WA is riding a marine heatwave with ocean temperatures 2–3°C above average, sparking both challenges and incredible fishing opportunities.
Experts warn of risks like fish kills and coral bleaching and Recfishwest is calling for more focus and investment on resilience-building measures to offset some of the impacts and protect our marine ecosystems. Investments into measures such as artificial reefs, seagrass re-seeding, and other habitat enhancement will build resilience against future heatwave events – read more here.
The good news is the warmer waters have are also delivering a pelagic fishing bonanza, especially in the metro region.
Cobia cracker
Perhaps one of the most eye-catching examples of this hot pelagic metro action that recently sent social media into overdrive is the record-breaking 79.6kg cobia caught south of Rottnest aboard Jazz Charters, shattering the previous world record by nearly 20kg.
While cobia do show up in the metro from time to time, to have a record-breaking fish caught on the doorstep of WA’s capital city will go down in history, and this impressive capture will take a lot to be beaten – even from further north where they are more prevalent.
There’s been a range of unexpected sightings and encounters on the back of the heatwave – manta rays have been spotted cruising through Cockburn Sound, a whale shark encountered off Two Rocks, a pod of sailfish was seen off Fremantle, and a dolphinfish was seen beaching itself in Esperance.
The warm waters, pushed south by a strengthening Leeuwin Current, have delivered a pelagic season reminiscent of the incredible fishing seen during the 2011 heatwave and the chance to have a crack at these fast growing and sustainable targets has never been better.
Reports of mackerel patrolling the inshore reefs, bonito showing up at the groynes and jetties, and marlin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna wide of Rottnest, highlight just how special this season is for Perth anglers.
The Rottnest Trench has been firing, with blue, black, and striped marlin appearing in numbers rarely seen in local waters, with 66 marlin seen over two days of fishing during the Perth Game Fishing Marlin Cup on February 15-16. Even more astonishing has been the arrival of black marlin in the shallows, with one being seen in just seven metres of water behind Garden Island and another caught by Gametime Charters while tuna fishing on the 30m contour near Rottnest.
Stacks of macks
Mackerel action has been heating up with Spanish, school, and shark mackerel being caught on the inshore reefs and near the islands. There has even been reports of mackerel as far south as Albany!
Bonito have made a long-awaited return to the Perth jetties and rock walls after several sparse years, providing land-based fishers with an exciting light-tackle pelagic fix. Their arrival has been a welcome surprise for the die-hard land-based guys, offering great sport for those willing to put the time in casting lures from shore.
To add to the impressive captures over the last few weeks, Gametime Charters caught a hefty 39.5kg yellowfin tuna west of Rottnest, reinforcing just how exceptional the fishing has been this season.
As the Leeuwin Current continues to strengthen into March, the exceptional fishing opportunities are only set to improve in the southern half of state. Pelagic species will likely remain active along the metro coastline, with mackerel, tuna, and billfish to continue thrilling anglers for months to come. If water temperatures remain above 22°C, anglers will have a great chance at encountering these prized species right up until the first winter cold fronts cool things down.
And let’s all play our part tracking the impacts of the marine heatwave by reporting any unsual captures to Red Map. Download the app on Google Play or the App store.
Get on a troll for pelagics
That means if you’ve never had a crack at trolling or casting lures for pelagics – now’s the perfect time to give it a crack.
Not only is it great fun and a relatively easy way to fish once you’ve mastered the basics – come the demersal season reopening in autumn, it’s a great way to mix up your catch targeting fast growing pelagics and potentially taking a bit of pressure off slow-growing demersals like dhufish and pink snapper.