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

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

Your Fishing Photos

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Kalbarri Catches

Picture: Check out this gold-spot trevally caught by Rob on Murchison Fishing Charters (Photo courtesy of Lauire Malton).

Boats

When the boats have been able to head out, the crews have been finding areas north and south of the river mouth where spanish mackerel are about in healthy numbers. Mack and yellowfin tuna schools have been scarce, but expect both species to start showing in better numbers as the remaining weeks of winter pass. Soft plastic and metal jigs worked near the cliffs have been producing mixed catches of pink snapper, baldchin groper and coral trout.

Shore based

Several big mulloway were caught from Chinamans while smaller fish were regularly landed at the jetty. Tailor have been appearing some mornings and evenings at Red Bluff, Wittecarra and Siphons. Jakes would be worth trying for storm garfish and herring during the calm mornings following the recent spell of rough weather.

Geraldton Catches

Picture: Dave Barrett & Mily Barrow had a good little night time hunt for squid using the YAMASHITA EGI OH Q Live Aussie Limited! Orange Zebra (Photo courtesy of Squid Hunters Western Australia).

Boats

Dhufish and pink snapper have been coming from the African Reef and South West Bank areas whereas it has mostly been snapper and baldchin groper being caught from the lumps off Horrocks and Coronation. The western edge of Pensioners Bank would be worth trolling along for spanish mackerel and tuna following reports of mackerel and tuna being caught off Wagoe and Kalbarri during recent weeks. Cobia of various sizes have been turning up in a range of depths and areas.

Shore based

An estimated 20kg spanish mackerel was caught from the rock wall in front of the Sail Inn early last week. Small mulloway of less than 30cm being caught along the coast is an encouraging size for future local populations. Tailor are generally around in pretty good numbers in August each year, however, the recent conditions have not allowed many to compare this season to previous years. August and September are also the two months of the year when yellowfin, sand and school whiting are along the beaches in their biggest numbers. Skippy to 35cm and yellowtail scads have been picked up at the Batavia and Dongara marinas.

South West Catches

Picture: When the weather has allowed, a couple of boats snuck around the corner of Cape Naturaliste and found schools of yellowtail kingfish of varying sizes. (Photo courtesy of Michael Parker).

Boats

The crews who visited the Four Mile and Eight Mile reefs when the weather allowed caught pink snapper and skippy. A couple of boats that snuck around the corner of Cape Naturaliste found schools of samson fish and yellowtail kingfish of varying sizes. Squid catches are improving in Geographe Bay with numbers of the popular cephalopod expected to be at their peak during next month or so.

Shore based

There were a few pink snapper caught from shore even though the weather was a lot milder this past week. Spots, where the snapper were picked up, included Busselton Jetty, Monaghan’s Corner and Rocky Point. Juvenile salmon, most of which are undersize, are about Geographe Bay in numbers. Herring are also around, but it has been hard to get past the small salmon in some areas. The rocky headlands and the local jetties would be worth trying for squid during the calm mornings and evenings that are forecast for the next three days or so. The deep gutters formed along the west coast beaches would be worth soaking whole fish baits for mulloway, pink snapper and jumbo tailor.

Mandurah & Surrounds

Picture: The Dawesville Cut and the estuary are a great spot to troll for herring.

Mandurah

Anglers fishing the beaches both north and south of Mandurah report occasional catches of big tailor along with plenty of choppers. The beaches to the north were producing gummy sharks earlier in the week. They are also producing plenty of whiting, tarwhine and herring. Nobody has told the salmon that they are supposed to have moved back east as winter is now over, so there are still a few of them around, particularly along the southern beaches and smaller specimens have been reported in the Dawesville Cut. The Cut is still producing plenty of herring, King George whiting and a few whiting.

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, but not in any great number. Squid are still being caught from the jetties as well as offshore. Palm Beach Jetty is producing a few herring and skippy and there are a lot of squid also in the area. Anglers braving the cold evenings and mornings have been catching a few mulloway from these structures.

Metro Catches

Picture: You won’t hear too many complaints when you’re catching fish like this before sunrise! (Photo courtesy of @fishingperth).

Boats

The boats that have been anchoring and burleying near Garden and Carnac islands as well as along the back of Three Mile Reef have been doing quite well on pink snapper. Dinghy and kayak fishers have also been getting among quite a few snapper close to the rock groynes within Cockburn Sound. Samson fish ranging from 10kg to 25kg have been found in relatively shallow waters off Fremantle, Hillarys and Mindarie. Dhufish are also being picked up in some shallow water at times. Squid are still in good numbers along the seagrass beds off Fremantle and out from Hillarys. The sand holes between Fremantle and Rottnest Island are worth trying for plump winter sand whiting.

Shore based

There were still a few pink snapper caught from the southern and northern rock walls notwithstanding the calmer conditions. Mulloway have also been caught from these areas as well as along the beaches north of Pipidinny. Herring are in good numbers right along the coast and there are some bigger skippy starting to show up at spots including Trigg Point, Grant Street Reef and South Mole. Surf fishers have been achieving their bag limits of tailor to 55cm at times along the metropolitan beaches. Unfortunately the precise location of where the better catches of tailor have been coming from was not disclosed, however, South Beach Groyne, Swanbourne Drain, Floreat Beach and Two Rocks are proven tailor spots.