Welcome to Recfishwest’s weekly fishing report, brought to you by Recfishwest’s fishing expert Joachim Azzopardi, John Curtis for his Mandurah and Surrounds report and Matt Cox for the latest in Kununurra.
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
Tip of the week banner images courtesy of Shutterstock Ruggiero Scardigno, Smiltena & Garry L.
Broome Catches
Picture: It’s sailfish season! Many, if not all, game fishers practice catch, tag and release. Another great example of rec fishers doing their bit for research!
Boats:
Billfish enthusiasts have reportedly encountered the biggest number of sailfish this past week near The Peanut and off James Price Point. Spanish mackerel and varieties of tuna have been caught on trolled bibbed minnows off Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point. Good catches of reef fish including red emperor, saddletail seaperch and bluelined emperor have been coming from the 30m to 40m depths. The drop offs and ledges in Roebuck Bay are producing some nice mulloway.
Shore-based:
Barramundi between 50cm and 60cm and a few 80cm to 90cm models have been caught on live and whole baits in the Fitzroy River despite water temperatures in most parts of system thought to be too low for barra fishing. Broome Tackle World’s Bryce Marinas caught two barra of 45cm and 60cm on Transam lures at Dampier Creek last Tuesday. Queenfish and trevally are providing light tackle entertainment at the jetty as well as at the mouth of Crab Creek and Entrance Point. Whiting have been caught in good numbers recently along Cable Beach and Roebuck Bay.
Exmouth Catches
Picture: Red Bass can often be mistaken with offshore Mangrove Jack, nevertheless they are another awesome fighting reef fish!
Boats:
Billfish enthusiasts are still encountering a few blue marlin out wide as well as smaller black and striped marlin in closer. Spanish mackerel are being caught in better numbers along the back of the west coast reef. Some nice giant trevally and red bass have also been caught from near the back of the reef. Red emperor, rankin cod and goldband snapper were among the species caught in the 60m to 120m depths.
Shore-based:
Blue swimmer crabs have turned up in the gulf in good numbers. Squid have also been turning up along the flats in the gulf, however prawn numbers are down on the same time last year. Big flathead, squid and whiting are on offer at Learmonth Jetty. Tuna and school mackerel have also been turning up within casting range at the jetty on occasions. Expect big giant trevally to be regularly turning up at Oysters and VLF Bay and other shore-based spots during the ensuing weeks.
Esperance Catches
Picture: King George whiting. Most people successfully target KG’s by using fresh squid in broken up sand and weed holes but quite often bottom fishers will pick them up as bycatch when targetting Pink Snapper, Harlequin and Dhufish!
Boats:
Squid to a kilo and bigger have been caught in the bay together with herring and lots of sand whiting. Out wide, nannaygai around the 2kg mark, samson fish and yellowtail kingfish have been common catches in approximately 70m of water. Try the waters west of town for schooling pink snapper.
Shore-based:
The Taylor Street has plenty of squid, garfish and small herring on offer while some nice King George whiting have been caught from the foreshore rock walls. Bandy Creek boat harbour is also producing a few King George as well as herring and squid. Salmon can be found at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Nine Mile, Fourteen Mile and Roses. Thomas River had mulloway around the 50cm mark, skippy between 1kg and 2kg and salmon last week. Bigger mulloway to 80cm were caught at Rossiters together with salmon.
Albany Catches
Picture: Small mulloway and black bream are great fish to have a crack at, especially when the weather, wind and swell picks up on the coast in Albany. Photo courtesy of Scott Coghlan.
Boats:
Reef fishing enthusiasts picked up fair catches of pink, red and queen snapper as well as dhufish and breaksea cod along the coral in depths starting at 50m during the week. Catches of similar species also came from the ground near the islands and other reef areas. There were not too many who ventured beyond the shelf, however the few who did, when conditions were suitable, scored samson fish and hapuka. King George whiting fishing has improved in King George Sound and other inshore areas including the waters near Gull Rock, Caseys, Middleton Beach, Goode Beach and Limestone. One group of fishers landed 20 King George between 32cm and 40cm together with a few flathead and squid during a single session last week.
Shore-based:
Salmon have become scarce along the local beaches with just the odd fish being taken every now and then and at no particular spot. A few salmon schools are reportedly still frequenting Bremer Bay. The local beaches are mostly producing herring, skippy and sand whiting. Bigger skippy have been coming from Bluff Creek and Bremer Bay while Bornholm is worth a try in the mornings and evenings. The King and Kalgan rivers are producing black bream, but not in the same numbers and sizes as the systems east of town. Mulloway are once again mostly being caught in the late evenings.
Feature Article: Where to Fish When the Weather Turns Bad in Albany!
When the big seas pound WA’s south coast, the options for recreational fishers in that area seem somewhat limited. The following article on the fishing options in and around Albany will keep you safe when the weather moves in. Read more…
Kalbarri Catches
Picture: Awesome shorebased Spanish mackerel. Caught at Wagoe Beach by one of the members from the Kalbarri Offshore Angling Club! Photo courtesy of the club.
Boats:
Spanish mackerel continue to be caught along the 10m to 30m depths north and south of the river mouth. Soft plastics have been working well on bluebone, pink snapper and coral trout near the cliffs while the ground in excess of 30m have been producing a few dhufish and red emperor. Expect cobia to be around the bait schools following reports of good catches of the prehistoric looking species from waters south of town during the past fortnight.
Shore-based:
Wagoe’s Ash McLintock took out the recent fishing tournament with the Spanish mackerel, mulloway and big tarwhine he landed from the shore. Tailor have been a little hard to come by along the coast with 35cm to 55cm fish turning up only some mornings and evenings at Red Bluff, Wittecarra, Siphons and Chinamans. Mulloway catches have been better from the beaches north of Frustrations. Beau Ralph has been doing well on mulloway and black bream in the lower reaches of the Murchison. The bream in the middle and upper parts of the system have mostly been small.
Geraldton Catches
Picture: Pink snapper seem to be everywhere at the moment. There’s plenty of ways you can target them, including fishing whole baits in a good burley trail, jigging soft plastics or even trolling deep diving lures!
Boats:
Pink snapper have been caught in relatively shallow waters off Coronation, near African Reef and along the drop offs behind Pensioners Bank. Jigs have recently been producing better dhufish catches than baits at Mid Reef and Africans. Cobia were encountered west northwest of the shipping channel and north of Coronation.
Shore-based:
Balloon fishers who took advantage of the recent spell of easterly winds were rewarded with Spanish mackerel and longtail tuna to 18kg north off Horrocks. Surf fishers have been catching a few mulloway ranging from school-sized 4kg to 8kg fish to bigger fish of around the 15kg mark. The mulloway have not been coming from any area in particular with fish caught from the northern side of Drummonds, at Southgates and along the West Bank to Flat Rocks stretch. Skippy have turned up in numbers in front of the Sail Inn. Bigger skippy have been picked up in the reef holes at Point Moore and Separation Point. Whiting have been good at Separation Point, Point Moore and Drummonds.
South West Catches
Picture: The south west artificial reefs have been developing really well, with plenty of growth forming on the modules, meaning plenty of bait fish. Good news for fishers is our Reef Vision footage has shown some big samson fish on the reefs, pink snapper and skippy, with our volunteers flagging that it was this time last year that mulloway schools made their way in too, so plenty to fish for on the reefs!
Boats:
Bag limits of squid have been achieved along the seagrass beds extending from Eagle Bay to the Busselton Jetty. Boat fishers who have been anchoring and burleying near structure in Geographe Bay have been picking up good catches of pink snapper to 7kg. Dhufish have mostly been caught off the west coast. A few reports of big samson fish have been coming in from the Dunsborough artificial reef too.
Shore-based:
A consistent stream of burley is almost guaranteed to produce a feed of herring from the rocky headlands and bays located along the west coast as well as in Geographe Bay. Salmon seem to have completed their annual spawning run, however there are still a few tailor turning up at Mitchells, Bunker Bay and Elmore Road to whet the appetites of beach fishers keen on tackling bigger surf fish.
South West Freshwater
Picture: A south west rainbow trout caught on spinner is a common way to catch trout for those who haven’t yet mastered the art of fly fishing. Learn how to catch trout here.
There are many water catchments and quite a few rivers in the South West that are stocked with trout. To find out which waters are open all year round, download the Free Recfishwest App on your Apple or Android smartphone and be kept up to date! To check out where Trout have been stocked, click here.
Your best chance at the moment to catch a trout is around the Pemberton area. Here you have two great rivers namely the Warren and one of its tributaries the Lefroy. These are open to fishing all year round and also have Redfin perch as well as rainbow and brown trout in them.
At this time of year trout can be difficult to catch, as many of these fish are in spawning mode, but with the right presentation either by using a small lure or a fly they can be caught.
If you are part of the spinning fraternity, I believe small spinners work the best, possibly a size 1 Mepp either with a silver or gold blade depending on water and weather conditions. If you are a fly fisher then using a seven foot, 4 weight with floating line with a short tippet of 4-6 pounds with a nymph suspended from an indicator is probably the way to go. Always try to fish upstream, as most of the time fish are looking for food coming downstream towards them. Wear drab clothing and nothing too bright, have a good pair of quality sun glasses for spotting the fish and approach the water quietly and carefully as this will help towards trying to outwit the trout.
Thanks to WATFAA (WA Trout and Freshwater Angling Association) providing us with what’s biting in the south-west waterways.
Mandurah & Surrounds
Picture: How’s this for a land based catch! Simon Gillett caught this southern bluefin tuna from the beach down at Preston. Here’s what Simon had to say “Awesome day down at Preston Beach chilling out and fishing. Came across a school of southern bluefin tuna within casting distance on their way back down the coast and managed to pull a fish in the second cast! Pretty stoked considering how rare they are that close to shore!!”
This week’s report comes from 16 year old Harry Tropiano – a keen and upcoming fisher who loves his bream fishing and can be seen on local Mandurah beaches or around Mandurah’s estuaries.
The southern beaches along the Tims Thicket to Preston Beach stretch have been producing a few large herring and tailor, and also the odd mulloway and salmon. Casting metal lures at the reefs has been working the best for tailor and herring in the early morning along with sunset. Before, during and after the incoming storms, is definitely worth a try for a pink snapper and even mulloway as the sand banks shift.
The Dawsville Cut has been fishing very well for herring and big skippy, especially around dawn and dusk. Good numbers of whiting and the odd garfish have also been appearing to anglers who have been using small hooks, with the odd King George whiting in the mix, especially closer to the mouth of the cut. Squid have been quiet, but a few have still been popping up at the jolly frog jetty on an incoming tide.
The beaches north of Mandurah will defiantly be producing some interesting captures as the winter storms become more prominent. Although the swell hasn’t been the best and there is a bit of seaweed around, there are still herring and tailor to be caught on most beaches.
Perth Catches
Picture: With some nice weather around, getting out on the Swan River is a great way to spend some time outdoors. Thanks to @lannz04 who sent us this snap of her Black Bream caught on soft plastic grub.
Boats:
Boat fishers anchoring and burleying early morning and late afternoon along Five Fathom Bank, near The Mewstone and Stragglers have been catching pink snapper and dhufish. Snapper have also been found in numbers very close to shore at times at spots that include Beagle Rocks. Some nice skippy have also been coming from along Five Fathom Bank as well as Three Mile Reef. The sand holes near the Gage Roads shipping channel have been producing good catches of sand whiting while the broken ground east of Rottnest Island has King George whiting. Squid remain in excellent numbers along the seagrass beds west and southwest of Fremantle and within Cockburn and Warnbro Sound.
Shore-based:
Pink snapper in the 55cm to 80cm range were landed at North and South Mole during and just following the recent period of northerly winds. The rock walls and groynes have been fishing well for herring and a few robust garfish as have some of the beaches including Cottesloe and Floreat. Squid are being caught in reasonable numbers along the Fremantle rock walls as well as those located within Cockburn Sound. The northern marina rock walls are also producing a few squid. Early morning is proving to be the best time to target the tasty cephalopods from shore. Dab netters have been picking up a few prawns in the lower reaches of the Swan River near East Fremantle.
Trailer Checks
Technical Rating: Novice
For many, the next few months will see the boat trailer being hooked up for the first time since the last fishing mission at the end of summer. If this is indeed the case for you, or even if you have fished a few times over winter, make a few checks and fix anything that needs attention, especially if it’s something you have been putting off for quite some time. Click here to read on…
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