Due to a glitch with our e-newsletter monkeys, we are sorry we have been unable to send out our highly acclaimed fishing report exclusively to our members this week. So for one week only, we are posting this week’s report on our website. If you you’re not a Recfishwest member and enjoy this report, why not consider joining a cast of thousands and help us shape the future of fishing in WA by joining Recfishwest. More info on Recfishwest membership packages here.
Welcome to WA’s biggest and best weekly fishing report!
In this report you’ll read all about what’s biting across the State brought to you by keen fishers Joachim Azzopardi, Ash Ramm from Tackleworld Miami, Curt McCartney and Peter Fullarton.
We’ve teamed up with Shimano to give you some of their experts’ hot tips to take your fishing to the next level in the ‘West Aussie Ultimate Angler’ series.
Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan also features different WA fishing locations in his weekly segment, Scott’s Spots.
For anyone wanting to contribute to the report, photos reflecting Recfishwest’s responsible fish handling practices will be given preference.
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photos reflecting Recfishwest’s responsible fish handling practices will be given preference
Kununurra Catches (Curt McCartney)
As October comes to a end the past months fishing has been fantastic around Kununurra , those that brave the 38 degree days and chance of being smashed by a storm are being rewarded with big fish. Fishing in the freshwater areas around Kununurra has been fantastic in the last month with stories of multiple captures of meter plus fish in outings . Lake Kununurra has been on fire with plenty fish over the meter being caught out the front of the local caravan parks on sunrise and sunset . Trolling has been good and when schools located soft vibes work good as well . Plenty smaller fish around the 600 mark are appearing in the snags from past fingerling releases . Down over the diversion dam wall captures of meter plus fish in the Ord river are just as common , Ivanhoe crossing has been hot spot for big barramundi up to 130. The amount of meter plus fish pulled off this man-made crossing this year has been unbelievable with some locals catching up to 20 for the year! Down in the saltwater, the big barramundi are congregating on the creek mouths and ledges to start their breeding cycle for the year . Once located they can either be very willing to attack lures or the other side be completely shut down . Try find three or four schools and work them over during the day on different stages of the tide for success. Often once located I’ve found that these schools of big breeding barramundi to be mixed in with big mulloway, when these things attack your barra lure all hell tends to erupt.
Broome
Boats
Reef fishing has been productive in 30m to 40m of water where red emperor, saddletail seaperch and bluelined emperor have been found. Threadfin and bluenose salmon have been caught in reasonable numbers within Roebuck Bay. Bluebone and mulloway can also be targeted within the bay and other inshore areas. There are still Spanish and broadbar mackerel being caught on trolled bibbed minnows and rigged garfish off Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point, while mack and longtail tuna are being encountered offshore but not in any specific areas.
Shore based
Barramundi have been caught on live baits, including mullet and bony herring, within the Fitzroy River as well as the local creeks. Threadfin salmon have also been picked up in these systems together with bluenose salmon and mangrove jack. Queenfish and small golden and giant trevally can be targeted at Gantheaume Point and the jetty. Barra have been active at the jetty, especially in the evenings.
Exmouth
Boats
Billfish enthusiasts have been encountering blue and striped marlin at The Canyons and near the FADs. Black marlin have been landed closer to the reef line together with sailfish of which the latter species are sometimes being found in waters near the upper areas of Exmouth Gulf. Deep droppers have been picking up ruby snapper, spotted groper and eight-bar cod in approximately 230m. John Di Giovanni caught a solid long-nosed emperor south of Tantabiddi this week. Spanish mackerel have been responding well to bibbed minnows and rigged garfish, however, sharks have been a problem.
Shore based
Queenfish and small trevally, including brassy, golden and giant, have been common at the west coast accesses. There are spangled emperor and bluebone being caught at times near the lighthouse and Mildura Wreck. Oysters and VLF Bay are worth a try for big GTs, queenfish and giant herring. Yellowfin whiting and bream can be picked up along the town and lower gulf beaches. Mangrove jack and estuary cod have been caught at the jetty at first light and at night.
Scott’s Spots – The Rowley Shoals, fishing perfection
Only a few hundred people a year get to visit the Rowleys due to distance and weather, with the three coral atolls that comprise it – Clerke, Imperieuse and Mermaid – some 160 nautical miles offshore. These magnificent atolls rise almost out of nowhere from depths of hundreds of metres, and provide a stunning contrast to the endless deep blue water that surrounds them. Read more here!
Kalbarri
Boats
Spanish mackerel seem to still be some weeks away from turning up in big numbers. Some of the boats that tried for mackerel this week ended up catching samson fish and small mack and longtail tuna. Yellowfin tuna will likely turn up about the same time as the mackerel when perhaps cobia and billfish will also show again. Rock lobster have been picked up in good numbers.
Shore based
A 19kg mulloway was among several smaller fish landed at Wittecarra Creek this week. Mulloway were also caught at Chinamans and from the beaches north of Frustrations. Tailor have been appearing in good numbers at Wittecarra, Red Bluff, Chinamans and Sharkfin Rock in mornings while mostly choppers were picked up at the sand spit in the evening. Golden trevally in the 4kg to 6kg range and yellowtail kingfish were caught at Red Bluff. The jetties and pens are good areas to try for black bream and estuary cod. There are still good catches of yellowfin whiting being had along the sand spit.
Geraldton
Boats
Dinghy and kayak fishers have been doing well on squid through the inshore waters, while the tasty cephalopods have been caught in bigger numbers and sizes near the Abrolhos Islands. Apparently, some of the squid caught near the islands this week were up around the 2kg mark. Big schools of baitfish between the mainland and the islands suggest the summer migration of mackerel and tuna is not too far away. As of late, only small school mackerel and small mack tuna have been encountered offshore. Some nice catches of blue manna crabs have been picked up near the marina.
Shore based
Tailor catches have continued to improve around town and the beaches to the north and south. An 83cm tailor was among the best of them caught on bait near Flat Rocks this week. A customer of Geraldton Sports caught a 72cm tailor on a popper south of Greenough a couple of weeks ago. There have been plenty of tailor in the 40cm to 50cm range at Southgates, Tarcoola, Drummonds Cove and Horrocks. Mulloway to about a metre have also been coming from similar areas together with the odd school shark. There are still some nice yellowfin and school whiting being caught at Tarcoola, Southgates and north of Drummonds.
Lancelin
Boats
Most of the larger boats have been taking some time off after the end of the demersal season. Clear water and low water through the middle of the day have made the fish and squid difficult to tempt inside the bay, best results have been at first and last light each day. Herring have been along the southern sand holes of the bay. Large snook are over the weed beds, though easy to spook at the sight of the boat. Deeper water north of the bay fished well for herring, skippy and sand whiting. Lobster potters and divers have been managing to get some good size crays out of the nearshore shallows.
Shore
Mornings have seen the best fishing, strong breezes have been bringing in fresh floating weed each afternoon. Tailor have not been putting on a strong run at sunset or rise, though fishers putting in a little time have been managing to accumulate fish throughout the day. Lure casters have regularly out-fished baits, mid- late morning when the sea breeze starts, seems to be when the tailor are most active. Sizes are varying widely with some spots producing fish 40-60cm range. Several small salmon have also taken lures. Small whaler sharks are being caught right along the coastline, most active at night. Jetty fishers have been catching the small salmon as well along with tarwhine, herring and tailor.
Esperance
Boats
Dinghy and small boat fishers have been doing well on sand whiting, big squid and snook within the bay. Queen snapper continue to be caught in very good numbers near the islands and out wider. Those who ventured beyond the islands scored nannygai, breaksea cod and Samson fish.
Shore based
The Taylor Street Jetty has been producing mixed catches of bread and butter species including herring, small skippy and squid, while Bandy Creek boat harbour has small King George whiting, herring and black bream on offer. Small schools of salmon have been appearing at Fourth Beach, which also has skippy, herring and flathead. A bigger salmon school was behind the reef at Eleven Mile last week, however so were quite a few bronze whaler sharks. Surf fishers scored some nice gummy sharks at Israelite Bay, whereas Thomas River has been good for mulloway. Alexander Bay has been producing salmon, skippy to a kilo and gummy sharks.
Albany
Boats
Reef fishers had to work hard for their catches of red, queen and pink snapper, breaksea cod and dhufish on the coral. Yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish were found near the islands and bombies. The few who made it out to the shelf picked up hapuka and bigger red snapper. Inshore fishers have been finding King George whiting and squid in areas where the water has been clearer. Herring are plentiful inshore and there are skippy of about half a kilo in some areas.
Shore based
Surf fishers have continued to catch lots of salmon at Reef Beach and Fosters Beach. Skippy catches have started to drop with the only exception being Bluff Creek, which continues to produce fish between 500g and 1.5kg. There are herring and sand whiting among the surf beaches while the protected headlands and bays are still producing the occasional King George whiting. There are still plenty of small black bream and the odd mulloway being caught in the King and Kalgan rivers.
South West
Boats
King George whiting have been caught on squid and prawn baits in 5m to 20m of water off Eagle Bay, Quindalup and Siesta Park. Squid are in shallower waters along the seagrass beds in similar areas. Schools of small southern bluefin tuna have been appearing off the west coast and within Geographe Bay.
Shore based
A big school of salmon turned up at Smiths Beach last week. Herring are in very good numbers along both sides of the cape while tailor have mostly been coming from the exposed beaches on the west side. Small poppers and stick baits can be used to target yellowfin and school whiting along the sand flats near Dunsborough.
Mandurah and Surrounds
Mandurah and surrounds
As if almost on cue we have seen the flats fishing in the Peel and Harvey estuary systems gain some real momentum during the past seven days. Yellowfin whiting have started taking surface lures over the sand flats again and king George whiting are still in good numbers throughout the Dawesville Cut. There are still good numbers of herring and 30-50cm salmon around and they are becoming easier to target on lures as the water clarity improves. Crayfish are starting to slow down in the pots as we approach the whites run, maybe indicating that they are starting to moult for an early run this year, but it’s too soon to say for sure. Not a problem for divers, though, as they are still finding good numbers of crays free-diving or scuba. After residing up the Murray and Serpentine rivers over the winter, black bream have also begun to move into the marinas again and their numbers will continue to improve over the next few weeks.
Mandurah and surrounds fishing report courtesy of Ash Ramm – Tackle World Miami
Perth Catches
Boats
Schools of small southern bluefin are often being found off the outer edge of Five Fathom Bank and wide of West End. Big Samson fish have been caught on baits and jigs north and west of Rottnest in about 100m of water. There are small yellowtail kingfish patrolling West End and the reefs southwest of Rottnest including Champion Rock and Stragglers. King George whiting continue to be caught in fair numbers along Parmelia Bank and off Cottesloe. Sand whiting are in about 20m of water between Fremantle and Swanbourne. Squid catches have increased off Fremantle and within Cockburn Sound following an improvement in water clarity.
Shore based
Melbourne Cup Day has long been regarded as the unofficial start of the tailor run along the metropolitan beaches. Already some nice tailor catches are being regularly achieved, morning and night, at South Beach, South Mole, Cottesloe, Grant Street, Swanbourne Drain, City Beach and Floreat groynes and Brighton. Herring are sometimes being caught with the tailor, but perhaps the bread and butter species are more reliable at the northern and southern rock walls and jetties. The Fremantle rock walls are worth trying for King George whiting and squid. Tailor are a chance within the lower and middle reaches of the Swan River, while the deeper parts located in these areas may be holding mulloway. Flathead should become more active once water temperatures increase.
