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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
Tip of the week banner images courtesy of Shutterstock Ruggiero Scardigno, Smiltena & Garry L.
In case you missed it: 30,000 Fish Dead!
There are no stronger advocates for healthy aquatic environments than recreational fishers. This is why much of the recreational fishing community has been up in arms over the recent fish kill in the Murray River, near Mandurah.
Read the full article here.
Broome Catches
Picture: Black jewfish caught out of Crab Creek in Broome (Photo courtesy of Josh Meeuwissen)
Boats
Sailfish numbers are increasing offshore, however the majestic sportfish have been hard to tempt, even with a variety of offerings, while they feed on small baitfish. Broome Tackle World’s Steve Chambers encountered two black marlin while targeting sailfish during the past fortnight. Reef fishing enthusiasts have been getting among good numbers of chinaman cod quite close to shore while red emperor and saddletail seaperch have mostly been coming from beyond the 30m contour.
Shore based
Shore-based fishers have been using a range of lures and baits to catch bluenose salmon along Cable Beach and threadfin salmon in Roebuck Bay. Spanish mackerel are occasionally being caught on live garfish at Gantheaume Point. Barramundi between 60cm and 80cm and the odd fish close to a metre have been caught in the Fitzroy River, especially near Langis Crossing and Telegraph Pool.
Exmouth Catches
Picture: Good catches of rankin cod have been coming out of Exmouth this week (Photo courtesy of Robbie Peck).
Boats
Small black marlin have are being regularly encountered off the west coast together with a few sailfish, dolphin fish and wahoo. Bottom fishing has been generally good in 40m to 60m of water where red emperor to 10kg, rankin cod, spangled emperor and saddle tail seaperch have been picked up. Trolled bibbed minnows have been working well on the spanish mackerel lurking in 15m to 30m of water off the west side reef.
Shore based
Yellowfin whiting are being caught in excellent numbers at Town Beach and along the coast stretching from the marina to Learmonth Jetty. Squid have been caught in better numbers at the Learmonth Jetty and the marina during the hour leading up to the peak of high tide. Small trevally and queenfish are common at the west coast accesses. Try Jacobz and Jansz at sunset for bluebone and spangled emperor.
Esperance Catches
Picture: Poady with a nice land based yellowtail king taken between Bremer and Esperance. Great to see the life jacket too!
Boats
Dinghy and small boat fishers have been regularly bagging a dozen big squid a session together with plenty of sand whiting, herring and snook around the inshore parts. A nice mix of reef fish including nannygai to 2.5kg, queen snapper, breaksea cod, samson fish and pink snapper have been coming from the waters beyond the islands. Southern bluefin tuna are occasionally being spotted out wide.
Shore based
The Taylor Street Jetty is producing garfish, herring, skippy, squid and barracouta most days while the Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has King George of around 30cm, herring, skippy and black bream. Salmon were found at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Nine Mile, Roses and Warrinup this past week. Alexander Bay has mulloway and big tailor on offer. Dunns and Stockyards are worth a try for skippy to 2kg and salmon.
Albany Catches
Picture: Decent Sambo caught on jig (Photo courtesy of Harley Brown). Learn more about jigging here.
Boats
Squid numbers seem to have improved along the seagrass beds, located through in the inshore waters, following increased catches of the popular cephalopods in King George Sound, both harbours and Two Peoples Bay during the past fortnight. Jack Dawson caught several squid together with a huge cuttlefish during a recent session. King George whiting have been picked up in reasonable numbers and, similar to the squid, catches should increase as the winter month’s progress. Herring, skippy and sand whiting can be found in most of the inshore parts with little difficulty. More pinks and sambos have been caught along the 60m to 90m depths together with red snapper, queen snapper, dhufish and breaksea cod. The bigger boats that ventured beyond the shelf scored hapuka and blue eye trevalla.
Shore based
Surf fishers have continued to enjoy good sessions on salmon at Cables, Nanarup, Little Beach, Bornholm, Shelleys, Cheynes Beach and Bluff Creek. Cheynes and Bluff Creek have also been fishing very well for big herring and skippy while Bornholm and Nanarup have tailor some mornings and evenings. The King and Kalgan rivers are both fishing well for black bream in the 32cm to 38cm range. Mulloway catches have been fewer in both systems.
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Fishers have been doing reasonably well on pinkies near the cliffs in Kalbarri (Photo courtesy of @pjgringo).
Boats
Bluewater enthusiasts have been encountering fair numbers of spanish mackerel and yellowfin and longtail tuna in approximately 20m of water near The Sand Patch. The crews who have been targeting reef fish have been doing reasonably well on baldchin groper and pink snapper near the cliffs and red emperor along the coral in about 50m.
Shore based
An impressive 10kg snapper was caught from the shore at Wagoe. Tailor have been a little hard to track, but there has been the odd fish caught early morning and around sunset at Red Bluff, Wittecarra and Siphons. Frustrations has continued to produce a few mulloway and pink snapper. Black bream, estuary cod and small mulloway have been coming from the jetties and pens and farther up river.
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Spaniards have been caught at the Abrolhos Islands, along with a variety of tuna (Photo courtesy of Geraldton & District Offshore Fishing Club).
Boats
Crews who set out to target quality reef fish had to work hard for their catches of dhufish and pink snapper in waters northwest and southwest of the marina. Better catches of dhufish and snapper have been coming from waters close to the Abrolhos Islands together with coral trout, baldchin groper and spangled emperor. Similarly, spanish mackerel and tuna have been more regularly encountered near the islands. Dinghy and small boat fishers have been picking up some nice feeds of squid along the seagrass beds off Separation Point.
Shore based
Bread and butter species including herring, school whiting, skippy, pike and, in the evenings, squid can be caught from the back of the breakwater. Tailor have been a little difficult to locate, but a few 35cm to 45cm fish have been turning up in the mornings and evenings at Flat Rocks, Separation Point and Drummonds. Mulloway catches have been spread out with the Greenough River mouth, Southgates and Drummonds all producing catches of 10kg to 18kg fish. West Bank and Lucys are worth a try for dhufish when the swell is below 1.5m and winds are favourable.
South West Catches
Picture: A couple of horse pink snapper caught in Bunbury. Get yourself some snapper, learn how here.
Boats
Kayak and small boat fishers have been getting good numbers of pink snapper in Geographe Bay. A customer of Dunsborough Outdoor Sportz landed two snapper in less than 5m of water from his kayak last week. Four Mile and Eight Mile reefs have also been fishing well for snapper as have the 10m to 20m depths off the west coast, especially when a consistent stream of burley is in use. The seagrass beds off Quindalup have been producing good catches of squid as well as a few cuttlefish.
Shore based
Shore based fishers have experienced a fantastic run of pink snapper with dozens of fish ranging from 4kg to an impressive 12kg caught from the Geographe Bay coast during the past week. While some fishers have managed to land snapper during daylight hours, the better catches have been coming after nightfall. A few snapper were also caught from the west coast beaches, however big swells have been making the fishing in these exposed waters somewhat difficult. Good catches of salmon continue to be had along both sides of the cape and there are still herring around.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: Cracking Squid pic here. Hot tip – let the squid squirt its ink in the water before you land it on board! (Photo courtesy of Squid Hunters Western Australia).
MANDURAH
Fishers report that there are herring in and around Mandurah and the Dawesville Cut. There are tarwhine and whiting being caught near the river mouth too. People fishing from the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut have been catching a few King George whiting, herring, a few garfish, along with a few skippy. An occasional salmon is also turning up along with some good sized tailor along the local beaches. Fishers this week have been taking some good-sized tailor, herring, skippy and some smallish tarwhine. There are still a few good crabs in the deep water. The Murray and Serpentine rivers have been producing some excellent catches of bream from most popular spots.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
Occasional salmon are being taken from the beaches and jetties early morning and evening. Tailor are also an option at the moment with some big fish being taken in close to the reefs. Long Point, Point Perron and the Rockingham jetties have been producing consistent catches of big herring, chopper tailor, skippy and tarwhine. There are still some salmon coming as well but their numbers are thinning. Jetty fishers are catching good bags of garfish in the mornings. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some excellent fishing producing good catches of flathead, flounder and whiting.
Read what WA Today had to say about the recent fish kill, here.
Metro Catches
Picture: What’s the furthest south you have you ever heard of a Coral Trout being caught? Mitchell Vigers caught this beauty off Quinns rocks last week. If you have heard of any unusual captures make sure you log them on Redmap
Boats
The boats that have been drifting along the broken ground east of Rottnest Island have been picking up nice catches of King George whiting. The sand holes located between the mainland and Rottnest are holding plenty of sand whiting. Skippy are starting to be caught in better numbers and sizes along Five Fathom Bank. Jake Crispe, of Anglers Fishing World, used soft plastics to catch several dhufish to 65cm and a breaksea cod south-west of Rottnest on Monday. Salmon continue to be encountered near The Mewstone and Stragglers. Squid catches are improving along the seagrass beds off Fremantle and Hillarys.
Shore based
Pink snapper catches have continued from the rock walls located between Long Point and North Mole, the metropolitan beaches and the coastal stretches north and south of Perth. Salmon have also been turning up at the rock walls and there has been the odd fish caught from the beaches. Herring are plentiful right along the coast and there are a few garfish appearing, especially when the wind has been light. Early mornings and evenings are producing some tailor at Grant Street, Floreat and Trigg Point.
Squid Tactics
Technical Rating: Novice
When it comes to the retrieve there is no clear cut rule as most techniques will produce a squid or two. In Japan, ripping a jig a couple of metres through the water in one whip of the rod is pretty much considered standard fare, however the critical part of the Japanese tecnique is when the jig is falling back down to the bottom. This is generally when the squid grabs the jig, so they put a lot of concentration into watching the line for any movement as a squid tries to make off with the lure. Once this is spotted the jig is set with a firm strike and then fought into the net.
Another point worth mentioning about the Japanese tecnique is that they don’t move the jig at all while it is falling. The only time the jig is moved is when it is being ripped away from the approaching bottom to get the squid’s attention or to set the hooks on a squid that has already taken the jig.
While it might take a hell of a lot of will power not to move the jig too often, the Japanese style of jigging for squid is certainly a system that works very effectively on our southern calamari, no matter where you fish.
Once you catch your squid it is best to look after them properly so that they taste their best. Check out the Catch Care and Cooking tab in the link below to find out how to ensure you get tender squid every time.
For more on catching squid and some of the tactics and jig tips, you gotta read this!
