See what's biting across WA in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 5 November 2021 🎣

Threadfin salmon have been caught on baits and lures in big numbers near The Fingers and within Crab Creek. Tackle World Broome’s Ollie Farrant enjoyed a recent session with a customer in these waters when the pair each caught two threadfin on prawn baits. Barramundi activity continues to increase in the Fitzroy River, where fish in the 60cm to 80cm range are being consistently caught alongside the odd fish nearing, and just over, 1m. Spanish mackerel and broadbar mackerel can be targeted on stickbaits and by trolling minnows within Roebuck Bay. Schools of bluenose salmon are regularly being encountered around the local inshore waters. Fly and spin fishers can find tripletail near the moorings as well as close to natural and artificial flotsam.

Baits and lures have equally been performing well on barramundi along the banks of many of the local creeks, as well as some of the inlets closer to the tip of Dampier Peninsula. Queenfish and small giant and golden trevally can be targeted from the rocks and jetty at Entrance Point. Cable Beach and Roebuck Bay have been producing bluenose salmon and the occasional barramundi alongside lots of whiting and bream. Gantheaume Point is worth a try following recent reports of bluebone, estuary cod and mackerel.

Bluewater enthusiasts are starting to regularly encounter blue marlin beyond the 400m contour, while smaller black marlin and sailfish have been landed in waters closer to shore. Sailfish activity in the upper areas of Exmouth Gulf increased again this past week, with many boats achieving multiple hook ups on the majestic sportfish. Coral trout to an impressive 70cm and Rankin cod have been caught on soft plastics near the reef systems and bombies located in depths of 15m to 20m within the Gulf. Spanish mackerel in the 10kg to 15kg range have been caught on stickbaits near the Muiron Islands and farther south along the western edge of the reef. Rankin cod and red emperor were found in 80m this week, while goldband were pulled from about 100m and ruby snapper were in 200m and deeper.

Dinghy and kayak fishers have been catching mulloway and tailor just inside the Murchison River mouth. Tuna have been spotted feeding on baitfish not too far offshore, however, mackerel species are likely to remain scarce until water temperatures come up a notch. Divers have reported there to be lots of rock lobster in close. Those using pots have also been satisfied with their hauls for this part of the season.

Tailor have been very active right along the coast with bag limits of 40cm to 70cm fish caught at Wagoe, Red Bluff, Wittecarra Creek and Frustrations in the morning and night. Rock fishers also managed to get onto a few tailor at Pot Alley and Eagle Gorge during the week. Chinaman's and Oyster Reef also provided good tailor action, while choppers have been turning up near the jetties and the sand spit. Mulloway are sometimes being caught in the lower reaches of the river. The sand flats are still providing lots of yellowfin whiting. Black bream in the 30cm to 40cm range were mostly caught farther up river.

Surf fishers have been pleased with the tailor appearing along many parts of the coast. The Headbutts to Greenough River mouth stretch has been producing 40cm to 55cm tailor most mornings and evenings. Tarcoola has been better for tailor early morning while Drummond's Cove, Coronation and Horrocks have been experiencing a tailor run in the morning as well as at night. The first and second points at Greenough have herring, whiting and pike on offer. Similar species have been picked up at the marina, which also has squid at night. Yellowfin and school whiting continue to be caught along the town beaches when the seaweed deposits have been light. Mulloway have recently been landed at Tarcoola, Southgates and Separation Point. The northern end of Drummond's has been producing smaller mulloway as have South West Bank, Lucys and The Slips.


An afternoon stroll along the Geraldton coast resulted in this tailor for Evie Black.

There are still good numbers of tuna out from the 30m contour. Along the 20m contour, anglers chasing sand whiting have been have great success with the bread-and-butter species while also finding big numbers of blue mackerel. Squid fishing has been particularly good, with dropping jigs to the deeper weed banks in 10m to 15m proving most fruitful. The bay is well populated with a healthy size class of herring, many measuring more than 30cm.

Seaweed has been a significant problem for land-based fishers along the coast to the north of Lancelin this week. Farther north, the stretch from Didie Bay to Wedge has been clean of weed. Tailor catches have improved considerably with the waning moon. A few mulloway were caught near Guilderton through the week. Lancelin's jetty has been turning on the fishing each evening, with great numbers of herring from sunset. The average size and condition of the fish has been outstanding, too.

Surf fishers have been using a variety of lures to catch up to a dozen salmon, some sessions, at Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach. The Esperance Jetty and Taylor Street Jetty both have herring, skippy and squid on offer, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been producing lots of flathead as well as King George whiting and squid. Thomas River and Alexander Bay have been good spots to visit for gummy sharks, mulloway and salmon. More gummies have been coming from Dunn Rock.

Reef fishing has generally been more productive in waters to the east and west of Albany where bigger catches of queen snapper, breaksea cod, dhufish and harlequin fish have been picked up. Crews who managed to travel to the shelf had to contend with strong currents in their quest for nannygai, hapuka and grey-banded cod. King George whiting seem to be in good supply inshore with the deeper areas producing bigger fish, but in fewer numbers. Squid catches continue to build, while sand whiting continue to be slow off the mark for this time of the year.

Surf fishers who have been prepared to travel, by car or on foot, to some of the more inaccessible parts of the coast, including Mutton Bird, Sand Patch, Nanarup and Normans have been achieving catches of herring, skippy, sand whiting and juvenile salmon. The odd mature salmon has occasionally been appearing at Misery Beach and Ledge Point. King George whiting are a chance at Frenchman Bay and Two Peoples Bay. Mostly small black bream and the odd mulloway to 1m have been caught in the King and Kalgan rivers. The systems to the east and west of Albany ordinarily start to fish better for bream and mulloway at this time of the year and may be worth a visit.

Tailor up to 2kg have been caught from the beaches to Mandurah's north. The Dawesville Cut is still the best place to drop a line as it is producing regular catches of herring, tarwhine and skippy, while King George whiting are also being caught fairly regularly. Anglers wading the estuary flats are catching a few good sized yellowfin whiting and herring. Black bream are on the bite in both the Murray and the Serpentine rivers and a number of good sized fish have also come from the canals closer to Halls Head. Land-based fishers have caught mulloway, some beyond 1m in length, from Preston Beach this week. It comes as big tailor have also been reported from the area. Boat fishers have had fun targeting Samson fish on jigs off Mandurah this week, while skippy have been prevalent in 10m to 15m once burley is introduced. 

The occasional 1m mulloway has been caught late at night from the beaches near Rockingham, while Secret Harbour's beaches have been producing a number of smaller mulloway to 4kg. The beaches in Warnbro Sound have been producing tailor in the afternoon when the sea breeze kicks in, along with herring, skippy and sand whiting. Point Peron has been producing tarwhine and herring, while the beaches around Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour have been producing some tailor. Boat fishers and kayak fishers who have been chasing squid in Warnbro Sound have had success this week.

Samson fish in the 10kg to 20kg range have been caught near the inshore reefs off Fremantle, Hillarys and Mindarie, as well as around the reefs and drop offs close to Rottnest Island. Bigger Sambos, some to 30kg, have been responding to metal and soft plastic jigs at The Barges and other man-made structures, including the Perth Fish Towers, located in depths greater than 90m. Yellowtail kingfish of various sizes have been found near West End, Duffield Ridge and some of the inshore reefs. Tailor are still being caught on poppers and stickbaits retrieved from the white water near the inshore reefs. King George whiting to an impressive 60cm have been caught in 38m of water off Fremantle, while smaller fish in the 35cm to 45cm range can be found along the broken ground north of Champion Rock. Fair hauls of rock lobster have been picked up by divers and by pot in depths of less than 20m. Squid would likely have moved to deeper seagrass areas following the recent rough conditions.


SAMMMBO! Joel Borgers was among those to tangle with big Sambos near Rottnest Island this week.

Fancy yourself as a King George whiting specialist? If so, the Fremantle Sailing Club is hosting the King George Classic on 13 November, and you’re invited to compete. Found from shallow inshore waters out into around 40m of water and sometimes beyond, KGs are a prized catch because they fight hard and taste simply superb! If you’re keen to take part, register via the club’s website here. Also, if you want any hints or tips for chasing KGs, read this edition of Scott’s Species, written exclusively by Western Angler magazine editor Scott Coghlan.

Surf fishers have been catching lots of gummy sharks at many of the metropolitan beaches including Leighton Beach, Swanbourne Drain, Brighton Beach and Scarborough. Tailor have been a little hit-and-miss along the coast, which may have a lot to do with seaweed and murky inshore waters making conditions unfavourable. There are still King George whiting to 38cm being caught from the Fremantle rock walls where squid have also been picked up in the morning and at night. Mulloway have been caught on baits and soft plastic lures at Blackwall Reach, Mosman Bay, Point Resolution and Narrows Bridge. Chopper tailor are present in the lower and middle reaches of the Swan River and have been active early morning and during the change in tide. Flathead catches have been increasing near Point Walter and the flats in front of Applecross and Como Jetty. Black bream enthusiasts have been using vibe-style lures to catch fish in the 30cm to 35cm range between the Old Swan Brewery and Crawley.


Matthew De Boer opted for a selfie with this beautiful Swan River bream, caught on a small stickbait.