Albany Catches
Pictured: Samson fish
The boats that ventured out during the past week came across some nice schools of pink snapper in the 5 to 6kg range in the shallows and out deeper. The edge of the shelf was fairly good for red snapper while the coral produced mixed bags of breaksea cod, queen snapper, samson fish, small, but legal size, dhufish and gummy shark. Leatherjackets were unfortunately present in some areas. Good catches of red snapper were also reported east and west of town while a couple of lucky boats also picked up hapuku in relatively shallow depths.
Bag limits of King George whiting have been achieved by a lot of the smaller boats working the, now cleaner, waters of King George Sound, Cheynes Beach and Cosy Corner. Squid catches are also starting to improve in these parts. The boats trolling minnows off Bald Head and near the islands have been doing well on bonito and small southern bluefin tuna. Oyster Harbour may be worth a visit following reports of yellowfin whiting, juvenile salmon and herring in good numbers. Salmon may have commenced their annual run along the South Coast following reports of schools at Cheynes Beach, Fosters and Reef Beach.
A couple of 5kg salmon were also caught at Shelleys during the week. Herring, skippy, tarwhine and sand whiting have also been caught at the popular beaches with the former bread and butter species in abundance at West Cape Howe. A 46cm black bream as caught in the King River during an incoming tide late one evening last week. Nornalup Inlet and Wilson Inlet are holding good numbers of yellowfin whiting.
Esperance Catches
Pictured: Queen snapper
Salmon have been regularly turning up at Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach, Roses Beach and Poison Creek, however the 4 to 7kg have not been within casting distance all of the time. A group of customers of Southern Sports and Tackle caught two gummy sharks, during a recent session. Stockyards is worth a visit with big herring, juvenile salmon, flathead and skippy on offer.
The Taylor Street Jetty is producing skippy, herring squid and the odd King George whiting. Bigger King George whiting are being found at the Bandy Creek Boat Harbour together with herring. A couple of mulloway were caught at Fourth Beach and Thomas River last week. The boats that have been working the waters in the bay have been doing well on big herring, sand whiting, squid and small southern bluefin tuna. More bluefin have also been encountered out wide with one boat reporting there to be tonnes upon tonnes of bluefin approximately 40 miles out. A good mix of nannygai to 3.5kg, samson fish, breaksea cod and queen snapper have been caught along the ground past the islands.
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