22 January 2016 – South Coast Fishing Report

Albany Catches

Recreational fishers have welcomed an increase in squid numbers through the inshore waters. During the past week, small boat fishers working the waters of King George Sound, Oyster Harbour, near Michaelmas and Breaksea islands, off Goode Beach, out from Limestone and within a mile of Middleton Beach reported catching good hauls of squid. Reasonable numbers of King George whiting were also picked up through these areas together with a few sand whiting and some flathead. Pink snapper between 40 and 50cm were being caught in Wilson Inlet along with King George to 45cm and a few flathead.

Herring have finally started to appear along the coast in good numbers with bag limits being picked up most mornings at Emu Point and in the evenings at the marina. A good mix of herring, skippy and the odd salmon have been caught at Anvils, Sand Patch, Mutton Bird, Nanarup and Bluff Creek. A decent size school of salmon had turned up at Cheynes last week, but was frustratingly out of reach. Big schools of salmon continue to pass through Bremer Bay and the beaches east of there. Local rock fishers who hit up the platforms at West Cape Howe and the Blow Holes managed to land samson fish, blue groper and small pink snapper.

The boats have been picking up heaps of pink snapper along the coral located in depths leading up to 85m. Breaksea cod, dhufish, sea sweep and gummy shark have also been coming from these depths. The crews working the waters in close to the islands have been doing well on harlequin fish and blue groper. Hapuka and blue eye trevalla are the main species coming from then shelf. Most of the river systems between Walpole and Bremer are fishing well for black bream for bait and lure fishers. The Kalgan continues to produce mulloway mostly between 45 and 75cm.

Esperance Catches

A good mix of bread and butter species including herring, skippy, squid and the odd King George whiting can be sought at the Taylor Street and Jane Street jetties. Bandy Creek boat harbour is fishing well for herring and black bream. Baits have been accounting for most of the black bream to 40cm caught in the local lakes recently. A group of customers of Southern Sports and Tackle caught four flathead around 60cm, salmon to 6kg, juvenile salmon and a dozen herring at Stockyards last week. More salmon have been turning up every now and then at Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach, Eleven Mile and Fourteen Mile.

Dunns has been producing skippy to half a kilo, gummy shark and salmon. Salmon, tailor, shark and mulloway have been coming from Poison Creek and the cliffs at Israelite. Schools of southern bluefin tuna to 9kg have been reported by the boats to be everywhere at the moment. Pink snapper ranging from undersize to 7kg are being found in waters starting at 100m out from shore.

Squid have reappeared along the inshore areas. Big yellowtail kingfish have been encountered by those venturing out wide. Queenfish to 9kg are apparently thick in some areas while nannygai to 4kg and skippy to 8kg have also been found in good numbers. Some nice breaksea cod and harlequin fish have been picked up along the shallower ground.