Keep your eyes peeled for Recfishwest’s Tip of the week, see below!
Your Fishing Photos
If you want to see yourself or your kids feature in our weekly state-wide Fishing Reports, send your best fishing photos and a description to bronte@recfishwest.org.au
Geraldton Catches
Picture: One of the two blue marlin tagged onboard BALEK III during the recent Halco Abrolhos Islands Tournament (Photo courtesy of Geraldton & Districts Offshore Fishing Club).
Boats
At least seven marlin were tagged during the recent tournament at the Abrolhos Islands. Competitors also landed yellowfin tuna to 50kg, spanish mackerel, shark mackerel, yellowtail kingfish, amberjack and samson fish. One of the competitors also caught 67 fish comprising of 16 different species while fishing at an anchorage near the Wallabies in the evenings of the tournament. Baldchin groper, pink snapper and coral trout have been common near most groups.
Shore-based
An estimated 19kg mulloway was caught near the Greenough River mouth last week. The first and second points at Greenough have also been producing mulloway together with tailor, herring and pike. The weed movement has been making things difficult along the West Bank to Lucys stretch, however tailor and mulloway can be caught along there. Good catches of whiting have been coming from the rock walls near town. spanish mackerel around a metre in length have been turning up behind The Lives in the afternoon.
Recfishwest’s Forecast
Geraldton should experience a nice break from the typical south westerlies over the next week. Relatively light offshore winds should provide good conditions for boaters and shore based fishers with the weekend and early next week looking like the optimum spot of weather. Shore based fishers should experience a good easterly most mornings with a chance to balloon for a late season mackerel still an option. Entering into autumn is when the “greenback” tailor make an appearance around the inshore reefs with the Greenough stretch very productive for big winter tailor.
South West Catches
Picture: A fat south west salmon and great capture by Kate, enjoying the sport this fish took Kate more than 10 minutes to land on light gear (Photo courtesy of Kate Dawson).
Boats
The crews fishing off Cowaramup Bay, Canal Rocks and the tip of Cape Naturaliste have been picking up good catches of dhufish and pink snapper as well as encountering a few samson fish and yellowtail kingfish. Trolled bibbed minnows have been working well on salmon and small southern bluefin tuna through the inshore waters of Geographe Bay. Squid continue to be caught along the seagrass beds off Quindalup.
Shore-based
When the swell and winds have allowed, surf fishers have been enjoying some entertaining salmon sessions at Hamelin Bay, Redgate, Gas Bay, Injidup and Smiths Beach. Salmon numbers have been increasing along the Geographe Bay beaches with plenty of 3kg to 6kg fish caught at Bunker Bay, Rocky Point, Eagle Bay, Meelup Bay and Point Picquet during the week.
Recfishwest’s Forecast
Moderate easterly winds over the weekend should provide decent conditions offshore with sunny skies. About 2m of swell from the south west will provide moderately challenging beach conditions on the west coast. The Geographe Bay side of Cape Naturaliste around Dunsborough will provide a break from the swell if the wind allows easy fishing. Salmon numbers should continue to move through the area strongly becoming more sporadic in a few weeks’ time.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: Pink is arguably the most commonly used colour for squid jigs and the fact is it works! However it’s good to have a range of colours to try out on different days (Photo courtesy of Squid Hunters Western Australia)
Boats
There are some good reports of small boat anglers fishing inshore around the reefs and weed banks taking some excellent King George whiting and pink snapper.
Shore-based
There are still a few tailor being caught along the Tim’s Thicket to Preston Beach stretch but catches are slowing down. Good news is that there have been a few reports of an occasional large salmon being taken from the southern end. White Hills has had moderate numbers of tailor and herring throughout the week. A few mulloway have come from this area but sizes have been smaller than usual. The beaches between Halls Head and The Cut are providing a feed of herring, juvenile salmon, tailor and some good whiting.
Beaches to the north of Mandurah are still producing some good mulloway and tailor as well as herring, skippy, whiting and tarwhine. Singleton Beach and other beaches in the area have had some nice mulloway landed in the evenings along with tailor and herring most nights. The Cut is still fishing well with herring, a few tailor and juvenile salmon along with some tarwhine being taken.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY:
Long Point and Warnbro beaches have been producing tailor and herring. Tarwhine have been taken in good numbers this week. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some nice flathead and sand whiting. Palm Beach jetty seems to be the pick with good numbers of herring and whiting fishing at the moment. A few squid have also been taken at night.
Recfishwest’s Forecast
Expect good numbers of salmon to begin to pass Mandurah beaches in the coming weeks. Winds look favourable for fishing much of the coming week, with light offshore winds forecast. Tides aren’t favourable for anything in particular but with the beautiful sunny skies forecast it’s a prime time to be on the water, find some scattered weed beds and try for squid as a peaceful way to soak in the weather.
Metro Catches
Picture: This weekend is looking perfect for the family to head down to one of Perth’s many picturesque beaches, even providing a chance for some early season salmon fun (Photo courtesy of @mattymancave).
Boats
Marco Orifici, of Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle, recently came across big schools of herring while near Coventry Reef. Marco said the herring were attracting salmon to 7kg and yellowtail kingfish to 80cm to the area. Salmon and kingies were responding to mulies and metal lures. Salmon have also been regularly caught near The Mewstone and Stragglers.
Good catches of pink snapper have been coming from the western wide of Garden Island. Squid enthusiasts have been finding plenty of the tasty cephalopods along the northern side of Garden Island and out from Fremantle Sailing Club. Dolphin fish and the occasional wahoo have been caught near the Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) wide of Rottnest Island. Luke Treby and a couple of mates scored dolphin fish to 8kg at the FADs on Saturday.
Shore-based
Pink snapper have been caught from South and North Mole during the week together with a few salmon. Herring have been caught in good numbers at both of the moles as well as at Woodman Point, South Beach Groyne, Dutch Inn Groyne and Hillarys Marina rock wall. Tailor have mostly been turning up after 9pm along the metropolitan beaches. Spots, where the 45cm to 65cm fish were caught this past week, included Leighton Beach, Grant Street Reef, Swanbourne Drain, Floreat Groyne and Trigg Point.
Some nice catches of flathead have been coming from Mosman Bay and Freshwater Bay. There are still a few mulloway being caught in the lower reaches of the Swan River. Black bream have been good in the Canning River between Shelley Bridge and Fifth Avenue. There are still blue swimmer crabs being caught in both of the systems.
Recfishwest’s Forecast
As we move into some cooler months expect squid to be active in the cool waters around Fremantle, Rockingham or any of the inshore islands, especially during breaks of nice weather when the waters aren’t disturbed and become clear. Pink snapper will also become active and expect them to move into inshore areas in the periods after a rise in swell. Sunny skies for the next week with winds looking very nice in the mornings and some evenings. The weekend is looking perfect with light offshore winds so whether boat or beach fishing the weekend is the pick! Spear fishers should be in with some nice visibility for the week.
Recfishwest’s tip of the week
Sustainable Seafood Recipe Competition
Have any good recipes for less commonly used seafood? Keen to win a 10 course degustation dining experience in a farm setting inspired by camp oven and bush spices?
We can confirm our first entry that will go into the Sustainable Seafood Cookbook by Fervor is Jimmy’s Fish Ribs! Keen fisher James Warren uses a special filleting technique to save these juicy fish ribs that would otherwise be thrown away with the frame. They are perfect for camping and we think they are as good if not better than the fillets.
Don’t forget to get your entries in for the chance to go into the book and win great prizes: For more information, click here.
