Metro Catches
The boats heading out from Fremantle and Cockburn Sound have been encountering schools of salmon, especially those who have ventured to the islands and exposed bombies to target species such as pink snapper and gummy sharks. Salmon are being caught from North Mole most days and there are still a few small schools turning up along the Cottesloe to Brighton stretch.
Tailor have been appearing some mornings and evenings while herring are turning up about an hour after sunrise and biting well until mid morning. There were a few pink snapper caught from the southern rock walls when the rough weather was around last week. Most of the southern and northern rock walls and jetties are producing herring as well as a few garfish. Squid and cuttlefish have been caught in better numbers along the seagrass meadows off Fremantle and within Cockburn and Warnbro sounds when the water has been clearer.
The rock walls along Mews Road and Capo D’Orlando Drive are also fishing well for squid. Tailor schools are showing up off South Perth, at Applecross Jetty and in Freshwater and Mosman Bay. The deeper areas of the Swan including The Narrows, Mosman Bay and Blackwall Reach are worth trying for mulloway at this time of the year. Flathead are starting to appear in shallower ground as water temperatures begin to increase in both river systems.
If you do fish from the rocks make sure you’re wearing a life jacket. Please see bottom of report for Free Life Jacket loan locations.
South West Catches
Dinghy and small boat fishers have been picking up pink snapper to 8kg, big skippy, dhufish, samson fish and yellowtail kingfish along Four Mile Reef off Busselton and Dunsborough. More sambos and kings have been caught along the drop offs out from Cape Naturaliste. Bigger dhufish are starting to be found in better numbers in 30 to 40m of water off the West Coast. Squid numbers have improved along the seagrass beds between Eagle Bay and Siesta Park. Small schools of salmon have been turning up along the west coast more regularly than the Geographe Bay beaches.
Freshwater catches have been steady this week with Harvey Dam still producing a few nice Rainbow Trout. Some big Redfin have been coming from the lower reaches of the Warren, and the Donnelly is was the pick of the bunch for fast water Trout fishing.
Albany Catches
Salmon have turned up along the coast in numbers similar to those experienced during the annual autumn run. An estimated 30-tonne salmon school was hanging around Salmon Holes last Wednesday and Friday. Smaller schools appeared at Sand Patch and Lowlands and there were reports of schools passing along the coast at Denmark, Nanarup, Cheynes Beach and Bluff Creek. Herring have been in good numbers at Sand Patch, which may have something to do with the salmon showing up there.
Skippy to a kilo have been common at Nanarup and Cheynes while the odd bigger fish has been coming from the rocks at West Cape Howe together with samson fish and yellowtail kingfish. Early mornings and evenings are seeing a few tailor turn up at Bornholm. There are still a few samson fish being caught in the channel at Emu Point. The boats targeting King George whiting reported sizes of the popular table fish to be smaller on average this past week. Numbers seem to be okay though with several boats getting close to their bag limits.
Two Peoples Bay again fished well for the Geordies as did Cosy Corner, both harbours. Gull Rock would also be worth a look, as would Goode Beach, Michaelmas Island, Seal Rock and Green Island. Middleton Beach may also be holding KG considering the water there has cleared up. Farther offshore, pink snapper were found in as shallow as 40 to 50m of water while the 65 to 80m depths fished better for breaksea cod, queen snapper, dhufish and samson fish. Both of the local rivers are fishing reasonably well for black bream. Baits seemed to be the preferred method for the bream, however hard-bodied lures and fly are starting to produce better results. Some good mulloway sessions have been experienced in the Kalgan, but unfortunately sizes have been nothing special.
If you do fish from the rocks make sure you’re wearing a life jacket. Please see bottom of report for Free Life Jacket loan locations.
Esperance Catches
The boats that managed to head offshore during the week reported there to be big concentrations of nannygai in depths leading up to 80m behind the islands. Apparently one crew encountered a school of nannygai that showed up as being 30m thick on the sounder. Some of the nannygai have been good fish too with some picking up fish around the 3.5kg mark. One of the professional boats that ventured to the shelf did well on blue eye trevalla and hapuka.
Southern bluefin tuna in the 8 to 10kg range and bonito have showed up again within a couple of miles of the coast. Apparently the bluefin and bonito have been spotted working bait schools less than 100m from the shore at times. The jetties are fishing well for herring, garfish and squid. Despite the dredging works being performed at the Bandy Creek boat harbour, King George whiting between 28 and 32cm are still being caught in the vicinity.
Stockyards has been offering salmon between 3 and 4kg, skippy to a kilo and herring. Salmon were also caught at Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach during the week. Tailor have been on the bite at dawn and dusk at Roses. Salmon have also been coming from there. King George to a kilo have been caught from the rocks at Poison Creek together with mulloway and a few salmon.
Geraldton Catches
The Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch, Coronation Beach and the northern side of Drummonds have been the most reliable spots for tailor, which have been averaging 40cm. The occasional bigger tailor has been picked up from the reefs near town together with a few samson fish of varying sizes. The southern end of Coronation and Oakagee have been producing a few good size mulloway and pink snapper. Herring have been in good numbers at Point Moore and Separation Point. Try the lower reaches of the Greenough River for black bream.
Kalbarri Catches
Shore-based fishers putting in the time and effort at Red Bluff and Frustrations have been rewarded with good size mulloway and pink snapper. Tailor between 45 and 65cm have been turning up most mornings and evenings at Chinamans and the Back Beach. Big garfish and good numbers of herring are being caught near the rocks at Red Bluff while most of the beaches seem to fishing well for whiting.
Wayne Dewar got onto some nice dhufish and pink snapper while fishing with Seasport Charters last Tuesday. The charter boats have also been finding good concentrations of red emperor and coral trout along the deeper areas. An 11kg cobia was caught from the shore at Wagoe last week. Yellowfin whiting have reappeared along the sand flats in the Murchison while mulloway to 85cm have been picked up at the jetty.
Exmouth Catches
Peak Sportfishing’s Eddie Lawler achieved a grand slam last week landing a black marlin, striped marlin and sailfish all in a single session. Sailfish numbers are starting to increase in the upper areas of the gulf while the lower parts are worth a try for queenfish, trevally and giant herring. Spanish mackerel ranging from 10 to 25kg and shark mackerel are being caught on trolled bibbed minnows and floated live baits along the back of the west coast reef and near the Muiron Islands. Some nice hauls of blue manna crabs and prawns are being had in the gulf. The coral bombies within the gulf are producing fair catches of coral trout and bluebone.
Broome Catches
Barramundi catches have been improving as the water temperatures in the Fitzroy River and the local creeks increase. Barra between 55 and 75cm were caught in reasonable numbers in Dampier and Willie Creek last week while fish to 95cm were picked up in the Fitzroy near The Cuttings. Liam Dimascia caught a couple of nice barra and several bluenose salmon near the Catalina boat ramp last Wednesday night. Dampier Creek has reportedly been fishing well for mangrove jack and big bream. Queenfish to a metre and trevally have been common at the jetty. The drop off in front of Black Ledge has been holding big mulloway.
