Metro Catches
Pictured: Dhufish
Mulloway between 15 and 18kg have been regularly caught behind the E-Shed in evenings. More mulloway, in the 10 to 14kg range, have also been picked up by boat fishers soaking baits in the deeper parts of Mosman Bay and Blackwall Reach. Tailor have been turning up some mornings and evenings along the metropolitan coast with South Mole, Grant Street, Swanbourne Drain, Floreat and Trigg among the spots to be producing better catches of the 35 to 55cm fish.
Rob Cinquini and Tony Thwin have been picking up some nice hauls of squid near the shipping channel in Cockburn Sound. Marco Orifici, of Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle, and Sean Mulcock caught several pink snapper to 63cm along Five Fathom Bank last Friday evening. Small dolphin fish and schools of 2 to 4kg striped tuna are hanging around the Rottnest Trench Fish Aggregating Devices. Western rock lobster are still being caught in good numbers by the divers and those working pots while blue manna crabs are starting to be caught in better sizes and quantities in the Swan and Canning rivers. Young local fishing enthusiast Gary Peach got onto 3 good sized giant herring in the Canning River on the weekend – all taking metal slices and all showing plenty of well renowned giant herring acrobatics.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Pictured: Blue Swimmer Crab
The warmer weather the past week or so has led to quality shallow water fish being caught. Plenty of yellow fin whiting have been caught across numerous flats in the Peel Estuary with best results coming from early to mid morning.
Kids on school holidays have had some success in the Dawesville Cut on herring, tailor and the occasional King George whiting.
Crabs in the Peel have been improving, with the sizes of specimens increasing with each week, but still a little hit or miss.
Reports of the occasional small mulloway from Rockingham beaches are still coming in along with small schools of Tailor harassing herring and hardy heads within casting distance. Tim’s Thicket beach is producing herring, tailor and mulloway at night especially after the new moon last week.
South West Catches
Pictured: Pink snapper
The divers have already started to spot Spanish mackerel off Cape Naturaliste. There were two separate billfish sightings during the past week – a sailfish that was within 1km of Bunker Bay and a black marlin spotted free jumping offshore. The boats that ventured out from Canal Rocks and Cowaramup Bay caught dhufish of mixed sizes, big pink snapper, baldchin groper, breaksea cod and harlequin fish. Mostly small dhuies and pinkies have been coming from within Geographe Bay.
King George whiting to 70cm have been inadvertently caught by anglers targeting reef species in 30 to 40m of water. Whiting have been a little hit and miss along the Quindalup sand flats. Herring have been rather hard to find while most of the tailor have been small. There are still some squid being caught along the seagrass beds. Blue manna crabs have been in good numbers within the bay while western rock lobster are still being gathered in good numbers by the divers and those working pots.
Recfishwest SunSmart Community Southern Tour
After a successful 2015 Southern Tour, children and families living or holidaying down south will get some free face to face education about how best to not only enjoy a spot of fishing but hopefully catch some fish too!
For more information click here.
Geraldton Catches
Pictured: Baldchin groper
Geraldton Angling Club members caught yellowfin whiting between 25 and 33cm, herring to 30cm and small threadfin salmon during a recent meet along the Dongara to Seven Mile Beach stretch. More yellowfin whiting have been coming from Southgates, Separation Point, Explosives, in the bay at Drummonds and Coronation. Graham Maunder, of Geraldton Sports, reports the tailor fishing at Drummonds to be exceptional at the moment with plenty of 30 to 50cm fish running in the evenings together with school sharks and the odd mulloway.
Tailor have also been appearing in the mornings at West Bank. Mornings have also been seeing tailor turn up Tarcoola, however the fish have generally been smaller. Every odd day is seeing a few tailor show at Greenough. There has been unconfirmed report of a 1.5kg mulloway landed north of Drummonds. A phenomenal 24kg dhufish was caught out from town last week. Smaller dhuies have been found near African Reef, South West Bank and along the lumps north of Coronation together with pink snapper and baldchin groper. The boats trolling for pelagics have been encountering yellowfin tuna, Spanish mackerel, cobia and sharks. A small black marlin was landed wide of the Abrolhos Islands recently.
Kalbarri Catches
Pictured: Whiting
Laurie Malton landed an estimated 40kg yellowfin tuna and a 20kg Spanish mackerel while trolling offshore last week. Others have also been encountering Spaniards, wahoo and yellowfin as well as other varieties of tuna including longtails and macks north and south of the river mouth. Dean Robins, of Kalbarri Sports and Dive, picked up mackerel, wahoo, a 15kg golden trevally and an 80cm samson fish while trolling rigged garfish last Friday.
Rob Tang got onto some nice wahoo off Bald Face on Saturday. The boats targeting reef fish have been catching baldchin groper and dhufish in 20 to 40m of water. Tailor and dart have been the most common species caught by surf fishers at Wittecarra and Red Bluff. Rock fishers have been catching pink snapper, baldchin groper and estuary cod at the coastal gorges. Quite a few yellowfin whiting have been caught at Chinamans recently. The middle and upper reaches of the Murchison have been fishing well for black bream to 40cm, giant herring to 50cm and small mulloway.
