Metro Catches
(Picture: Dylan sent this through on Instagram, a great shot of a Samson Fish which he tagged last year!)
There were several mornings and a few afternoons this past week when conditions were suitable to head offshore. The better catches off reef fish seemed to have come from the ground west and northwest of Mindarie where some big dhufish and plenty of pink snapper were caught. The 40 to 50m depths off Hillarys have also been producing a good mix of breaksea cod, dhuies, pinkies and baldchin groper.
Early morning and late afternoons have been the best time to target pink snapper around the shallower ground near Garden and Carnac islands and along Five Fathom Bank. Big sand whiting around 30cm have been found in the sand holes off Rockingham and Fremantle. King George whiting to 40cm have been picked up on the edge of the sand and weed in Warnbro and Cockburn Sound while the bigger KGs in excess of 45cm have been caught on the western edge of Five Fathom Bank in relatively good numbers.
Some of the inshore reefs are teeming with skippy to a kilo and small samson fish at the moment. Squid catches have been improving along the seagrass meadows off Fremantle as winter progresses. Shore-based fishers at Woodman Point, along Capo D’Orlando Drive, South Mole and North Mole have also been picking up their fair share of squid. Bread and butter species including herring, garfish and skippy can also be sought at these spots.
The Rockingham beaches are still reliable for salmon while fish continue to be caught every now and then along the Leighton to Trigg stretch. Early mornings are producing a few tailor on metals and stick baits at Grant Street and Swanbourne Drain. Bait schools have returned to South Perth waters and their presence appears to have attracted tailor.
Mandurah and Surrounds
(Picture: Yellowfin Whiting are not super active on the flats but can be found at the mouths of the Dawesville Cut and Peel Inlet.)
MANDURAH
Beaches around Mandurah are still producing tailor, herring and garfish as well as an occasional gummy shark. The estuary opening and areas adjacent have also been producing good yellow-fin whiting. There are still a few black bream on the move in the Murray and Serpentine Rivers. The Dawesville Cut is producing some good catches at the moment. There are plenty of King George whiting and some big herring. The traffic bridges are also producing some good fish along with an occasional tailor of reasonable size.
There are still a few salmon in the estuary and the Cut and anglers are finding them along the beaches in the area. With the recent rough weather, it may break the schools up a bit and they will scatter widely.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY
Anglers fishing these beaches have been catching a few tailor. There have been a few King George whiting and some good tarwhine taken also. Palm Beach and Rockingham jetties have been consistently producing plenty of garfish, a few herring and pilch. Squid are still around in good numbers. Salmon are also being taken from the beaches fairly regularly, with those on the north side of Point Peron really producing during last week.
COCKBURN SOUND
Tailor have been quiet but there are still odd ones being taken. An occasional larger snapper has also been taken during the heavy weather over recent days. When boat anglers have been able to get out and fish the reefs and structures in the Sound, they have found plenty of medium sized snapper and a few King George whiting. Squid have been prolific and several anglers have taken their bag limit.
The various groynes have been producing some good fishing with reports this week of mulloway up to 10 kg and some good snapper to 6 kg. Along with the mulloway there are some herring. garfish and pilch with a few tarwhine and skippy just to make it interesting.
KWINANA / WOODMAN POINT
Anglers fishing the area have reported some herring, pilch (mullett) and garfish with an occasional skippy and tarwhine. There are still a lot of salmon a few tailor around and mulloway after dark. Snapper have been taken from rock platforms and jetties in the area.
South West Catches
(Picture: Pink Snapper around the South West Artificial Reefs are a hot tip if deciding where to fish this weekend. Check out the reefs here.)
The boats that have been anchoring and burleying near structure in Geographe Bay have been doing well on pink snapper to a superb 10kg.
Shore-based fishers have been picking up the odd pink snapper from the shore in the bay, especially during and following a period of rough weather. Squid can be sought along the seagrass meadows between Eagle Bay and Abbey Beach.
The nearby sand areas that feature broken ground would be worth trying for King George whiting. Salmon are still being caught in reasonable numbers along the west coast beaches and throughout the bay. Herring are responding well to a consistent burley trail.
Expect blue manna crab catches to improve off Quindalup following the recent northerlies.
Albany Catches
(Picture: King George Whiting are a great catch and can be found in sand holes between seagrass beds)
Pink snapper appear to be hanging about in dense schools at the edge of the shelf following reports by several crews who picked up their bag limits of 6 to 7kg fish during the past week. A variety of reef fish including breaksea cod, queen snapper, dhufish, red snapper and skippy have been coming from along the coral in 60 to 85m of water. Schools of samson fish and yellowtail kingfish were also encountered in a range of depths and areas.
Good catches of King George whiting have been picked up around the harbours and the sound if you can get through the letherjackets. The bigger King George take a bit of hunting around, however boat limits are being achieved in a reasonable amount of time. Squid also take some work and there were many this past week who did better on the popular cephalopods late afternoon and evening.
A few sand whiting, flathead and skippy also featured among the inshore catches. Salmon still remain the dominant catch along the local beaches as well as those east and west of town. Bluff Creek, Nanarup and Bornholm were among the better performing spots for salmon this past week. Skippy catches have been improving along the coast while tarwhine, flathead and King George whiting were some of the other species to come from the beaches.
Shore-based fishers have been picking up a few squid at the marina and Frenchmans. Black bream in the high 30s were the better fish caught in the King and Kalgan this week. The odd bigger fish in the 40s has been landed in a few of the other systems either side of town.
Esperance Catches
(Picture: Plenty of Sand Whiting around during winter and a great fish for the kids)
Plenty of salmon continue to be caught at Salmon Beach, Fourteen Mile and Roses. Some nice flathead and good size skippy have also been coming from Fourteen Mile. Blue Haven has been a hot spot for big sand whiting while Poison Creek has mulloway in the 6 to 8kg range.
The Taylor Street Jetty has been fishing well for snook and there are plenty of herring at then Bandy Creek boat harbour. The boats that managed to head out wide found big concentrations of nannygai in 60 to 70m of water.
Squid and sand whiting are the main species being caught in the bay.
Geraldton Catches
(Picture: The Salmon seem to travelling further North each year)
There have been several reports during the past month of Australian salmon catches along the local beaches as well as those east and west of town. Graham Maunder, of Geraldton Sports, and a mate landed half a dozen salmon and lost several others at Nine Mile Beach recently.
The Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch has also had the odd salmon turn up and there were even reports of schools at Lucky Bay. School-size mulloway and chopper tailor have been turning up some mornings and evenings near Greenough. Bigger tailor have been coming from the reefs near Flat Rocks, Southgates and Separation Point. Small whiting are the main species being picked up at the back of the breakwater.
Boat fishers have been picking up reasonable catches of pink snapper to 6kg, dhufish and baldchin groper near African Reef.
Squid are being caught up in better numbers along the seagrass beds inside the reef line when the water has been clear.
Kalbarri Catches
(Picture: Young Craig Foz with a Dhuie he got while out fishing with his dad)
Spanish mackerel have been responding well to trolled rigged garfish and bibbed minnows near Sand Patch and west of the river mouth. Balloon fishers also picked up a couple of Spaniards last Friday at Wagoe, which has also been producing quite a few Australian salmon.
Some nice catches of pink snapper, rankin cod and cobia have been coming from the Bald Face area while the ground out wider has been producing a few red emperor, dhufish and baldchin groper. Big tailor have been hitting stick baits and poppers at the river mouth, however some of the suspected 60 to 80cm fish have managed to shake off or break their tether.
The odd trevally has also been caught at the river mouth while Frustrations has been good for school-size mulloway around the 80cm mark. A customer of Kalbarri Sports and Dive landed an estimated 20kg mulloway on a soft plastic in what was his first cast at Gregory Rocks last weekend. Black bream, estuary cod and giant herring were among the other species to be picked up in the Murchison.
Exmouth Catches
(Picture: Courtesy of Bluewater Tackle World Exmouth. This big Scarlet Seaperch taken on spear out on Ningaloo Reef)
Minnow-style lures trolled along the back of the reef line between the 15 and 25m depths and near the Muiron Islands have been enticing Spanish mackerel. A few Spaniards are also starting to turn up through the northern parts of the gulf together with longtail tuna and varieties of trevally.
Billfish enthusiasts are encountering small black marlin in depths starting at 50m. Red emperor, rankin cod, gold band snapper and plenty of spangled emperor have been coming from a variety of areas. Shore-based fishers are also picking up a few spanglies along the west coast accesses along with queenfish and small trevally.
Big giant trevally are starting to appear in better numbers at the tip of the cape. Squid can be caught at Learmonth Jetty, the marina and the Tantabiddi boat launching facility.
Broome Catches
(Picture: Barramundi are still being caught, along with threadies and queenies in local creeks)
Sailfish continue to be encountered in waters off Barred Creek together with varieties of other pelagic species including Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna and cobia. Reef fishing enthusiasts have been picking up fair catches of bluebone, fingermark bream, saddletail seaperch and bluelined emperor in depths leading up to 40m of water.
Threadfin and bluenose salmon can be sought from boat and shore at Roebuck Bay. Shore-based fishers have been enjoying some light tackle entertainment on queenfish and trevally along the Town Beach.
A couple of nice permit have been picked up on fly within the greater Broome area during the past week. There are still a few barramundi being caught on lures and live baits in the Fitzroy River and local creeks.
