Metro Catches
Picture: Although they feed throughout the day, dhufish have large eyes so they can hunt at night. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Brumpton)
Reef fishing enthusiasts who were fortunate enough to head offshore when the winds were favourable during the middle of the week scored good catches of dhufish, pink snapper and breaksea cod near Rottnest Island. Some nice pink snapper also came from Five Fathom Bank, which also appeared to be littered with schooling skippy. King George whiting to a kidney-slapping 50cm have been found in a range of areas and while the exact locations were closely guarded, it was reluctantly revealed that The Windmills east of Rottnest and areas of broken ground off Rockingham have been producing the popular table fish.
With light winds forecast for the weekend, the 30 to 50m depths off Mindarie and Two Rocks could be worth a visit following reports of dhufish to 20kg and plenty of baldchin groper caught in these parts during recent weeks. The seagrass meadows off Fremantle and out from Hillarys continue to produce plenty of squid and a few cuttlefish. Sand whiting to a plump 25cm have been picked up in numbers along the sand stretches within a couple of miles off Cottesloe and City Beach. Early morning lure fishers at North Cottesloe and Swanbourne have been catching tailor to 2kg and quite a few herring.
Salmon are also occasionally being caught along the metropolitan beaches, however better catches continue to come from the Rockingham and Kwinana areas. Garfish and herring are on offer most mornings at the Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point and Hillarys Marina rock wall. Surprisingly, there are still plenty of flathead being caught along the shallower parts of the Swan River. Birds have been spotted circling above frenzied tailor between the causeway and The Narrows.
Jetty, Set, Go! – Coode Street jetty
Today we’ll shine the spotlight on Coode Street Jetty. Very accessible, playgrounds, public toilets, open parks and great fishing!
Read more about the Coode Street Jetty and near by facilities here.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Picture: Be on the lookout for large patches of weed as it provides good coverage for large tubes like this one (Photo courtesy of Dylan Picken)
MANDURAH
The beaches to the north of the town are still producing a few fish with tailor, herring, whiting, and pilch (yelloweye mullet) being taken between San Remo and Golden Bay. Tailor have been spasmodic with a few being taken earlier in the week. Fishers chasing black bream are finding that the Serpentine and Murray Rivers are consistently producing good fish, particularly in the lower reaches and in the estuary as fresh water flushes them down stream.
The Cut is still producing plenty of herring, King George whiting, tarwhine and yellowfin whiting are being caught regularly. This spot is generally free of weed and out of the wind and provides a bit of protection as well as some pretty good fishing, making it a good option for fishers of all ages. The beaches to the south from Preston through White Hills and Tim’s Thicket have been heavily weeded up but are still producing herring, the odd salmon and tailor.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY / WARNBRO SOUND
The beaches around Long Point have been quite productive for tailor fishers looking for a feed. Several good fish have been taken with most around the 50cm mark and a few up to 60cm. There are plenty of herring, pilch and yellowfin whiting around along with a few reasonable tailor. Fishers fishing in Warnbro Sound during the week have reported plenty of small pink snapper, some good-sized King George whiting and squid.
Point Peron has been producing some reasonable tailor and an occasional salmon is still hanging around. Other locations in the region that have been turning on good whiting are the Penguin Island sand bar and Secret Harbour. Safety Bay Yacht Club and Rockingham Beach jetty are producing herring and squid.
South West Catches
Picture: Only in WA could you find this catch during late July, pinkies are an accessible fight for almost any fisher! (Photo courtesy of Jim_and_fishing)
When the weather has allowed the boats the head out, the crews have been picking up some nice pink snapper to 10kg along Four Mile and Eight Mile Reefs. Dhufish have mostly been caught along the ground wide of Cape Naturaliste and out from Canal Rocks and Cowaramup Bay. Dense schools of samson fish have been encountered off the tip of the cape and there are schools of big skippy showing up in various depths and areas. Large schools of samson fish and big pinkies are currently harassing both artificial reefs.
King George whiting have been caught in better numbers by those who have been prepared to put in the effort and locate the 30 to 42cm in Geographe Bay. Squid were caught in good numbers along the seagrass beds off Quindalup during the calmer conditions experienced in the middle of the week. Salmon continue to be caught along the west coast and Geographe Bay beaches together with herring and a few skippy.
Albany Catches
Picture: Pilch (yelloweye mullet) on vibe, who would have thought?
King George whiting enthusiasts who have been working the inshore waters of King George Sound, Oyster Harbour and Princess Royal Harbour have been catching fish mostly in the very respectable 34 to 38cm range. A customer of Albany Rods and Tackle caught his bag limit of King George together with a few sand whiting, skippy and squid while fishing these waters last week. Those who managed to find a break in the rough weather and headed to the 60 to 90m contours picked up fair catches of red, queen and pink snapper as well breaksea cod, samson fish and small dhufish. Big schools of salmon have been appearing at Bluff Creek. Salmon were also reportedly caught at Shelleys, Lowlands, Sand Patch and Cables during the past fortnight.
Heaps of herring, some nice tarwhine and skippy of mixed sizes have also been coming from along the beaches. Samson fish have been showing at the Emu Point channel very briefly at the turn of the tide. A few squid have also been caught from Emu Point as well as at the marina. Black bream enthusiasts have been enjoying some entertaining sessions with hard-bodied and soft plastic lures at the Palinup and Bremer. The bream in the King and Kalgan are rarely being caught on anything other than baits while the water remains very discoloured. A local bream master landed a superb 50cm specimen at Wilson Inlet recently.
Esperance Catches
Picture: Did you know the much appreciated table fish breaksea cod can grow up to 55cm, up to 3kg and live to 19 years of age! (Photo courtesy of @cowan_wise)
Small boat and dinghy fishers have been doing well on squid and sand whiting in the bay while the bigger crafts that made it out to the islands, and beyond, have been picking up decent hauls of nannygai, queen snapper, pink snapper, breaksea cod and samson fish. Herring, garfish, skippy and squid have been coming from the Taylor Street Jetty while Bandy Creek Boar Harbour has mostly been producing herring and the odd King George whiting.
Salmon continue to turn up in schools of a dozen or so fish along the local beaches including Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach and Fourteen Mile while bigger schools have been occasionally turning up at Roses Beach. Stockyards and Fourteen Mile are worth a look after skippy and heaps of herring were being caught there recently.
Download iPhone or Android
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Magic metre mulloway (Photo courtesy of Getaway Outdoors)
A good mix of reef fish including dhufish, pink snapper, coral trout and baldchin groper have been picked up near African Reef and along the lumps west northwest of the marina. Dinghy and small boat fishers who have been staying within the reef line have been doing reasonably well on herring, skippy, sand whiting and squid. Similar catches of bread and butter species have been coming from the back of The Lives and along the marina rock wall.
Surf fishers have been picking up tailor between 35 and 55cm early morning and evening along the Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch and the beaches north of Drummonds. Some nice black bream have been recently caught in the Greenough and Chapman Rivers.
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Nice shore-based spaniard, well done Jake! (Photo courtesy of @jakesfishstagram)
A customer of Kalbarri Sports and Dive recently landed one of the bigger tailor to be caught along the coast this year – a genuine jumbo measuring a whopping 90cm near the Blue Holes. More tailor between 60 and 70cm have also been caught there as well as at nearby Wittecarra and at the river mouth. Garfish have remained in numbers at Red Bluff and there presence has brought about an assortment of predators to the area including yellowtail kingfish, one of which was caught on rig intended for the humble garfish.
Pink snapper have been occasionally caught at the coastal cliffs. Frustrations has been the pick of the spots for mulloway while several others were caught in the lower and upper reaches of the Murchison. The crews who have been prepared to do the miles have been picking up better catches of reef fish, which have included dhufish, baldchin groper, estuary cod and pink snapper. Spanish mackerel are occasionally being caught on trolled bibbed minnows and rigged garfish while cobia have been turning up in a range of depths and areas. Yellowfin whiting have returned to the sand flats located within the river in numbers and there are still plenty of black bream around.
Exmouth Catches
Picture: Riley with his spangled emperor he caught in Exmouth (Photo courtesy Deon Baddock)
Perhaps one of the more unusual catches this week was a 10kg mulloway that was landed at the marina. Mulloway are rarely caught north of Carnarvon, however following the appearance of several salmon in the gulf and town beaches a couple of months ago, perhaps mulloway lurking in the local waters is not too hard to accept. Plenty of yellowfin bream, small trevally, a few queenfish and estuary cod were also caught at the marina.
The boats that headed out off the west side to target quality demersal fish managed to deck some nice red emperor, rankin cod and goldband snapper in the 60 to 100m depths. Spangled emperor between 3 and 4kg have been caught on baits and lures around the lagoon bombies. Spanish mackerel continue to be caught in good numbers around the 15 to 25m depths north and south of Tantabiddi.
Broome Catches
Picture: Billfish up north this time of year showcase why fishing is so important to tourism in WA (Photo courtesy of Broome Fishing Club)
There have been mixed reports from the boats targeting billfish with some crews encountering up to a dozen or so sailfish a session and others struggling to raise a single fish. Spanish mackerel have been found in good numbers in areas that have included waters wide of Barred Creek and out from Gantheaume Point.
Disaster Rock is always worth a try during this part of the season for cobia, queenfish and big golden and giant trevally. Mulloway to a metre have been caught quite frequently at Black Ledge while bluebone have been picked up in big numbers near Gantheaume Point. Shore-based anglers have been enjoying the queenfish and trevally action near the port and at the mouth of Willie Creek.
