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.
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.
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