Welcome to Recfishwest’s weekly fishing report, brought to you by Recfishwest’s fishing expert Joachim Azzopardi 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

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

Broome Catches

Picture: The mouths of the local creeks and adjacent coast have been producing catches of trevally.

Boats

A 92cm and an 88cm barramundi were among dozens of smaller fish caught during the recent competitions in the Fitzroy River. According to Steve Chambers, of Tackle World Broome, most of the fish landed during the weekend events were between 45cm and 55cm. Steve’s boat managed a 78cm and a 65cm fish, which were the biggest of the 20 or so barra landed on the craft. Reef fishing enthusiasts have continued to do well on blue lined emperor and saddle tail seaperch in 25m to 35m of water. Spanish mackerel have been responding to bibbed minnows and rigged garfish trolled off Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point.

Shore based

An assortment of lures have been enticing barramundi along the local creek beds. The mouths of the local creeks and adjacent coast have been producing mixed catches of threadfin salmon, bluenose salmon, javelin fish and trevally. Coconut Wells is worth a wander for whiting and bream. Try the rocks at Gantheaume Point during the next set of neaps for bluebone, coral trout and estuary cod.

Exmouth Catches

Picture: Bibbed minnows trolled between the 15m and 30m depths have been enticing shark mackerel.

Boats

Billfish enthusiasts are starting encounter bigger numbers of blue marlin out wide following the arrival of warmer waters. Shane Anderson and his father went 3-3-2 on blues and landed a nice striped marlin while aboard Peak Sportfishing Charters last week. Sailfish and small black marlin have also been encountered wide of Tantabiddi with the former of the billfish species also starting to make their way to the upper areas of the gulf in numbers. Bibbed minnows trolled between the 15m and 30m depths have been enticing spanish and shark mackerel. Fair catches of reef fish including red and spangled emperor and rankin cod have been picked up in 40m to 80m of water.

Shore based

Late September and early October are normally associated with shore-based giant trevally near the tip of the cape at spots including Oysters. Big poppers and stick baits worked around the dusk period and into the evening has been an effective method in achieving big GT strikes in these areas in the past. The incoming tide has been good for queenfish and golden trevally at Old Bundegi. The gulf beaches are still fishing well for squid and yellowfin whiting.

Esperance Catches

Picture: Salmon have been scattered along Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Fourteen Mile and Roses.

Boats

Mitchell Johnson caught samson fish to 30kg while jigging near the islands last week. Nannygai have been caught in good numbers in waters south of town while the ground farther west has been producing most of the pink snapper. Squid were so thick in areas inshore last week that fishers were picking the schooling cephalopods up on their sounders. Sand whiting are also around the inshore areas.

Shore based

Good catches of bread and butter species including herring, garfish, snook and small skippy have been regularly caught at the Taylor Street Jetty while the Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has King George whiting around 32cm, herring and small black bream. More bream have been picked up in the local lakes on baits and lures. Salmon have been scattered along Salmon Beach, Fourth Beach, Fourteen Mile and Roses. Skippy and a few tailor have also been mixed in with the salmon in these parts. Mulloway of about 70cm were landed at Fourth Beach and Fourteen Mile last week. Dunns had a few skippy to a solid 3kg, salmon and bull herring. Thomas River seems to the spot to try for gummy sharks at the moment. A few skippy to 2kg and small mulloway have also been picked up at Thomas.

Albany Catches

Picture: The weather has not been great, but for those boats that did get out on the water managed to find queen, pink and red snapper as well as a few samson fish.

Boats

King George whiting enthusiasts have been doing reasonably well on 28cm to 34cm fish through the inshore waters. Sand whiting are also about in good numbers in these parts while squid have been a little hit and miss. Few managed to head offshore, due to the strong winds and big swells, which persisted for most of the week. The odd boat that managed to pick a break in the weather and worked the coral in 60m to 80m found queen, pink and red snapper as well as a few breaksea cod and samson fish. Hapuka were found this past fortnight between the 140m and 180m depths and deeper.

Shore based

The good news for surf fishers is that there are still quite a few salmon around. There have been smaller schools regularly passing through Shelleys. Other spots that were graced by salmon this past week included Cables, Nanarup. Mutton Bird, Lowlands and Bornholm. Cheyne Beach and Bluff Creek have been fishing exceptionally well for bigger skippy and herring. The King and Kalgan rivers were producing black bream right up until the recent period of rain. A few mulloway were also pulled from the Kalgan together with herring and juvenile salmon. According to the bream fanatics, the systems east and west of town have also been providing some nice catches.

Kalbarri Catches

Picture: Never seen a bonefish? Here’s a healthy shallow water bonefish caught on fly by our fishing report writer Joachim, in a recent trip he took to Christmas Island. With reports of good bonefish catches in Kalbarri this week make sure to head into Kalbarri Sports and Dive and ask Dean, where some the local spots you may encounter these great sport fish.

Boats

Fair catches of dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper have been picked up along the 30m to 40m depths northwest of town together with the odd red emperor. Pinkies and baldies have been responding well to soft plastic and other jigs in less than 10m of water out from the cliffs. Spanish mackerel and tuna have been hard work, however things are expected to improve on the pelagic front as the summer months draw near.

Shore based

A customer of Kalbarri Sports and Dive caught 11 bonefish during a single session at Wagoe last week. Plenty of big mulloway and jumbo tailor have also been coming from the beach, which also produced a huge amberjack and a salmon surprisingly! More mulloway have been coming from Wittecarra Creek, Chinamans and Frustrations. Pink snapper were landed at the southern cliffs last week and there has been the odd fish caught from the beaches north of the river mouth when the swell has been small to moderate. Blue swimmer crabs have returned to lower reaches of the Murchison while the middle and upper parts have been fishing well for black bream to 40cm and small mulloway.

Geraldton Catches

Picture: Snapper have been coming from the lumps off Coronation together with baldchin groper and coral trout, as pictured above (Photo courtesy of Geraldton & Districts Offshore Fishing Club).

Boats

A group of customers of Geraldton Sports caught dhufish to 14kg and several pink snapper when they performed an overnighter south of South West Bank last week. More snapper have been coming from the lumps off Coronation together with baldchin groper and coral trout. Kayak fishers have been joining the dinghy and small boat contingent along the weed beds off Point Moore. Fishers in all three different types of crafts have been picking up squid, herring and a few pike.

Shore based

Several pink snapper were landed from the local rock walls during, and just following, the rough weather. Tailor and a few mulloway have been coming from the Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch, however weed in this area has been making conditions challenging. The odd mulloway to 1.2m and plenty between 50cm and 60cm have been picked up at Sunset Beach and Drummonds Cove together with tailor. Try Coronation and Horrocks for big yellowfin whiting, which ordinarily turn up along this stretch of coast in good numbers during this time of the year.

South West Catches

Picture: There are still squid being caught along the seagrass beds off Quindalup, find out why seagrass is so important to your fishing here (Photo courtesy of Rich Carey_Shutterstock).

Boats

Reef fishing enthusiasts have been finding dhufish, breaksea cod and pink snapper along the 30m to 40m depths off Cowaramup Bay and Canal Rocks. Schools of samson fish have been found in similar depths while yellowtail kingfish between 6kg and 12kg have been located in packs off the tip of Cape Naturaliste. Pink snapper are worthwhile targeting along the Four Mile and Eight Mile reefs. There are still squid being caught along the seagrass beds off Quindalup.

Shore based

Tailor are a chance early morning and evening at Injidup, Bunker Bay and Castle Rock. Herring and skippy can be found right along both sides of the cape when conditions allow. There were a few pink snapper caught from Monaghan’s Corner and the Busselton Jetty following the rough conditions. The jetties situated within Geographe Bay are producing bread and butter species including squid.

Mandurah & Surrounds

Picture: Shannen caught an impressively sized dhufish off Bouvards on Wednesday. For anyone new to Facebook or you would like daily updates on what is being caught around the state, make sure you follow our partners Perth & WA Fishing Reports (Photo courtesy of Perth & WA Fishing Reports).

Mandurah

Beach anglers fishing the beaches between Tim’s Thicket and Preston have been catching herring and some tailor. There have been reports of a few small mulloway up to 50cm being taken from these beaches. Larger mulloway are yet to turn up regularly, but it is only a matter of time. The Cut is still producing good fishing and the kids have had a ball during the holidays. Herring are still the main catch but bags have also included a few tailor, sand whiting, King George whiting and an occasional big skippy. Locals in the know suggest that you fish the incoming tide for herring, with the tailor being caught at dawn and dusk.

Secret Harbour/ Port Kennedy/ Rockingham/ Safety Bay

The southern beaches have been turning on some tailor after dark and early in the morning. One spot that has been fishing well over the week has been Shoalwater Bay where there have been plenty of herring, whiting and skippy for holiday anglers. Tailor anglers have found the beaches around Secret Harbour worth a try, but this is the only spot that seems to be producing these fish regularly in this region.

Picture: Do you fish the Mandurah Artificial Reef? Would you like to? Peel Reef Vision is launching this October! If you would like more information on how you can get involved, click here.

Metro Catches

Picture: Jason Linardos found some nice squid around Perth over the last few days. Diawa Emeraldas nude in “Mango Shrimp” colour has been his most successful jig recently (Photo courtesy of Squid Hunters Western Australia).

Boats

Deepwater enthusiasts working the waters wide of Rottnest Island’s West End have been landing blue eye trevally, bass groper and grey-banded cod in 300m to 400m of water. In closer, good catches of pink snapper continue to be picked up south of Rottnest and near Garden and Carnac islands. The boats working the waters within Cockburn Sound have also been getting among a few snapper, which have been found within a few hundred metres of the coast and rock walls at times. Squid can still be caught along the seagrass beds off Fremantle and within the Sound. Plump sand whiting continues to be caught off Cottesloe and City Beach.

Shore based

Pink snapper were caught from the northern and southern rock walls during the past week of stormy conditions. Woodman Point and South Mole seemed to produce the bigger numbers of land-based pinks. North Mole also provided a few snapper as well as the odd mulloway. It is important to note that when the conditions are rougher than usual, North Mole has been closed due to safety concerns. There have also been a few pinks caught from Hillarys and Mindarie marina rock walls. Samson fish have also been turning up at Woodman Point together with a few mulloway. Early mornings and evenings have been good for tailor at Cottesloe Groyne and Floreat Drain. Chopper tailor have been appearing in the lower and middle reaches of the Swan and Canning rivers. Flathead are starting to turn up along the shallows downstream from Point Resolution.

Upgrade Your Life Jacket Before Summer

The team from Marine Safety will be down at Hillarys Boat Harbour on Saturday, Oct 14 to take those old foam jackets off your hands in exchange for a voucher! Every old, bulky jacket you part ways with, you will receive a $15 voucher that you can spend with Recfishwest to purchase your very own slimline, lightweight Crewsaver Jacket.

For more information, click here.

If you already have a voucher and you are unsure how you use it to purchase a jacket, please contact Recfishwest on 9246 3366