Metro Catches
Pictured: Striped tuna
Several pink snapper to 6kg and the odd bigger fish around the 8kg mark have been caught in Cockburn Sound since the season opened again on February 1. Some of the pinkies that were picked up were found within a hundred metres of the coast. A local kayak fisher encountered a school of longtail tuna in the sound last Wednesday and managed to land a superb 1.2m fish. More longtails have been found between Five Fathom Bank and West End while striped tuna and small southern bluefin have been appearing between Rottnest Island and the FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices).
The boats targeting reef fish along Three Mile Reef, in the 40s north of Rottnest and on top of Five Fathom Bank have been doing reasonably well on queen snapper, baldchin groper, skippy to 1.5kg, King George whiting, harlequin fish and dhufish between 5 and 12kg. A couple of red throat emperor were also caught during the past week. Surf fishers have been connecting to a few tailor in the mornings and evenings along the metropolitan beaches. Herring can be caught at the jetties and rock walls and it should not be long now for bonito and juvenile salmon to show up in numbers, as both species tend to do at this time of year. The lower reaches of the Swan are fishing fairly well for yellowfin whiting and flathead along the sand flats. Mulloway are occasionally being caught in the deeper areas of Blackwall Reach and Freshwater Bay. The middle reaches of the river are producing black bream, however most have been small. Blue manna crab catches have been steady in both rivers.
COCKBURN SOUND
Fishers fishing from the shore and from dinghies near the Causeway are reporting plenty of skippy and a few whiting and herring. The various jetties have been holding a few tailor along with whiting herring, garfish and skippy. In deeper spots in the Sound, fishers are reporting King George whiting and snapper. Kayak fishing is becoming more and more popular and several have been fishing in Cockburn Sound since the snapper season opened with some success. Apparently several large snapper have been taken with some fish up around the 10 kg mark.
KWINANA / WOODMAN POINT
Small tailor are being taken during the early evening with plenty of herring and garfish during the day. There are still numerous smaller, and not so small, along with a few rays. Anglers using balloons to drift baits out have taken several different species including samson fish and spanish mackerel.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Pictured: Tailor
MANDURAH
The northern beaches are the places to be if you want to tangle with some good mulloway. There have been numerous reports of good fish coming from most beaches. A fresh fillet of tailor seems to be the preferred bait and they are around in good numbers late in the afternoon. The Dawesville Cut has been producing a few smaller tailor and skippy and there are plenty of herring and whiting around. In the estuary, prawn and crab catches have continued with good feeds of these tasty crustaceans being caught in most regular spots.
There are good fish to be had from areas on and around the bridges with herring, tailor, tarwhine and whiting being caught in numbers. Tailor were on the bite last weekend along the beaches at Tim’s Thicket, White Hills and Preston Beach these fish averaged out at around 60 cm, which is a good sized tailor. This area has been generally producing good tailor fishing with fish averaging 45 – 50 cm being caught. When the sea breeze comes, fish activity picks up. A little further north around the Falcon area, mulloway have been taken. Herring and whiting catches have also been consistent. The Serpentine and Murray Rivers continue to fish well for black bream and with regular break offs occurring indicating that there are probably a few mulloway venturing upstream as well. In the Murray River, bream activity is concentrated upstream of Murray Bend
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
Tailor activity has been consistent with a few good fish being taken each evening along the southern surf beaches. Better spots seem to be from Port Kennedy south. Fishers fishing the stretch of beach from Rockingham through to the north of Mandurah are reporting regular catches of mulloway from most popular spots.
South West Catches
Pictured: Dhufish
Spanish mackerel are about the west coast and the waters off the tip of Cape Naturaliste, however the only reported captures of the 10 to 20kg fish so far this season have been by spearfishers. Crews trolling small to medium size bibbed minnows and small skirted lures have been picking up small southern bluefin tuna to 6kg.
Some nice dhufish were caught by the boats that went out from Cowaramup Bay at the weekend. Tailor have been turning up along some of the west coast beaches including Honeycombs and Mitchells. Along the other side of the cape, the 40 to 55cm fish have been caught at Bunker Bay, Castle Rock and near Elmore Road.
20kg + Samson fish have been testing fishers at both the Dunsborough and Bunbury artificial reefs. Flounder, flathead, skippy, pink snapper and baldchin groper have also been caught on the artificial reefs lately.
For more on artificial reefs click here.
Albany Catches
Pictured: Samson fish
Bonito may have started to appear in local waters following reports of at least two fish caught during the past week. Those fish were picked up in King George Sound – an area not commonly frequented by bonito schools that ordinarily prefer the waters close to rock platforms and near headlands. King George whiting, sand whiting and herring have also been caught in the sound together with fair numbers of squid. Two Peoples Bay has been producing bigger King George and some squid while Cosy Corner has been providing bag limits of the latter species for some fishers.
A good mix of demersal fish including red, queen and pink snapper, breaksea cod and samson fish have been picked up along the coral in depths leading up to 85m. The dhufish found this past week have mostly been small. Several gummy sharks were also taken in a range of depths and areas. Herring numbers have continued to increase as the summer month’s progress. Sand Patch, Nanarup, Bluff Creek and Cheyne Beach were among the better performing shore-based spots for the popular bread and butter species.
A few gummy sharks have also been landed from the beaches, especially in the evenings. A customer of Albany Rods and Tackle scored six King George from the shore at Frenchmans recently. West Cape Howe and rocks near Cheyne Beach are worth a try for samson fish and yellowtail kingfish. Most of the rivers along the south coast, including the two local systems, are rather murky following the recent rain. As expected, baits such as prawns and yabbies have been outperforming lures on black bream while the visibility in the rivers remains low.
Esperance Catches
Pictured: Queen snapper
Salmon appear to have commenced their annual run following reports of big schools of 4 to 7kg fish appearing at Roses, Fourth, Eleven Mile, Salmon Beach and Poison Creek during the week. Stockyards has plenty of herring, small skippy, flathead, juvenile and mature salmon. Mulloway between 60 to 80cm are being caught in excellent numbers at Rossiters together with the odd fish in the 1 to 1.2m range. A good mix of herring, King George whiting, skippy, sweep, leatherjacket and squid can be sought at the Taylor Street Jetty.
The James Street structure mostly has herring and squid. The beach next to the port is good for sand whiting and herring while Bandy Creek has mostly herring. Squid to a kilo have turned up in very good numbers in the bay. Southern bluefin tuna are also about the inshore parts as well as the waters farther out. Trolled small skirted lures have been working well on the bluefin. Snook have been responding to bibbed minnows, especially in a gold colour. The crews who headed offshore reported catching nannygai to 65cm, samson fish, queen snapper, harlequin fish and pink snapper.
Geraldton Catches
Pictured: Mulloway
The Flat Rocks to West Bank stretch has been fishing fairly well for chopper tailor and school mulloway. Herring and yellowfin whiting to a respectable 30cm can be sought at Head Butts. More herring and chopper tailor are turning up at Tarcoola very early in the morning together with mostly small yellowfin.
Dinghy fishers working the waters out from the fishing boat harbour have been picking up plenty of Watson’s leaping bonito and longtail tuna . The bonito have been turning up within casting distance of shore-based fishers at the rock walls at times.
Kalbarri Catches
Pictured: Mud crab
Tailor seem to be turning up in better numbers in the mornings and evenings at Wittecarra and Red Bluff rather than some of the other popular surf spots including those north of the river. Wittecarra also has quite a few plump yellowfin whiting, which are responding well to prawn and squid baits. Some nice mulloway were caught at Frustrations and Red Bluff during the week.
Several mangrove jack and plenty of black bream have been caught from the jetties and pens while mud crabs have been found in good numbers up river. The boats targeting Spanish mackerel report the bigger concentrations of 10 to 15kg fish to be just north of Wagoe. Surf fishers caught pink snapper and big tailor at Wagoe and Lucky Bay last week.
Exmouth Catches
Pictured: Mangrove jack
The local fly fishing charter operators have been putting their clients onto a variety of species along the lower parts of the gulf including cobia and giant trevally to 20kg, permit, golden trevally, queenfish and giant herring.
An assortment of species including small giant and brassy trevally, estuary cod, queenfish and the odd mangrove jack are providing some entertaining light tackle sessions at the marina. Spanish mackerel continue to be caught in excellent numbers along the back of the west coast reefs. The drop offs and bombies located in the upper areas of the gulf are producing coral trout to 75cm.
Broome Catches
Pictured: Estuary cod
Threadfin salmon to a metre and the odd bigger fish are being caught in good numbers by boat and shore-based anglers at Roebuck Bay. The threadies are mostly being caught on prawn baits, however there have still been a few fish taking live mullet and lures. Dampier and Willie Creeks are producing bluenose salmon and small trevally. Queenfish and trevally are the main species being caught from the jetty.
The Fitzroy River has been flowing quite steadily following the recent rain and consequently some nice hauls of cherabin are being had along the banks. The middle reaches of the river – spots like Telegraph Pool and Langis Crossing – are fishing fairly well for barramundi. Pete Nielsen, of Bluewater Tackle World, has been doing well on bluelined emperor, bluebone and estuary cod in Roebuck Bay. The deep holes and drop offs in the bay have been producing some nice mulloway.
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