Boat anglers have access to some very good offshore fishing and the quality of the angling has only improved in recent years, due to management changes.
There are very good boat fishing opportunities for a wide range of species including the iconic dhufish, pink snapper, king george whiting, baldchin groper, skippy and samson fish.
Popular locations include out from Two Rocks and Mindarie, around Rottnest Island, and spots like the Five-Fathom Bank, Direction Bank and Three-Mile Reef. There has been some excellent sportfishing in recent years over summer, with good numbers of spanish and shark mackerel and several species of tuna turning up in metro waters. At times, quite a few marlin have turned up west of Rottnest.
Fishing around the FADs behind Rottnest can be very good for dolphinfish. Tailor fishing around offshore reefs can be very productive and there are plenty of school whiting on offer around sandy patches just off the north metro coast. Cockburn Sound is a hot spot for snapper leading up to the spawning closure, and also offers great squidding.
Ready to go boating? Make sure you have a valid Recreational Skipper’s Ticket (RST) before heading out. For more information about the RST read our Get Your Skipper’s Ticket article or visit the Department of Transport website.
Find even more info on the best fishing spots in Western Australia here
