Metro Catches
Pictured: Western Australian salmon (photo courtesy of Jim Tarry)
Recent catches suggest that this year’s salmon run is going to be one of the strongest in years. During the past week, big schools turned up along the coast and within range of fishers armed with a variety of baits and lures at the Ammo Jetty, both moles, Grant Street Beach, Swanbourne Drain, Floreat and Brighton. Boat fishers have also got among the salmon at a variety of spots that have included within Cockburn Sound, near The Mewstone, Salmon Bay and between Cottesloe and Gage Roads. The boats heading out wide are finding dolphin fish, mostly between 3 and 6kg and the odd fish to 10kg, at the FADs.
Schools of southern bluefin and striped tuna are also in the vicinity of the FADs. Spanish mackerel continued to be caught along the Three Mile Reef, in 20m of water off West End and Parker Point and also on Five Fathom Bank, however catches are slowing. Squid can be sought along the seagrass beds in Cockburn Sound, off Woodman Point, at the northern and southern marina rock walls and both moles. Tailor have been picked up at Cottesloe Groyne, Grant Street and Swanbourne early morning and in the evenings. The sand flats in front of the Left Bank are worth a try for flathead and yellowfin whiting.
Woodman Point ‘Ammo’ Jetty Clean Up
Recfishwest needs your help to improve the standards at Woodman Point ‘Ammo’ Jetty.
If we are to keep this wonderful land based fishing platform we must all work together to improve its public image. Recfishwest volunteers will continue to head down there not only to clean up and try and set a good example but to try and educate fishers as well.
Remember to:
- Respect your catch – if keeping your catch, dispatch it quickly and put it on ice
- Respect others – if cleaning fish, do not leave a mess
- Respect the environment – put your rubbish in the bin
Do your part by following the simple messages above.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Pictured: Western Australian salmon (photo courtesy Simon Gillett)
MANDURAH
Tim’s Thicket to Preston has seen a lot of salmon being taken along with a few tailor. The schools of bigger salmon still appear to be well south at the moment but they are moving northwards. The Dawesville Cut is still producing some good fishing. There are plenty of herring, tarwhine and a few chopper tailor being taken, as well as salmon from the ocean end. Garfish are still in numbers off Avalon and Roberts Point. There are still good reports of plenty of herring on the beaches from Halls Head to The Cut along with a few whiting.
Around the Canals, at the Marina and the Bridges there are plenty of herring, small tailor, whiting and tarwhine in the estuary. Crabs are becoming harder to find and drop netters are having to work a little bit harder to get a feed. Black bream and small mulloway have been reported in both the Murray River and Serpentine River. Along the beaches to the north of Mandurah there have been good catches of herring, whiting and tarwhine. There are regular reports of reasonable sized mulloway being taken just after dusk along this stretch of beach.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
Whiting have been in good numbers out in the bay along the weed beds and also from shore in the mornings. The stretch between the two boat ramps is probably the better spot to fish. Tailor and salmon catches are being reported from the beaches near Long Point and further south to Secret Harbour. Sizes and numbers have generally been down but you can still get a feed. Herring have been widespread but not in any great numbers.
A few salmon have made an appearance at Coventry Reef with fishers taking some nice fish around the 3 kg mark. The Sisters still have good numbers of tailor in the morning on the reefs to the west of the islands. Whiting are still on the sand patches and some decent sizes have been seen at the boat ramps. Boat fishers are still taking an occasional spanish mackerel. There have been good garfish around Long Point, Penguin Island, Point Peron and Rockingham Beach as well as whiting and squid. Anglers fishing the jetties at night have taken an occasional big mulloway during the past week.
Mandurah Artificial Reef
Pictured: Dhufish
Recfishwest is thrilled with this week’s announcement by new Fisheries Minister Joe Francis, that the much anticipated Mandurah artificial reef is to be deployed in the coming days.
Once deployed, the reef will develop into a complex marine habitat in a short time supporting a diverse fish community, which will provide new fishing opportunities for many iconic fish species including pink snapper, skippy, baldchin groper, dhufish and samson fish.
This is the first artificial reef in WA that’s 100% funded through fishing licence money so the local fishing community has real ownership of this development and has provided expert advice so that this new reef maximises fishing opportunities for everyone in the region.
For more infrormation click here.
South West Catches
Pictured: Tailor
Salmon numbers have been impressive right along the coast with hundreds of fishers scoring plenty of the 4 to 7kg fish between Hamelin Bay and Cape Naturaliste and along the Geographe Bay beaches. Big schools turned up at Boranup Beach last Friday and there were several groups who enjoyed up to three hours of exhilarating fishing whereby they caught and released up to 20 salmon each. The big swell made fishing rather challenging along the open beaches for most part of the week, however the protected spots including Injidup, Mitchells, Smiths and Yallingup all produced good numbers of salmon.
Boat fishers have been getting among the schools passing off Bunker Bay and Eagle Bay. Tailor have also been caught among the salmon at Bunker Bay and Elmore Road early morning and evening. Good catches of dhufish have been picked up off Cowaramup Bay and Canal Rocks. The Four Mile and Eight Mile have been fishing well for pink snapper just on first light and at dusk. Squid numbers are increasing along the seagrass beds off Quindalup.
Geraldton Catches
Pictured: Baldchin groper (photo courtesy of Geraldton and Districts Offshore Fishing Club)
Mulloway averaging 10kg have been showing up some evenings at the back of the breakwater and along the beaches south of Greenough. Tailor have been mostly patchy along the beaches, however mornings and evenings are seeing a few fish turn up at the first and second points at Greenough and at Southgates.
The boats have been picking up reasonable catches of dhufish, coral trout, pink snapper and baldchin groper near African Reef. Longtail and striped tuna schools have been encountered in a range of depths and areas, however spanish mackerel have hard to come by. Yellowfin tuna to 15kg and better catches of mackerel have been coming from the Abrolhos Islands. Reef fishing near the southern group has been very rewarding.
Kalbarri Catches
Pictured: Mangrove jack (photo courtesy of Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club)
Good catches of spanish mackerel have been reported off Wagoe and Lucky Bay. Trolled garfish rigged with a plastic skirt have been working well on the mackerel. Balloon fishers have also been getting onto a few spaniards and longtail tuna along the Wagoe to Lucky Bay stretch. Reef fishing has been productive along the 20 to 40m depths north and south of town with plenty of pink snapper, baldchin groper and dhufish being picked up.
Early mornings and evenings have been the best time to target tailor at Wittecarra, The Siphon and Chinamans. Mulloway have been turning up at Frustrations and the beaches north of there. The Murchison has been fishing fairly well for black bream. Giant herring to a metre were encountered up river last week while estuary cod were located at Rocky Crossing. There are still quite a few mangrove jack to 55cm being caught near the jetties.
