Welcome to Recfishwest’s weekly fishing report, brought to you by Recfishwest’s fishing expert Joachim Azzopardi, Matt Cox for the latest in Kununurra, Stewart King for Freshwater fishing and thanks to John Curtis for his Mandurah & Surrounds report.

Keep your eyes peeled for Recfishwest’s Tip of the week, see below!

Picture: Brian Norton with his yellowfin tuna caught recently off Murian Islands, thanks for sharing!!

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

Kununurra Catches

Picture: Matt Cox taking a quick break from writing our fishing report and catching barra! Make your next fishing adventure up in Kununurra one to remember, call Northbound Charters today!

Lower Ord

The Lower Ord River has fished exceptionally well over the past two weeks with hauls of up to 20 barramundi being caught in single day sessions. Last weeks neap tides really cleaned the water clarity up in the river, which has been fantastic for lure fishing. The majority of fish have been caught on deep diving lures in all shapes and colours with the most common fish size being in the 65-75cm range.

Shore based

Buttons Crossing on the Lower Ord River has been the best spot for land based fisherman with great river access and fantastic fishing in the rapids. Best results have come from fishing the back eddies and white wash with soft plastics with a slow twitch and retrieve.

Broome Catches

Picture: If you love fishing and you are a woman, then why not join Broome Girls Gone Fishing on Facebook?! They are a passionate group of ladies that love their fishing and you can be apart of it! (Photo courtesy of Broome Girls Gone Fishing).

Boats

Billfish enthusiasts have continued to encounter very good numbers of sailfish and small black marlin wide of Barred Creek, near The Peanut and out from James Price Point. Spanish mackerel are up and about and responding well to trolled rigged garfish and bibbed minnows, however mack and longtail tuna schools appeared less frequently. Kym Courtney landed a 1.5m spanish mackerel from his kayak out from Gantheaume Point last Thursday. Some nice catches of threadfin salmon and mulloway have been coming from within Roebuck Bay. Reef fishing enthusiasts have been picking up quite a few chinaman cod and bluebone.

Shore based

Tackle World Broome’s Bryce Marinas has been finding barramundi in the freshwater areas of the Fitzroy River. More barra have been coming from the local creeks together with bluenose and the odd threadfin salmon. Rock fishers have been catching bluebone from Gantheaume Point during the neap tide periods. Yellowfin whiting can be found along Cable Beach and Roebuck Bay.

Exmouth Catches

Picture: This is a great example of the ground estuary cod love to live in, look for caves and big ledges on your sounder (Photo courtesy of Ash Amozig).

Boats

Junior fishers Jorja and Tahlia Mossman got among some nice gold band jobfish, rankin cod, saddletail seaperch and gold spotted trevally during a session off Peak Island on Sunday. The Mossmans also trolled whole baits and lures for spanish mackerel off Peak Island and inadvertently hooked a marlin, which managed to throw the hooks. Similarly, Charlie and Harvey Mitchell were towing a bibless minnow for mackerel off Tantabiddi when a marlin was momentarily hooked. The Mitchells caught dolphin fish and tuna that day. Big schools of mulies and yellowtail scads in the gulf have been attracting an assortment of predators including cobia, mackerel and tuna.

Shore based

Baits and soft plastics worked along the reef and sand areas near the lighthouse are producing a few spangled emperor and bluebone. Queenfish to a metre, small giant trevally and giant herring have been turning up at Bundegi and Old Bundegi, especially during an incoming tide. Bigger giant trevally are worthwhile targeting at Oysters. The gulf beaches are loaded with whiting while squid have been caught at the marina and Learmonth Jetty an hour either side of high tide.

Esperance Catches

Picture: Queen snapper have been picked up in areas about 10 to 15 miles out from Esperance (Photo courtesy of @pjfishingwa).

Boats

Dinghy and small boat fishers have picked up squid in 2m to 4m of water at times. Plenty of sand whiting and herring have also been coming from the inshore parts. Out wider, nannygai to 2kg, queen snapper, breaksea cod and samson fish have been picked up in areas about 10 to 15 miles out.

Shore based

Mixed catches of bread and butter species including herring, garfish, skippy, King George whiting and squid can be caught from the Taylor Street Jetty. The Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has herring and black bream on offer. Salmon have consistently been caught at Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Alexander, Roses, the reef at Nine Mile and Dunns. Stockyards is worth a visit with herring, juvenile salmon, plenty of flathead and skippy on offer.

Albany Catches

Picture: “Another cracking land based harlequin! Been getting into quite a few of these guys lately! My Crewsaver PFD keeping me safe as always!” – Thanks for sharing Brody! (Photo courtesy of Brody Ogle).

Boats

King George have been picked up through the inshore waters of Oyster Harbour, which surprisingly still had clear water earlier this week. The bigger boats that managed to head offshore scored a few red, queen and pink snapper as well as breaksea cod and skippy. Expect samson fish and yellowtail kingfish to start showing up closer to shore during the ensuing weeks. The King and Kalgan, and most of the neighbouring rivers, are fishing well for black bream mostly ranging from 25cm to 35cm. King George whiting were caught at the mouth of the Bremer late last week and there were also a few picked up at Wilson Inlet. Torbay, which reopened recently, was teeming with juvenile salmon and herring.

Shore based

Surf fishers have continued to catch bag limits of salmon at times from selected beaches along the local and somewhat remote areas of coast. Spots where the 3kg to 7kg salmon were caught on bait and lure this past week included Cables, Mutton Bird Beach, Shelleys and Lowlands. Four-wheel drive enthusiasts are being urged to check the beaches for very soft sand and washouts before entering following the recent period of big swells and seas. Bornholm has been producing tailor some mornings and evenings while the gutters at Cheyne Beach and Bluff Creek are holding some big skippy. Frenchmans Bay and the rocks at Middleton Beach have been providing some nice King George whiting catches every now and then.

Kalbarri Catches

Picture: Spanish mackerel are still being caught north and south of the river mouth (Photo courtesy of Andre Oppløsninger).

Boats

The local charter boats have been putting their clients onto plenty of spangled emperor to a solid 6kg as well as other reef species including pink snapper, baldchin groper, coral trout and dhufish. Spanish mackerel are still being caught on rigged fish baits and bibbed minnows north and south of the river mouth. Schools of cobia have been encountered in a range of depths and areas.

Shore based

When conditions have allowed rock fishers to head to their favourite platform, the stone fishing enthusiasts have been picking up pink snapper, baldchin groper and jumbo tailor. More tailor have been coming from Wittecarra and Red Bluff early morning and evening while Chinamans has been producing tailor during all hours of the day. Oyster Creek and Frustrations have been better for tailor in the morning with the latter spot and the beaches north of there providing mulloway when the swell has been down. Yellowfin whiting have returned to the lower reaches of the Murchison together with black bream, which seem to have made their way downstream following the recent rain. The middle and upper reaches are fishing better for mulloway.

Geraldton Catches

Picture: Reef fishing enthusiasts who have been anchoring and burelying along the South West Bank and the lumps off Coronation have been doing reasonably well on coral trout. (Photo courtesy of @lannz04).

Boats

Reef fishing enthusiasts who have been anchoring and burelying along the South West Bank and the lumps off Coronation have been doing reasonably well on pink snapper to 8kg, baldchin groper to 3kg and coral trout. Plenty of sweetlip are also being caught at South West Bank. Dhufish have been hard work but there have been some 70cm to 80cm fish caught near the Abrolhos Islands. The seagrass beds off Pages and Greys Bay are producing good catches of squid.

Shore based

Tailor are starting to show up in better numbers as the popular surf fish tend to do each August. Tailor between 40cm and 50cm have been coming from the Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch this past week together with the odd mulloway to 80cm. Sand whiting and herring are the main species being caught from behind The Lives and the marina. Squid have been picked up at the marina at night.

South West Catches

Picture: Recfishwest Habitat Officer, Michael ‘Tropi’ Tropiano with his pinky. Make sure you tune into ABC 720 radio on Saturday mornings to hear some of Tropi’s fishing tips.

Boats

One of the best pink snapper seasons seen in Geographe Bay in several years is still occurring, however the weather has not allowed the boats to head out to target the 4kg to 12kg fish. There was a small break in the rough conditions on Saturday and those who ventured to the Four Mile and Eight Mile were rewarded with a few snapper. Anchoring and burleying has again proven to be the most effective method when targeting the pinks. Squid are still about the seagrass meadows off Quindalup and should actively strike at jigs again once the water clarity improves.

Shore based

There were a few pink snapper caught from the Busselton Jetty and Monaghan’s Corner during the week of rough conditions. The west coast beaches were off limits due to the seas and swell. A few who targeted bread and butter species in the bay picked up herring, skippy, tarwhine and flathead.

South West Freshwater

Picture: Do you love trout? Make sure you join us on September 2nd at Drakesbrook Weir and help us release thousands of trout back into WA waters.

With the weather being so wet and windy not many people have been tempted to wet a line. The good news is that water levels have risen in both rivers and dams. This is promising for the start of the new season, September 1. Your best bet for a fish close to Perth is still Logue Brook Dam, where a few fishers have had success recently with a couple of nice trout caught near the dam wall as well as just up from the boat ramp.

Families Wanted for Freshwater Fishing Fun!

WATFAA, as the main trout and freshwater fishing club in the Perth and South West region, is teaming up with Recfishwest to run Perth’s biggest family freshwater event.

The day will include:

• Trout Stocking

• Freshwater Fishing Clinic

• Fly Casting

• Freshwater Tackle & Rigging Information.

We feel this is a great idea and can only help promote freshwater fishing in the South West. The club has put together a team that is full of enthusiasm, excited to share their skills and will try and answer any fishing questions put to them.

Event details:

Saturday 2nd of September 2017
Starts at 10.00 am to 1.30 pm
Drakesbrook Weir, Waroona.

View the event flyer, here.

If you would like any further information, please email recfish@recfishwest.org.au

So why not head down and be a part of something special? Hope to see you there!

Mandurah & Surrounds

Picture: King George can be found in The Cut with a number of other bread and butter species (Photo courtesy of Jacko Jackson).

Mandurah

There are still quite a few tailor being taken from the White Hills and Tim’s Thicket section of beach. Some of these tailor quite a good size with many reported over a kilo in weight. The Dawesville Cut is still producing plenty of good fishing, including herring, robust garfish, King George whiting and skippy. There are also reports of tailor being caught earlier in the week. If you’re after a feed of crabs there are still a few in the deeper water in the river and another spot worth trying is in the canals.

There are reports of a few tailor, herring and sand whiting coming in from the northern beaches and there are still a few black bream around and it is suggested that anglers looking for them try the lower reaches of the river at the moment, as they appear to have moved down towards the bridges.

Secret Harbour/ Port Kennedy/ Warnbro/ Rockingham/ Safety Bay

Safety Bay Yacht Club and Rockingham Beach Jetty have been producing herring and squid. There are a few herring along most of the beaches. Squid are still being caught from the jetties as well as off-shore. Palm Beach Jetty is producing a few herring and skippy and there are a lot of squid also in the area. Fishing at night seems to be working well for anglers chasing mulloway. Anglers fishing from Kwinana Beach have found whiting, pilch and herring. The beaches around Secret Harbour have been producing good sand whiting.

Metro Catches

Picture: Adrian Donald with his land based pinky caught at North Mole (Photo courtesy of Perth & WA Fishing Reports).

Boats

There were limited opportunities for boat fishers to head offshore, but those who took advantage of the brief window of fairer conditions at the weekend achieved mixed results. The big swells prevented the boats from working the relatively shallow waters between Garden Island and Stragglers, which have been producing some nice pink snapper recently. Even parts of Five Fathom Bank were off limits because it was feathering. The 20m to 30m depths south of Rottnest Island produced mixed catches of snapper, breaksea cod and dhufish. Similar species were picked up in similar depths out from the northern marinas including Hillarys, Mindarie and Two Rocks. The ground in 50m to 60m of water off Rockingham seems to be producing bigger dhufish more consistently. Squid are still about the seagrass beds off Fremantle, but it may take for water clarity to improve before the tasty cephalopods to become active again. Arrow squid were recently caught off Garden Island. Sand whiting are mostly being caught in bigger numbers and sizes in the deeper sand holes in say 25m to 30m.

Shore based

Big numbers of pink snapper were picked up along the metropolitan rock walls during the recent storm periods. Apparently more than three dozen snapper were landed at South Mole one evening last week. Nearby North Mole has also been producing land-based pinks. Woodman Point also provided snapper catches as did Coogee Marina rock wall and the rocks at Hillarys Marina. Herring have been caught in good numbers from the rock walls, however robust garfish catches have slowed. There were a few more tailor caught at Swanbourne Drain, Floreat Groyne and Trigg Point when the conditions were suitable at the weekend. Expect gummy sharks to start turning up along the metropolitan beaches in numbers as the toothless creatures tend to do at this time of the year. A 30kg samson fish was landed near the Fremantle Traffic Bridge recently.