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
Tip of the week banner images courtesy of Shutterstock Ruggiero Scardigno, Smiltena & Garry L.
In case you missed it: Winter Fishing is Hot!
Winter is a time when some boat owners put the cover over their boat and park it up until the warmer weather arrives again. But for a lucky few it is that time of the year where bags are packed and the trip north to warmer climates is made. Some head up north for a week or two while many more make it a pilgrimage and stay there for the whole season.
Read the full article here.
Kununurra Catches
Picture: Matt Cox with first-time barramundi fisher Kim with an impressive looking fish! (Photo courtesy of Northbound Charters).
Ord River
The fishing in the Lower Ord River has been fantastic with good numbers of barra being caught on a daily basis. Generally trolling or casting classic barra lures has been doing the job in the back eddies of the river. Spring tides have also been a big factor with a lot of freshwater still coming down the river the conditions can be quite tricky without an incoming tide to slow the freshwater up making it fishable.
Shore based
The Keep River has been fishing extremely well especially on the bigger tides up around the rock bars. The colder weather making it more appealing for campers. The nights have been slow but dusk and dawn productive on surface lures.
Broome Catches
Picture: Jake with a nice dolphin fish, dollies are getting caught with marlin and varieties of tuna (Photo courtesy of @jakesfishstagram).
Boats
Sailfish continue to be encountered off Barred Creek and near The Peanut together with the odd small black marlin, dolphin fish and varieties of tuna. Crews who targeted mackerel caught Spanish and smaller school and spotted mackerel off Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point. Threadfin salmon have been a little less common in recent weeks, however, there are plenty of their bluenose cousins in Roebuck Bay and at the mouths of the local creeks. Tripletail have been responding to baits, lures and fly near the moorings and other flotsam located in Roebuck Bay and Cable Beach.
Shore based
Yellowfin whiting are being caught in excellent numbers along Cable Beach and Roebuck Bay. Queenfish to a metre and assortments of trevally have been responding to poppers and stick baits at the rocks of the port, especially an hour either side of the change in tide.
Exmouth Catches
Picture: Yellowfin tuna, a very popular sashimi fish because of it’s beautiful flavour and texture (Photo courtesy of Ash Hicks).
Boats
Small black marlin continue to be caught in waters wide of Tantabiddi together with sailfish, wahoo, dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna. Spanish mackerel are responding well to bibbed minnows trolled in 15m to 30m of water off the west coast reef. The back of the Muiron Islands and west of the lighthouse area seems to be the best ground for red emperor, rankin cod, robinson sea bream and spangled emperor.
Shore based
Good catches of plump whiting are being had along Town Beach and south of the marina. The accesses on the west side are providing spangled emperor, trevally, queenfish and the occasional bluebone. The incoming tide period seems to be the optimum time to target squid at Learmonth Jetty, the marina and the Tantabiddi boat launching facility.
Esperance Catches
Picture: How’s this for a fish?! Yellowtail kingfish are a prized fish in the Esperance area (Photo courtesy of @gawn_fishin).
Boats
Dinghy and small boat fishers have been doing well on squid, sand whiting, skippy and herring within a mile or two of the coast. Nannygai to 2.5kg, breaksea cod and queen snapper have been common out wide. Schools of 10kg to 40kg samson fish and yellowtail kingfish to 20kg have been encountered in a range of depths and areas.
Shore based
Salmon continue to be caught in good numbers at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Nine Mile, Eleven Mile and Roses. Roses and Fourteen Mile have been producing skippy to an impressive 3kg. Skippy between 2kg and 3kg have been occasionally caught at Dunns together with salmon and plenty of herring.
Alexander Bay fished well for mulloway, salmon and skippy last week. Big sand whiting, herring, skippy and salmon can be found at Wylie Bay. The Taylor Street Jetty has herring, garfish and squid. Black bream, herring and the odd King George whiting were among the species caught at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour.
Albany Catches
Picture: Squid have been showing up in great numbers this week with fishers getting their boat limits (Photo courtesy of Wazza Upton of Squid Hunters Western Australia).
Boats
The shelf and the waters wide of the continental line fished well for a variety of deep dwellers including hapuka, blue eye trevalla, red snapper and western bass. Fair catches of pink, red and queen snapper were taken along the coral in 65m to 85m of water together with a few breaksea cod, dhufish and samson fish. The crews who fished in shallower waters managed a few harlequin fish as well as a few smaller pink snapper.
King George whiting enthusiasts reported there to be reasonable numbers through the inshore areas of Two Peoples Bay, Cosy Corner, Cheyne Beach and King George Sound. Sand whiting are relatively easy to find as are herring, pike and skippy when burley is introduced. Squid have shown up in numbers not seen for some months with plenty of bag and boat limits achieved this past week.
Shore based
Salmon are still lurking around the beaches with 3kg to 7kg fish found at Bluff Creek, Cheyne Beach, Sand Patch and Shelley Beach this past week. A group who fished Bluff Creek recently scored some nice skippy and plenty of herring in addition to salmon. Mulloway are active in the Kalgan River during the start of the incoming tide. The bigger black bream take some effort in both of the local systems.
Fish Friendly Farms Workshop
If you’re a farmer around Albany and love your fishing, come down to the Parnell’s farm, 380 Willyung Rd, Willyung 2pm this Saturday to learn about how you can ensure your farm is fish friendly and keep great marron and bream fishing in the region for generations to come. There will be discussions around how fertilisers can be applied more effectively by using farm nutrient mapping services as well as the habitat requirements of your favourite fish.
For more information contact Bryn Warnock or check out the link, here.
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Bream fishers are having some luck in the Murchison River (Photo courtesy of Tony Tropiano).
Boats
Steve Wiseman enjoyed an action filled session on Friday catching nine spanish mackerel near Sand Patch. Other boats also encountered mackerel in this area as well as out from the cliffs located south of the river mouth. Reef fishing enthusiasts caught pink snapper, baldchin groper and coral trout near the cliffs. There were a few who braved the big swells and ventured out wide where they picked up red emperor, spangled emperor and dhufish.
Shore based
Garfish are starting to be caught in better numbers at Red Bluff and Jakes and catches are expected to increase as the winter months’ progress. Tailor catches were down in recent weeks, however, this more than likely is a result of the big swells. A few mulloway have been coming from the river mouth and the beaches north of Frustrations, which are also producing a few pink snapper. Estuary cod, mulloway, black bream and mud crabs were among the species caught in the Murchison River.
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Jacob with a nice dhuie on a recent trip to the Abrolhos Islands.
Boats
Dhufish in the 5kg to 10kg range, pink snapper, baldchin groper and the odd King George whiting to 2kg have been caught near African Reef. The 30m to 35m depths out towards the shipping channel have been producing good catches of pink snapper in the 5kg to 7kg range together with a few mulloway. Spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna have mostly been caught near Wreck Point and Hummock Island. The usual mix of coral trout, dhufish and baldchin groper have also been coming from the waters close to the islands.
Shore based
Big swells limited the amount of fishing performed along the local beaches as well as those north and south of town. There have been a few chopper tailor, herring and pike coming from the first and second points at Greenough. Bigger tailor have been appearing from mornings and evenings along the West Bank to Flat Rocks stretch together with a few mulloway and the odd dhufish. The back of The Lives and the marina rock walls has been a little quieter than usual with just a few herring, whiting and small skippy coming from the structures. Try the reef holes near Bowes River for pink snapper.
South West Catches
Picture: Pinkies are in good numbers with both kayak and boat fishers catching them in close (Photo courtesy of Ed Bradfield).
Boats
Kayak and small boat fishers have been catching pink snapper within a few hundred metres of the coast. The fishers who have been successful on the snapper have been anchoring their craft and sending out burley every so often. Bag and boat limits of squid are being achieved along the seagrass beds stretching from Eagle Bay to the Busselton Jetty.
Shore based
Pink snapper between 4kg and 8kg and the odd bigger fish have been caught from the shore at Monaghan’s Corner during the past fortnight. Big herring are being caught on baits and lures along both sides of the cape. Several good size mulloway were landed at Mitchells recently.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: Skippy are being regularly caught in and around Mandurah including Old Traffic Bridge and the Dawesville Cut.
MANDURAH
An occasional salmon is turning up along with some good sized tailor along the local beaches. The southern beaches of Tim’s Thicket and White Hills are good angling options with many good fish being taken during the last week. In the estuary the Old Traffic Bridge is still a spot worth trying. Fishers this week have been taking some good-sized tailor, herring, skippy and some smallish tarwhine. People fishing from the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut have been catching a few King George whiting, herring and garfish, along with a few skippy.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
Tailor are also an option at the moment with some big fish being taken in close to the reefs. Poppers, bait cast mulies will do the trick. Jetty fishers are catching good bags of garfish in the mornings. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some excellent fishing with good catches of flathead and whiting. Long Point, Point Perron and the Rockingham jetties have been producing consistent catches of yellowfin whiting, big herring, chopper tailor and skippy and tarwhine. Occasional salmon are being taken from the beaches and jetties early morning and evening.
Metro Catches
Picture: A surprise catch for Mitch when he stumbled across a random school of mulloway out from Fremantle! (Photo courtesy of Mitch Parkes).
Boats
There seems to be plenty of pink snapper hanging about the Five Fathom Bank, Garden Island and Stragglers area. Sean Mulcock caught four pink snapper between 70cm and 90cm on sunset at Five Fathom Bank on Sunday. Another boat reported catching four snapper and two dhufish that same evening while others have been catching samson fish while targeting pinks in the same areas.
There is still the odd salmon being caught near The Mewstone and through Cockburn Sound. Bag and boat limits of squid and cuttlefish are being achieved along the seagrass beds off Fremantle and Hillarys Marina. Herring are plentiful in the sound and the bays of Rottnest Island. The broken ground east of Rottnest has been producing good catches of King George whiting.
Shore based
Herring are being caught in several well-known locations which included Palm Beach Jetty, Woodman Point, South Beach, South Mole, North Mole, Grant Street and Trigg Point. A few tailor, mostly between 40cm and 55cm, have been turning up in the mornings and evenings along the metropolitan beaches.
Some nice catches of tailor have also been coming from the Yanchep and Two Rocks areas. Mulloway are occasionally being caught from the beaches south of Rockingham with at least one fish around the 20kg mark landed at an undisclosed location south of Perth this past week. Try Garratt Road Bridge and Shelley for black bream. Fremantle sometimes produces big mulloway during the start of winter each year.
For more on Perth jetties, check out our Swan River Jetties article here.
Photo courtesy of Tacke HQ
Top Water Lures: Stickbaits
Technical Rating: Expert
Top water fishing is at the forefront of exciting salt water sport fishing action and top water lures are varied in there size, weight and form from poppers to stickbaits. Stickbaits come in various functions and all manner of size and weight combinations. Essentially a bibless minnow lure, stickbaits range from floating to suspending and slow sinking to fast sinking. The size and purpose of the lure will determine its properties.
Small stickbaits are often quite light weight and nimble and their action and the way they are fished can be vastly different to large ones. Small stickbaits are at the mercy of the water medium they are in and their small size means the lure cannot create a lot of force on the water to create a drastic action. For this reason small stickbaits rely a lot upon the action imparted on the rod by the angler. Their size means they are generally versatile and responsive to twitches of the rod tip causing an erratic dart, whilst being manageable enough to work for a period of time.
As the lure gets larger and heavier it becomes harder and less effective to work with short, sharp rod jabs and the size of the lure creates a lot more resistance against the water. This is when a long “sweep” action of the rod is used to effectively pull the lure along in the water as it “swims”. The shape of the lures face will cause it to dive, glide or zig-zag, with a classic s-action becoming most desirable for large stick baits.
Stickbaits may be floating or sinking. Generally floating stickbaits are designed to be worked with a sweep, dive and pause action, or a “walk the dog” style with side to side rod strokes paired in sync with regular winding. Smaller floating stickbaits may be worked much the same as small sinking stickbaits with lots of twitches to make the lure dart and dive erratically with no particular action.
Sinking stickbaits are much more variable with different sink weights. Slow sinking and suspending lures can be worked in much the same way as floating lures with a sweep and pause or a constant slow to medium retrieve with rod strokes/twitches. They may also be allowed to sink to a desired depth if needed with lengthy pauses or may be worked constantly over shallow ground etc. to keep the lure top water.
Fast sinking stickbaits may have a variety of purposes but generally the extra weight is either to fish deep or to cast far. The more weight that is added to a lure, the less reactive and nimble it becomes, succumbing rather to falling than the other forces on the lure trying to make it swim with any action. For this reason, fast sinking stickbaits are generally used with a fast retrieve sub surface and used to cover ground quickly with long casts. Secondarily, fast sinkers are allowed to sink and cover the whole water column or used to combat heavy current. Sometimes large fish are feeding on small bait and a small, heavy lure is needed to cast on heavy tackle, other instances might be casting from shore where a long cast is needed to reach deeper waters.
Whatever the fishing scenario, there is a stickbait to suit the situation so give them all a go.
