Metro Catches
Pictured: Western Australian salmon
Big schools of salmon remain in the vicinity of Garden Island, Carnac Island and Stragglers and there have been smaller schools encountered within Cockburn Sound. The boats that have been travelling within a mile or so of Rottnest Island have also been find schooling salmon and there have been plenty spotted along Five Fathom Bank and Coventry Reef. Better numbers of the 3 to 7kg salmon have been turning up along the coast with Palm Beach Jetty, the Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point and both moles popular spots to access them land based. There has been no shortage of schools appearing at Cables, Grant Street, Swanbourne Drain, Brighton and Contacio.
Herring numbers have been gradually increasing along the coast whereby better catches have been picked up at the local rock platforms of Woodman Point, the moles and Hillarys Marina rather than the beaches. Emilio Orifici, of Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle, and his father, Joseph, caught 11 King George whiting between 55 and 58cm and two 50cm flathead out from Fremantle on Saturday. Squid can be sought along the seagrass meadows out from the Fremantle Sailing Club and the Mangles area near Garden Island. The boats anchoring and burleying inside Five Fathom Bank have been picking up some nice hauls of pink snapper, small dhufish and harlequin fish. Black bream enthusiasts recommend trying The Narrows to Claremont area following the recent rain.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Pictured: Tailor and Recfishwest’s Limited Edition Lure ‘The Christou’
MANDURAH
People fishing in the estuary are finding plenty of the smaller species with good catches of tailor, herring, garfish, skippy, and tarwhine. Squid have also been caught from the Old Traffic Bridge. Crabs are still around, but numbers of sized crabs are starting to dwindle. Due to a recent drop in the water temperature in the estuary, many crabs have gone out to sea and have started their breeding cycle. This has meant that there are a lot of very small crabs left in the estuary waters. There are still a few bream being taken in the Murray and Serpentine rivers.
Big mulloway are still being taken from the beaches at Golden Bay and Madora Bay to the north of the town along with herring and whiting. A larger sand whiting or herring, or a fillet from either, would provide an almost irresistible bait for a big mulloway. As in the metropolitan area, garfish have been abundant in and around Mandurah. The Dawesville Cut has been producing good numbers along with plenty of herring and tailor. There are plenty of salmon being taken from the ocean end of The Cut. There have been some good fish taken from the southern beaches of White Hills and Tim’s Thicket. Fishers fishing from these beaches have also taken a few tailor, herring and whiting.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
There have been good catches of herring and garfish from around Long Point, Penguin Island, Point Peron and Rockingham Beach. Whiting and squid are also being taken from these locations with an odd tailor of an evening. Tailor catches are still 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 and size and numbers are increasing. Fishers are still picking up a few mackerel from the bottom end of the Five Fathom Bank, and there was one good fish taken on a balloon rig early last week. Salmon are plentiful along all beaches.
South West Catches
Pictured: Pink snapper (photo courtesy of @mitchellanick)
Salmon have continued to turn up in dense schools along the west coast beaches stretching between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste as well as throughout Geographe Bay. While just about any area of seawater would be worth trying for salmon considering the strength of this year’s run, the notable areas for catches this week have included Hamelin Bay, Boranup Beach, Contos Beach, Injidup, Mitchells, Smiths Beach, Bunker Bay, Eagle Bay, Meelup and Castle Rock.
Herring are also about the coast and usually more prevalent when the salmon are not around. Squid catches are improving along the seagrass beds between Eagle Bay and Siesta Park. Early mornings and the dusk period seem to be the optimum times to target pink snapper along the Four Mile and Eight Mile.
Albany Catches
Pictured: Black bream (photo courtesy of Cowan Wise)
An estimated 20kg yellowtail kingfish was caught near Cheynes Beach last week and there were unconfirmed reports of bigger “hoodlums” landed from a few of the shore-based spots closer to town. According to Albany Rods and Tackle’s Jim Allan, the kingies have turned up close to shore in big numbers during the past week and any of the land-based spots that feature deep water, including West Cape Howe and Sand Patch, would be worth trying.
Salmon have continued to pass along the beaches in good numbers. The Bremer Bay beaches, Bluff Creek, Cheynes Beach, Nanarup, Shelleys and Lowlands all produced good numbers of 3 to 7kg salmon. Early mornings and evenings are seeing a few tailor turn up at Nanarup and there are truckloads of herring about the coast, especially when the salmon are not present. The boats working the inshore waters have been doing well on King George whiting, herring and squid in the sound and both harbours. Bonito and small southern bluefin tuna have been encountered off the headlands. A good mix of reef fish including red, pink and queen snapper, breaksea cod and samson fish have been caught in 50 to 85m of water, especially along the coral. Most of the river systems are worth a visit for black bream and small mulloway. A 10kg croaker was caught at the marina last week.
Remember, if you’re going to fish from the rocks make sure you wear a life jacket. Please see FREE loan life jacket locations in the footer of the website.
Esperance Catches
Pictured: King George whiting
A good mix of bread and butter species including herring, skippy, squid and King George whiting can be sought at the Taylor Street Jetty while the James Street platform mostly has herring and King George. More KGs, fish around the 30cm mark, and small herring have been coming from Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. The bream lakes are worth a try following reports of good numbers of fish to 40cm being caught there on baits and lures.
Salmon remain in good numbers right along the coast with big schools reported at Fourth Beach, Salmon Beach, Fourteen Mile, Roses, Poison Creek, Thomas and Alexander Bay. Gummy shark catches have been experienced at Fourteen Mile, Thomas and The Cliffs. The small boats are still finding plenty of squid and sand whiting in close. Out wider, samson fish and breaksea cod have dominated catches while nannygai to 2.5kg and queen snapper have been picked up in better numbers beyond the islands.
Geraldton Catches
Pictured: Dhufish
Mulloway in the 10 to 15kg range have continued to be caught from the northern side of the new marina as well as at Sunset Beach and at the back of the breakwater. The marina and the breakwater have also been producing good catches of herring, chopper tailor, sand whiting and pike. The Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch has been producing smaller mulloway to 80cm and tailor.
The boats have been picking up dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper near African Reef. Bigger than usual numbers of large baldchin groper have been coming from the ground west north west of the marina. Spanish mackerel are still being caught on trolled bibbed minnows and floated whole baits at the back of Pensioners. Striped and longtail tuna schools are also evident offshore. The small boats working the seagrass beds off St Georges and Separation Point have been catching plenty of squid.
Kalbarri Catches
Pictured: Baldchin groper
The blue water activity has increased with good numbers of spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna caught north and south during the week and a heap of cobia taken at the local FADs. Reef fishing has been equally rewarding following reports of an estimated 10kg red emperor picked up in about 50m of water and heaps of pink snapper, baldchin groper and rankin cod about.
Early mornings and evenings are seeing chopper tailor between 35 and 45cm turn up at Wittecarra Creek and Red Bluff. Frustrations and the beaches north of there have been better for mulloway. Small mulloway to 70cm have been common in the Murchison, which is also fishing fairly well for black bream, mangrove jack and estuary cod. Mud crab catches have been increasing and there are more blue mannas also around.
Exmouth Catches
Pictured: Ruby snapper (photo courtesy of @fishing_oz)
Spanish mackerel numbers have been a little thin, even at first light when the popular blue water fish are usually prevalent, however things are expected to improve on this front during the coming weeks. The locals suggest that when the mackerel shut down and will not even strike at deeper-diving minnows then it could pay to rig up swim baits such as mullet, which ordinarily increase the chances of a strike.
Ruby snapper have been caught in good numbers in the 250 to 350m depths recently. A 25kg ruby was weighed in at Tackle World last weekend. Bar cod have also been caught by those fishing in the deeper waters. Fishers targeting billfish have been surprised by the number of dolphin fish striking lures intended for black and blue marlin during the past few weeks. Junior fisher, Riley Smith, caught an 8.5kg dolphin fish on 3kg line while targeting broadbill last week – a great effort from a stationary vessel.
Broome Catches
Pictured: Barramundi (photo courtesy of @ejswinhoe)
Sailfish were encountered in good numbers off Echo Beach last week and plenty more are expected to be hooked and raised in local waters during the next run of neaps. Spanish mackerel are responding well to trolled bibbed minnows and rigged garfish and have been located in various areas that have included Roebuck Bay, out from the port and farther offshore. Longtail and mack tuna schools have also been spotted offshore.
The boats targeting reef fish in the bay report there to be a lot of bluebone and fingermark bream about. Threadfin salmon are still about in excellent numbers in Roebuck Bay and the local creeks. Blue salmon and a few barramundi have also been picked up in the local creeks. Bigger barra have been located in the middle reaches of the Fitzroy River at areas that have included Langis Crossing and Telegraph Pool.
