Fishing Lure

Recfishwest Newsletter

View this email in your browser

Recfishwest
Fishing Report

05/01/24

Coral trout are a hard-fighting and delicious species to target and bommies like this frequently hold this highly sought after species for fishers on boats or those prowling the reefs with a speargun. Have a crack at shallow frying up thin strips of their skin (even with the scales on) in red hot oil and it becomes a delicious form of seafood crackling in about 30 seconds.

Our contributors

Sam Bock

Sam Russell

Jarrad Lawford

Sedin Hasanovic

Welcome to our first fishing report for 2024 and we hope you all had a great Christmas break with friends and family out on the water!

Want to know the best tips for taking great fish photos and also on how to handle fish out of the water? We've got you covered with our r esponsible fish handling and photography tips page. The page gives a perfect explanation on the types of images we love to use in our weekly Fishing Report and why.

If you've got a cracking fish photo you want to send in, remember to keep sending us your catches by tagging #recfishwest in your online posts! You can also follow and private message your catches to our Instagram page @recfishwest and make sure you let us know where and how you caught it!

Keep up to date with events, clinics, news and amazing catches across WA by following our Instagram page @recfishwest and give our Recfishwest Facebook page a like!

For your photos to appear in the weekly fishing report, please make sure they reflect our responsible fish handling practices (so fish held horizontally, no blood, hand under the belly, no fingers in gills, etc), just like the images below.

If you're planning to head out this week, stay safe, take plenty of photos and have fun!

William Bennett

RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT WRITER

Pic of the Week!

Given the great fishing variety on offer at the Busselton jetty are we really surprised that a big dolphinfish turned up? This solid fish was hooked out toward the end by a young fisher casting a metal slice and while the fish wasn't landed, this photograph proving dolly's are out there off the famous landmark might see the jetty brimming with more fishers over summer!

Your fishing photos

If you want to be included in our weekly State-wide Fishing Reports, message your best fishing photos and a description to our Instagram page @recfishwest.

Send photos

Changed your email?

If so, please e-mail our Membership Officer your new details and mention your name, old email and new email address in order to keep receiving the State-wide Fishing Report.

Change e-mail

Fish the FADs below for dolphinfish between February-March to potentially score a big payday!

There's a fantastic FADs fishing competition coming our way with some awesome prizes up for grabs!

During February and March, landing a big dolphinfish at one of the FADs listed above could score you an impressive payday, thanks to Compleat Angler Nedlands, Getaway Outdoors Balcatta, Anglers Fishing World and Seasport Tackle Jurien Bay creating a great alternative for fishers while our demersal stocks take a break

Visit any of the stores for more info and we'll keep you posted on this competition!

Broome catches

Hayley Dickfos @hdickfos has already set the benchmark pretty high for the longest threadfin salmon caught in Broome for 2024! This 106cm beauty was landed from the sheltered waters within the bay and the challenge is now out there to go bigger.

Boats

When the winds have been down good numbers of tripletail have been caught around the structure and moorings, with Samaki vibes working well on them. Northern mulloway have been landed on the edge of the Deeps along with a few fingermark and the odd bluebone. Northern mulloway have also been showing up at the mouths of the creeks. Dampier Creek continued to fish well for barramundi, queenfish, mangrove jack and blue-nosed salmon, while the odd big threadfin salmon (as seen pictured above) has been caught in Crab Creek, along with a few barramundi. Both creeks have held plenty of mud crabs. The wind has made fishing at the Fingers difficult but it did offer a few threadfin salmon and barramundi. Live baits and hard-bodied lures either trolled or flicked around snags worked best for barramundi in the creeks this week. The low to moderate westerly winds and lower swell are hanging around but Tuesday at this stage could see a glass off.

Shore-based

Gotta love having some great fishing on offer close to your work! @joelborgers kicked off 2024 in style, landing this healthy cobia via stickbait up north in the Pilbara region.

It was a quieter week for the land-based fishers. Town Beach Jetty has held bream and small trevally, while the Port Jetty offered bigger trevally and a few small barramundi around the pylons. Mangrove jack have been the main fare at Willie and Barred creeks, especially at high tide. Better barramundi spots in the Fitzroy River have been Telegraph Pool, Willare Bridge and up towards the river mouth.

Big thanks to the crew from Tackle World Broome for their tips! Make sure you pay them a visit for the best gear and advice for your next fishing trip.

Exmouth catches

A top-quality snap for a beautiful fish. This blackspot tuskfish landed by @brody.sutton in shallow waters on fly in the Exmouth Gulf is just one reason why this area is one of the best fishing destinations in the world.

Boats

Windy conditions this week slowed a lot of offshore fishing but the bigger boats that headed out west found good numbers of blue marlin in 200m+ depths, with one boat landing five blues and one black marlin. Skirted lures have worked best and a few dolphinfish and yellowfin tuna have been among the bycatch. Black marlin, a few sailfish and the same bycatch have been in 100m+ of water. Towards the north of the cape in 90m depths goldband snapper have been plentiful, along with a few pearl perch. In the 50-70s, red emperor and Rankin cod have been caught and a few shallow-water red emperor have been landed in 20m. The 50m depths west of the Muirons have offered Spanish mackerel and they also have been caught on the reef line on the west side, but conditions there have been difficult. Fishing in the Gulf has been good with a crew out from Learmonth doing well on red throat emperor, school mackerel, the odd coral trout and cobia. Schofield and Stewart shoals have offered spangled emperor, blue-lined emperor and Moses perch. The Bay of Rest also held reasonable numbers of mud crabs. It should be decent out on the water over this weekend in the mornings but early next week should see it become a bit windy and choppy.

Shore-based

Squid have been the main evening catches at Learmonth Jetty and a few bream have been around in the day. Squid have also been hanging around the Bundegi boat ramp at night and trevally and queenfish have been active in the daytime. The flats south of Bundegi have fished well for bream and yellowfin whiting, with the whiting happy to take surface lures and small vibes. The rocky sections of Bundegi near the navy pier have held estuary cod and bluebone. Near the prawn farm, permit, giant herring, shark mackerel and longtom have been cruising the flats. The town marina has offered bream, cod and mangrove jack. Strong winds have made fishing on the west side difficult, but when conditions have allowed spangled emperor and bluebone have been caught between Yardie Creek and Tantabiddi. Anglers ballooning at the Mildura Wreck have also tangled with spangled emperor and Spanish mackerel. Wapet Creek has held a few mangrove jack, cod and bream. Mornings are your best bet for a land-based flick this weekend.

These great tips were courtesy of the friendly team at Tackle World Exmouth. Swing by their store for the best advice and gear ahead of your next trip!

Kalbarri catches

Shimano ambassador @nickihuntfishing knows how to find the mulloway offshore and seems to find more of these silver beauties than any other fisher in WA!

Boats

Pelagic fishing has been excellent with good catches of tuna, bonito and Spanish mackerel around Sand Patch and the Three-Mile Reef. Another great spot was out from the Three-Mile to the blue water 15km offshore, with wahoo, dolphinfish and cobia caught on trolled lures. Pink snapper, dhufish and baldchin groper have been the main demersal catches, while on the gravel bottom around the Three-Mile Reef Rankin cod have also been caught. Crayfish catches have been steady across a wide range of depths. Thankfully the conditions will start to improve from Saturday right into next week so get out there!

Shore-based

There has been plenty of tailor action with quite a few fish landed in the 70-90cm range. The better spots have been at the mouth of the Murchison River, across the river at Oyster Reef and Frustrations, and down to Wagoe and Lucky Bay. Wagoe and Lucky Bay have also offered school mulloway and a brassy trevally was landed at Lucky Bay last week. Good tailor have also come from Wittecarra and Red Bluff, along with big dart. Mulloway activity picked up in the Murchison River with fish up to 90cm being caught at the Sand Spit and the town marina. The Sand Spit has also fished well for yellowfin whiting, while tailor have been caught from the marina jetty in the evenings. The best bream fishing has been up river, while throughout the system mud crabs have been in good numbers along with a few blue swimmer crabs. Saturday morning is looking great for a land-based flick with gentle easterly winds to aid your casting.

Shout to to Dean from Kalbarri Sports and Dive for his tips! Feel free to venture into his store to ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri!

Geraldton catches

Boats

A good variety of demersal species have kept boaties happy, including big coral trout in the 55-70cm range and lots of baldchin groper, some around 60cm. Dhufish catches have been patchy but plenty of pink snapper have been landed on both sides of town in 25-30m depths. There was a recent burst of Spanish mackerel activity off St George’s in 25-30m depths and they have been active right up to Port Gregory and also from Dongara southwards. Dinghy fishers have been targeting squid around Point Moore and Separation Point with good results. The stronger winds and moderate swell are sticking around unfortunately, so stay safe if you decide to head out on the water.

Shore-based

The summer tailor run has arrived with a big bang and fish were plentiful right along the coast, mostly in the summer chopper range of 30-40cm but with quite a few 50cm models mixed in. Just about every known tailor haunt has been reliable with southern favourites such as Flat Rocks, Head Butts and Lucy’s fishing well, along with West Bank which although weedy at times has produced bigger tailor from its deep channel. The rocks at the mouth of Greenough River mouth have also been reliable (and crowded) most mornings so we recommend getting there before sunrise. Double Beach when weed-free has been good for school mulloway as well as chopper tailor. Good numbers of tailor have also come from the reef at Southgates in the mornings, at Tarcoola, around the harbour, at Pages Beach, Point Moore and at Separation Point when not weedy. They were also in great numbers from the north side of the Batavia Coast Marina and up at Drummonds Cove to Coronation Beach. If you were to be picky, areas out town have fished a tad better. Herring have also shown up at some locations including the Greenough River mouth, Southgates, Tarcoola, in front of the Sail Inn and through to the Batavia Coast Marina, especially in the evenings. The north side of the marina also offered a few squid. At Drummonds Cove the tailor catches have been boosted by herring and pike. Whiting catches have been poor possibly due to the excessive number of tailor around and the size is down, but as a consolation good numbers of dart have been caught especially in the evenings between 30-45cm. The moderate easterly winds tomorrow might provide the easiest window for a land-based fish this week.

Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and the solid advice for your next fishing trip.

Lancelin catches

Lancelin right up to Dongara has fished very well for demersals over the Christmas period and @brocks__fishing07 managed to find some dhufish off Cervantes via the 130mm Squidtrex this week.

Boats

Out wide fishers found results inconsistent over the past week with some boats having difficulty finding a patch of fish on the bite. Boats that didn’t head out so far however had little trouble finding baldchin groper through the 20-30m depths. Baldies, dhufish and pink snapper have been landed right through the inshore areas in 5-15m depths, which provided great fun for the small boats and even kayaks when the weather windows allowed it. On the pelagic front there hasn’t been a lot reported other than random schools of bluefin and striped tuna. In the bay, herring have been a great size and quick to take small lures on the cast or troll, while the King George whiting have gone slightly off the boil over the past couple of weeks but did turn up occasionally over the patchy ground of weed and sand. Samson fish have been roaming the shallows of the bay and were busting up on the schools of herring that gathered in the burly trails. The easterly winds combined with a low to moderate swell should make it a flat journey out over the coming days but expect it to become choppy from midday.

Shore-based

Blowfish have been making their annual northerly migration, with schools gathering at the local jetty due to the excessive amount of bait and burley, so it's best to fish here at night when the schools of herring gather under the lights. Along the beaches the blowies are only along the near shore wave breaks and casting several metres out past them is sufficient enough to avoid their bites and attract the tailor, herring or whiting. Sunset has seen some classic tailor sessions where the fish are smashing baits as soon as they hit the water. The calm morning sessions generally saw reduced tailor action but that lack of action was compensated by a fantastic run of beach pinkies off the cast along with big bull herring. It should be decent land-based conditions over the coming days and that easterly wind in your back should help with casting off the beach.

A big Recfishwest thanks to Peter Fullarton for his tips on what's biting around Lancelin each week! If you want Peter to put you on to the fish directly, make sure you check out his Tailored Treks Tours page. Always a great time and Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand.

Esperance catches

Tyson 'TNT' Tietjens @tnttietjens finished off 2023 with his mates catching nice mulloway from the gutters off the picturesque southern beaches.

Boats

Strong winds have kept boaties close to shore, mostly in Esperance Bay where they have found a few squid, herring and King George whiting around the weed banks. A couple of boats managed to find shelter around Cull, Black, Charley and Observatory Islands and caught Samson fish, queen snapper and sweep. Before conditions deteriorated there were plenty of tuna schools offshore and nannygai were in good numbers. Thankfully there should be some reprieve from the rough conditions this weekend across both mornings with lower winds and swell currently forecast.

Shore-based

Want to get your kids outside this school holidays and learning how to fish along our beautiful south coast? Recfishwest's FREE SunSmart Southern Fishing Clinic Tour is back this weekend and there are four fishing clinics on offer at the following locations and times!

Spots are filling up quickly at these clinics, so don't delay and book now!

6th January - Duke of Orleans Caravan Park - one clinic from 9-11am - click here to book.
7th January - Esperance - one clinic from 9-11am - click here to book.
9th January - Hopetoun - two clinics from 9-11am and 12-2pm - click here to book.

The Town Jetty has offered squid, herring, small skippy and the odd snook, while at Taylor Street near the port there have been skippy, King George whiting and herring. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour held herring, small King George whiting, skippy, flounder and bream. Big schools of salmon have been patrolling West, Fourth and Salmon beaches, while salmon and herring have been at 11 and 14-Mile beaches. Roses Beach held salmon, tailor and small mulloway, while Alexander Bay offered gummy sharks, mulloway and skippy to 2kg. At Thomas River gummy sharks, herring and mulloway have been caught, along with skippy off the rocks. Israelite Bay has been firing for mulloway with reports of up to 20 fish being landed in one session, along with herring, salmon, flathead and King George whiting. The Bream Lakes have been holding fish in the 30-40cm range.

Hats off to the very knowledgeable team at Southern Sports & Tackle for their tips! These guys love their fishing as well, so make sure you swing by their store for the best gear and advice before wetting a line around Esperance.

Great Southern catches

Albany is one of the best spots in WA for consistently producing bream over the 40cm mark and the lads from @wa_fishing and @hunters_fishing_adventures saw this PB 41cm beauty landed after wading the shallows.

Boats

Howling south-easterlies and persistent drizzle have all but ruled out boating activity, with not even King George Sound fishable this past week. If weather windows arise it seem likely the Sound will be the best bet for King George whiting and squid. Before the weather turned nasty there were reports of blue swimmer crabs in Princess Royal and Oyster harbours. Given the easterly winds might drop off slightly along with the swell this weekend, both days could hold decent windows, particularly in the mornings.

Shore-based

If you want to get your kids outside and learning how to fish along our beautiful south coast, Recfishwest's FREE SunSmart Southern Fishing Clinic Tour is back on the south coast next week and while our Albany clinics have already fully booked out, there is still spots open at Denmark and Walpole!

14th January - Denmark - two clinics from 9-11am and 12-2pm - click here to book.
15th January - Walpole - two clinics from 9-11am and 12-2pm - click here to book.

Shore fishers haven’t had much to smile about either with most beaches ruled out. The King and Kalgan rivers have offered a few big bream and squid have been the main fare from Emu Point and the town marina, but water clarity has been an issue at times. A bit of burley might bring around some herring and maybe a few whiting but it has been hard work over the past week. Another option could be a drive out to Denmark where the Wilson Inlet could offer herring, flathead and King George whiting. A few blue groper were caught from sheltered rock platforms when the swells weren’t too bad early last week.

Good on the Trailblazers Albany crew for their tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip.

South-West catches

@squidqueen.wa got stuck into some nice dhufish and skippy during her last fish of 2023 off Busselton and skippy are surprisingly good when eaten fresh as sashimi. Throw a bit of burley into the water and they'll come running.

Boats

Demersal fishing has been good with plenty of pink snapper, dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod coming over the side. Either side of Bunbury has fished well in depths of 20-30m. The 25-30m depths have also offered big King George whiting around the weed beds. On the pelagic front, several Spanish mackerel have reportedly been caught on trolled lures in 10-15m depths off Binningup and Myalup, so make sure you are trolling whenever you're moving around. The weed beds right out from Bunbury have produced good squid along with some decent sand whiting. It’s a similar story down in Geographe Bay with plenty of squid. While sand whiting catches were slim, there were more King George whiting landed with the odd snapper being caught on broken ground further out. Crayfish have moved to the deeper depths, with 40m a good starting point. In the Leschanault Inlet drop netters have been getting blue swimmer crabs, while trolling for chopper tailor has been worthwhile. Today through to Tuesday morning should see relatively flat conditions out on the water throughout our South-West.

Shore-based

Want us to teach your kids how to fish in our beautiful South-West? Recfishwest's FREE SunSmart Southern Fishing Clinic Tour is back on the road with free rods on offer and our last stop will be in Augusta on 17 January! Click here to book your spot at one of our two Augusta clinics!

Ballooners out from Myalup and Binningup have apparently managed to land several Spanish mackerel and these beaches have also fished well for tailor and soapy mulloway. Tailor and mulloway have also been caught at Buffalo Beach. Herring have shown up at most beaches but not consistently. Binningup, Myalup and Buffalo beaches have also fished well for yellowfin whiting. There have been blue swimmer crabs at the mouth of the Collie River along with a few chopper tailor, while Busselton Jetty has offered plenty of squid. Back Beach and the Cut provided small chopper tailor and a few yellowfin whiting and herring. In Geographe Bay herring, yellowfin whiting and a few chopper tailor have been caught around Siesta Park and Dunsborough. Chopper tailor were in good numbers in Leschenault Inlet but scooping for blue swimmer crabs has been hard work across most days, while yellowfin whiting fishing on the flats has also slowed.

Big cheers to Whitey's Tackle & Camping for their top fishing tips as always! If you're in Australind or Bunbury and are keen to wet a line throughout our South-West make sure you ask their very friendly team who love their fishing for advice and stock up on gear at their store. If you're in Busselton, the 2 Oceans Tackle team are also incredibly helpful.

Freshwater master Simon Holland @southernforests_angler has been getting stuck into catching and releasing loads of rainbow trout in our beautiful South-West over a relatively mild summer and all waterways around Pemberton have been firing. Simon noted that if paddocks and grassland are nearby then it’s a safe bet grasshoppers are on the menu for the fish.

Redfin perch have been the main game at Wellington and Harvey Dams and some decent catches have been rolling through, particularly from the deeper areas where the water tends to be cooler. They were also in good numbers in the Collie River around Christmas time but have tapered off a little. All waterways around Pemberton have been firing for both rainbow and brown trout given the summer temperatures haven't soared quite yet, with the dams, rivers and streams all allowing waders to get in on the action. Try to fish near where grass or large fields are present, especially if there is cattle nearby as the droppings from the cows attracts bugs, the bugs come close to the water and this in turn gets fish feeding. Tall grass also attracts plenty of grasshoppers and the trout will feast on these if they land on the water. Brown and rainbow trout have been active in the small overflow streams at the dams in the Peel region where small soft plastics in natural colours fished on light jig heads have accounted for both species in the skinny water.

Mandurah and surrounds

The local beaches around Mandurah have been red hot for tailor, herring and tarwhine this week and the crew from @skills2fish soaked some baits and got in on the action.

Mandurah

Offshore fishing has been good with good quality dhufish taken on the 30-40m line. Pink snapper have been a bit harder work with sunrise and sunset the best bite times as the clear water has made the fish skittish during the day, but those times have often coincided with unfavourable winds. Skippy have been far from skittish though and good fish have been caught at the Five-Fathom Bank when burley was used to bring them around. Inside the Five-Fathom, chunky sand whiting have been in good numbers. The weather has kept most boats away from the FADs but they have been holding big dolphinfish and a few tuna, so the boaties are keen to get out there when conditions are favourable. The estuary has continued to fire for tailor with sizes often better than in the ocean. The Peel-Harvey system is full of baitfish and there’s plenty of tailor around the 45cm mark. Herring were among the tailor schools, which have also shown up at the Dawesville Cut, especially on the high tides around sunset. Squid and herring have been a good option in the Cut too. Chopper tailor were also at the Mandurah traffic bridges and the structure around the old bridge has produced yellowfin whiting at times. Tailor fishing from the beaches has also been reasonable on both sides of town. Decent tailor have come from White Hills, along with the odd pink snapper, but beaches north of town like Seascapes and San Remo have produced more choppers. The howling winds have made it hard for yellowfin whiting chasers flicking light lures on the estuary flats so they’ll be hoping for warmer, stiller days. Other options for yellowfin whiting chasers are the sheltered beaches such as Melros and Falcon on a still evening when the tide is in. Good sand whiting have often been among the yellowfin schools. It could also be worthwhile casting out a squid jig under a float to the close-in weed patches at these beaches as well on dusk. Those scooping blue swimmer crabs in the estuary have found the going hard at times with drop netters with access to deeper water faring best. Many of the better crab catches have come from close to the river mouths but conditions in general are expected to improve as the month wears on. Divers have been doing better than pot droppers on crayfish in 20-30m depths offshore and crustacean lovers will be spoilt for choice next week as the marron season kicks in. Excellent bream sessions have been enjoyed in the Serpentine River and the odd soapy mulloway has been caught there as well. Traditionally, bream move from the rivers to the canals over summer but this year they seem happy to stay put. The conditions are looking very nice for boat and land-based fishing over the next few mornings, get out there and make the most of it!

Thinking of wetting a line around Mandurah? These great tips were courtesy of the super friendly and helpful team at Tackle World Miami so make sure you swing by their store for the best tips and gear before your next fishing trip!

SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY / WARNBRO SOUND

Offshore fishing has really fired up with dhufish and breaksea cod in 50m depths at Seahorse Reef and at the back of Garden Island, while closer in pink snapper and baldchin groper have been caught in depths of only 10-20m. Pink snapper have also been in big numbers on the Five-Fathom Bank along with chunky skippy. Pelagic action has been red-hot too with dolphinfish, tuna and wahoo taking skirted lures on the 60m line, but it's a wise idea to have a troll any time you decide to move around and keep the lures or skirts in the back of the bubbles generated from the boat, rather than way out the back in clear water. Crayfishers have been targeting big reds in 40m depths with good results, while squid activity has slowed but a few have come from the sheltered waters of Warnbro and Cockburn Sounds and inside of Garden Island. As for land-based fishing, tailor have been in good numbers from Madora Bay right up to Warnbro with school mulloway and a few bigger fish on the southern beaches. Big flathead have also been caught, especially around Long Point. Rockingham and Palm Beach jetties were fishing well for herring and chopper tailor and Woodman Point and the Ammo Jetty have offered the same. Good numbers of scaly mackerel were schooling around the Ammo Jetty so having a big rod out for mulloway could be worthwhile. The best land-based squidding has been at Point Peron. If you're thinking of wetting a line over the next few days on the boat or off the land, the mornings should be a glass off with gentle easterlies.

These great fishing tips were provided by the friendly team at Compleat Angler & Camping World in Rockingham, so make sure you chat to their experienced crew in store and stock up before heading out!

Perth catches

Heading out for a demersal fish? Don't forget to have a troll or try flicking metal lures next to bait balls because there are plenty of pelagics around. Clay Lewis @clays_saltyvibez landed this chunky southern bluefin on the surface off Fremantle this week and the FADs are also red hot at the moment. If you land a tuna, make sure you bleed it and throw it into an ice slurry immediately to preserve their flesh. Watch a great video detailing the best way to bleed a tuna by clicking here.

Boats

Dolphinfish catches have improved greatly at the southern-based FADs off Rockingham, Mandurah and Fremantle and a few solid tuna have also been hanging about, so it's always worth trolling any time you decide to move around with one rod set up with a skirt and the other with a lure that can dive down a few metres. Demersal fishing has been steady with dhufish and pink snapper the main catches at Rottnest, the Three-Mile Reef and out from Two Rocks. Good King George whiting catches have come from off Mindarie, Marmion and at the Three-Mile Reef. It seems some of the bigger King George whiting have been caught in the same depths that the crayfish have moved out to, which has been around 40m. Anglers targeting Samson fish in 70m depths around Rottnest were surprised to find pink snapper and skippy in big numbers instead. Sand whiting and a few King George whiting have been in 10-15m depths off Cottesloe and City Beach. Squidding has been good out from Fremantle with the 8m depths producing plenty of delicious feeds. Trolling for chopper tailor in the Swan River has been productive, while there have been whispers of big mulloway caught in Mosman Bay and Blackwall Reach. Canning Bridge and the old Swan Brewery have been among the better spots to drop nets for blue swimmer crabs. This weekend is looking like another flat forecast on the water, with the mornings between Saturday and Monday currently looking best for the boaties.

Shore-based

Flathead and flounder catches have tapered a little in the Swan River this week but good fish have been taken around Claremont, Mosman, East Fremantle and Bicton. Many anglers have done well with both species on soft plastics, before switching to hard bodies when the blowfish become active. A few squid have been chasing lures meant for flathead on the flats. Yellowfin whiting have been very fickle in the Swan River with most catches occurring around East Fremantle very early in the morning before the sun is up. Chopper tailor are also plentiful in the lower and middle Swan, with the better spots being the Narrows, Applecross Jetty, Claremont Jetty and its nearby flats, Freshwater Bay and North Fremantle. A few decent tailor have also been caught as far up river as Maylands. Good catches of soapy mulloway have also come from the Swan River system with the Narrows, Canning Bridge, the Causeway and Mt Henry Bridge among the better spots, with up river locations such as Ascot also producing fish. Bream were in reasonable numbers from Maylands right up to Guildford and giant herring, while very hard to land, were widespread from Alfred Cove up to Midland. The North Mole offered chopper tailor, mainly after sunset and herring in the day, with the odd snapper also landed there. Tailor catches have also been good from the rock walls from South Mole all the way down to Coogee. Good numbers of tailor have also come from Cottesloe and Floreat beaches with the evenings fishing best. Herring have been the main bycatch but a few soapy mulloway have also turned up. Trigg offered tailor in the mornings and the northern beaches such as Quinns and Two Rocks also produced decent tailor over 50cm. A few pink snapper have been caught as well from the gutters. Expect great land-based fishing conditions over the next few mornings with low to moderate easterly winds helping with casting.

A big thanks to Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle for their great tips! These guys love their fishing just as much as we all do, so make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat!

Recfishwest

3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys

Perth, WA 6025

Australia

This email was sent to <>
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Recfishwest · 3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys · Perth, WA 6025 · Australia

Only registered users may download. Registration is free.

Map Location