloway as the sand banks shift.
The Dawsville Cut has been fishing very well for herring and big skippy, especially around dawn and dusk. Good numbers of whiting and the odd garfish have also been appearing to anglers who have been using small hooks, with the odd King George whiting in the mix, especially closer to the mouth of the cut. Squid have been quiet, but a few have still been popping up at the jolly frog jetty on an incoming tide.
The beaches north of Mandurah will defiantly be producing some interesting captures as the winter storms become more prominent. Although the swell hasn’t been the best and there is a bit of seaweed around, there are still herring and tailor to be caught on most beaches.
Perth Catches
Picture: With some nice weather around, getting out on the Swan River is a great way to spend some time outdoors. Thanks to @lannz04 who sent us this snap of her Black Bream caught on soft plastic grub.
Boats:
Boat fishers anchoring and burleying early morning and late afternoon along Five Fathom Bank, near The Mewstone and Stragglers have been catching pink snapper and dhufish. Snapper have also been found in numbers very close to shore at times at spots that include Beagle Rocks. Some nice skippy have also been coming from along Five Fathom Bank as well as Three Mile Reef. The sand holes near the Gage Roads shipping channel have been producing good catches of sand whiting while the broken ground east of Rottnest Island has King George whiting. Squid remain in excellent numbers along the seagrass beds west and southwest of Fremantle and within Cockburn and Warnbro Sound.
Shore-based:
Pink snapper in the 55cm to 80cm range were landed at North and South Mole during and just following the recent period of northerly winds. The rock walls and groynes have been fishing well for herring and a few robust garfish as have some of the beaches including Cottesloe and Floreat. Squid are being caught in reasonable numbers along the Fremantle rock walls as well as those located within Cockburn Sound. The northern marina rock walls are also producing a few squid. Early morning is proving to be the best time to target the tasty cephalopods from shore. Dab netters have been picking up a few prawns in the lower reaches of the Swan River near East Fremantle.
Trailer Checks
Technical Rating: Novice
For many, the next few months will see the boat trailer being hooked up for the first time since the last fishing mission at the end of summer. If this is indeed the case for you, or even if you have fished a few times over winter, make a few checks and fix anything that needs attention, especially if it’s something you have been putting off for quite some time. Click here to read on…
Missed Last Week’s Report? Click Below to Check it Out!
