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 tim@recfishwest.org.au
Exmouth Catches
Picture: Walking the beaches along the west coast or the flats inside the gulf can provide some of the most enjoyable styles of fishing. A variety of good fish can be caught from shore such as spangled emperor like this one (Photo courtesy of Tyson Lyons).
Boats
Blue marlin continue to be caught in depths in excess of 600m while smaller black marlin are being encountered in as shallow as 100m. Sailfish are lurking at the back of the west coast reef and there are a few fish in the upper areas of the gulf. Spangled emperor and rankin cod have been caught out from Tantabiddi. Red emperor are being found in 60m to 80m while goldband snapper are in 100m and deeper.
Shore-based
Mangrove jack and small tuskfish have been caught on good numbers in the lower areas of the gulf. Queenfish to a metre, golden and giant trevally and permit have also been caught in the gulf. The lighthouse area is worth a try with spangled emperor and bluebone caught there recently. Try Old Bundegi during an incoming tide for queenfish and giant herring.
Do you want to know what has been happening in the regions? Click here for a state-wide competition wrap up.
Recfishwest’s Forecast
The weather is lining up for the weekend in Exmouth with idyllic conditions forecast. Very little swell and wind will provide comfortable conditions all weekend for boaters and beach fishers alike. The high tide after dark should be good for spangled emperor from the west coast beach accesses but the fish may be spooky in the full moon light. The Sunday and Monday morning rising tide would be worth a try around sunrise on the west side reef for coral trout, giant trevally and other reef fish. The beaches at the tip of the cape would be worth a try for land-based giant trevally on the rising tide after dark using dark shaded poppers to silhouette against the full moon.
Download iPhone or Android
Recfishwest’s Tip of the Week
Single Lure Hooks
A couple of lure companies have made the switch to purpose made single hooks on their lures off the shelf. With people becoming more conscious about the importance of catch care, especially for catch and release fishing, single hooks are a logical choice. One hook point provides a single clean hook up, usually in the corner of a fish’s mouth and can be removed with minimal damage to the fish. Contrary to some beliefs you won’t lose many hook ups due to missed strikes using singles and because of the clean hook up and unhooking you can spend more time catching fish, and less time fishing out an awkwardly lodged treble hook.
Whether you are catch and release fishing or keeping a few for the table, make the switch to specially designed short shank single lure hooks this salmon season. For the ultimate in sport fishing catch care, you can also buy barbless hooks or simply crush the barbs with pliers on existing hooks. Then, in the case of busting off on a fish, it can shake the lure free and get on with its business.
