Metro Catches
Dawn and dusk are proving to be the best times to target pink snapper offshore with most of the 4 to 9kg fish caught this past week hooked during these brief periods. The 20 to 30m depths south of Rottnest, the 8 to 15m depths inside and outside of Five Fathom Bank, the drop offs in Cockburn Sound and Three Mile Reef were among the areas where the pinkies were encountered. Big king george whiting to 60cm featured in several bags of those dropping baits in 20 to 30m of water this past week. Sand whiting remain thick between Fremantle and Rottnest, especially near the shipping channel.
The seagrass beds within Cockburn Sound continue to produce good catches of squid and the odd small cuttlefish. Tailor have been a little hit and miss along the metropolitan beaches, however there are plenty of herring around, especially when burley is introduced. The deeper waters of the Swan including Mosman Bay, Freshwater Bay and The Narrows are worth trying for mulloway. Big schools of tailor are roaming the waters off Applecross and Mounts Bay Road. Squid can be sought at Bicton Baths, Mosman Bay, Claremont Jetty and Point Walter at night when the wind is light. There are still some good catches of blue manna crabs coming from the deeper waters of the Swan and Canning.
South West Catches
Pink snapper are being found in reasonable numbers along the Four Mile and Eight Mile as well as other parts of Geographe Bay. The west coast has been fishing better for dhufish, however catches have once again mostly been small fish less than 70cm. Schools of juvenile salmon and bull herring have been showing up along the Quindalup beaches. Try the rock platforms near Contos for pink and queen snapper, samson fish and yellowtail kingfish. There are still plenty of squid being picked up along the seagrass meadows between Eagle Bay and Abbey Beach.
Trout and redfin are still being caught and with the weather heating up just slightly it should make for better fishing. The big dams are your best bet as some of the rivers and tribs are still flowing a bit hard to fish. Check out our website to find this year’s trout stocking locations.
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.
Albany Catches
The boats that managed to head offshore when the weather allowed picked up a mix of species including pink snapper, red snapper, queen snapper, dhufish, breaksea cod and samson fish. Judging by most accounts, most of the reef species were found along the coral in 50 to 70m of water. Schools of pink snapper were also located in shallower waters, which suggest that rock fishers could find the pinkies within reach at the moment. 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.
Small schools of salmon have been regularly showing up at various beaches including Bornholm, Lowlands, Salmon Holes, Cheynes and Bluff Creek.Tailor have been turning up at Bornholm some mornings and evenings while herring and skippy are being caught in reasonable numbers right along the coast. Squid have been good off Frenchmans, however the same cannot be said for the waters out from the marina. King George whiting fishing has been more productive in the sound, near the islands, off Goode Beach and out from Frenchmans.
Middleton Beach is somewhat discoloured due to the dirty water running out from Oyster Harbour and as a result the Geordies have been hard to come by.The King River is also very tannin coloured and not fishing too well for black bream and mulloway. Small mulloway and bream are being caught in the Kalgan mostly on soft plastics and baits. Middleton Beach is worth a try for mulloway, especially at the edge of the murky and clear parts.
Esperance Catches
Shore-based fishers who hit up Poison Creek last week landed gummy sharks to 18kg, skippy to 3kg and plenty of salmon. Roses Beach has also been good for salmon as well as tailor, which have been turning up early to mid morning and after sundown.
Fourth Beach has salmon appearing most days while Stockyards is worth a look for juvenile salmon, herring and flathead. Bandy Creek boat harbour is still producing quite a few King George whiting, however the recent dredging works occurring there could dampen catches. Squid and herring can be sought from both of the town jetties. The boats working the inshore waters continue to do well on big sand whiting and squid.
Geraldton Catches
Tailor and the occasional mulloway are being caught along the Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch. Bigger tailor to 75cm have been coming from the reefs at Southgates and Separation Point while Drummonds has been producing a few fish around the 55cm mark. The back of The Lives and the new marina are worth a visit for herring, chopper tailor, small skippy, whiting and pike. The boats working the waters inside the reef are catching similar species as well as squid.
When the weather has permitted, good catches of dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper have been coming from the African Reef area. Coral trout catches have improved along Pensioners Bank. The lower reaches of the Greenough are fishing well for black bream to 40cm.
Kalbarri Catches
A customer of Kalbarri Sports and Dive caught his first ever mulloway at Red Bluff last Monday – a cracking specimen that pulled the scales down to an honest 20kg. His wife, who was fishing alongside, then went on to catch a 5kg pink snapper. Robbie Leck and a couple of mates caught several mulloway around the 60cm mark at Chinamans on Saturday morning.
Tailor catches have improved at Chinamans in the mornings and evenings. Chopper tailor between 35 and 45cm have been turning up at Red Bluff and Wittecarra. Small mulloway and black bream are the main species being caught at the jetties. The local charter boats have been putting their clients onto plenty of coral trout, dhufish, pink snapper, samson fish, spanish mackerel and tuna. Small boats working the shallow areas of depths less than 15m of water have been coming across quite a few dhuies.
Exmouth Catches
Spanish mackerel catches are increasing along the back of the reef line north and south of Tantabiddi and near the Muiron Islands. Shark mackerel and a few wahoo are also being caught together with the macks. The boats targeting billfish have been getting among quite a few black marlin and sailfish off the west coast.
Increasing numbers of sailfish are appearing the upper areas of the gulf, as they tend to do at this time of the season. The lower areas of the gulf are worth a try for golden trevally, queenfish, giant herring and permit. Big giant trevally and queenfish are turning up at Oysters and VLF Bay. Fly fishers who have been taking advantage of the light winds have been encountering good numbers of bonefish in the lagoon waters.
Broome Catches
An increase in the number of threadfin salmon catches in Dampier and Crab Creek is being attributed to a favourable change in the wind direction. Good catches of bluenose salmon have been coming from both creeks together with a few barramundi. Big schools of baitfish in the Fitzroy are a promising sign for the upcoming barra season.
Some nice barra sessions have been enjoyed by a couple of the boats in Roebuck Bay. Bony herring schools are attracting queenfish and trevally at the jetty. Bluebone and coral trout are also occasionally being caught from the structure. Quite a few wolf herring have been caught in Willie Creek recently.
