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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 16 September 2022 🎣

| By Seamus on 9/15/2022 8:00:00 PM | Views (416)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

16/09/22

Jim Bastow @primal_instinct_fishing absolutely nailed his billfish snaps recently. Cooper Watson @cooperrwatsonn featured in the snaps to show some incredible Exmouth catch and releases, including an octopus on a stickbait!

Our contributors

Sam Russell

John Dempsey

Peter Fullarton

John Curtis

G'day <>,

For a long time the peachy weather seemed to always occur during weekdays and turn dismal by the weekend, that trend seems to have been reversed throughout this week across most of the state! Sending our thoughts to the poor souls who had to work on Saturday and Sunday.

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!

For your photos to appear in the weekly fishing report, please make sure they reflect Recfishwest's responsible fish handling practices, just like the images below.

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

Jarrad Lawford

RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT EDITOR

Pic of the Week!

Young Phoebe Evans and her dad Jason managed 12 cracking kraken off just one drift through the southern flats of Cockburn Sound on Sunday! The squid were everywhere in the Perth metro over the weekend, if you wore black clothing it was a smart investment.

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If you want to be included in our weekly State-wide Fishing Reports, send your best fishing photos and a description to jarrad@recfishwest.org.au to potentially be featured.

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Come and see Recfishwest at the 2022 Club Marine Perth Boat Show this weekend!

Come and see us to sign the petition against the west coast demersal ban at our stand, join Recfishwest as a member and get tips about how to contact your local MP to raise your concerns about how the ban will impact you.

Come down to the Perth Boat Show this weekend from Friday to have a yarn with us and help support the boating and fishing tackle industries!

Many of these guys have real concerns about the future of their businesses and their families with the potential impact of the Government’s proposed nine-month west coast demersal ban.

We will provide quick and easy ways to sign the petition opposing the demersal ban and will also be unveiling our exciting new Dhufish Forever Alliance campaigning for better science, better management, better stewardship and a better future for dhuies and other prized demersals.

Make sure you drop by our stand to get yourself a free Dhufish Forever sticker and find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved!

Find out more about the 2022 Club Marine Perth Boat Show here!

Broome catches

Oooooh Barracuda! @jessemasitto caught and released this beauty back into Broome waters over the weekend. If you've seen the start of Finding Nemo the predatory prowess of this fish may have rattled your comfort with Disney movies.

Boats

The Broome Fishing Club held its second annual marlin competition over the weekend! Some great fish were landed, although the fishing seemed to be quite challenging. Across the three-day competition, the scorecard read 71-46-16, being 71 billfish raised, 46 billfish hooked and 16 billfish landed. The winds did make it difficult, which has also affected the pelagic action in the region as well. Less fishers have been able to get out wide but those who managed to find a nice weather window picked up some smaller-sized Spanish mackerel and mackerel tuna. Those targeting the inshore reefs found it difficult to get away from the golden trevally, with a number of fishers having a great time catching and releasing the species on jigs. Paul Cunningham had a fantastic barra session out on Lake Kununurra one evening, pulling in multiple silver slabs (pictured below) by casting and trolling a Laser Pro 190 XDD in the Silver Shadow colour. The next few days will see fairly windy conditions again, although Saturday and Sunday should have midday slumps.

Shore-based

The barramundi action from the region has increased significantly over the past fortnight, providing a lot of entertainment for patient anglers. Land-based fishers did very well from the local Dampier Creek and Fitzroy River for specimens sitting around the average of 50cm. The size of barramundi being caught are slowly increasing however, with a few nice-sized specimens to 80cm being captured and one beauty also making a splash at the Port Jetty. Crab Creek has been the local go-to for mud crabs, with some nice bucks spotted in the area.

Exmouth catches

Josh Lynch from Exmouth Tackle and Camping landed this kraken in close recently. Looks like the giant 40cm+ hoods start to get stretch-marks based on the beautiful patterns!

Boats

Few good days of weather this week! Cooper from Exmouth Tackle and Camping headed out on Wednesday and said it was very quiet during the neap tide apart from one spango and a few squid. Earlier this week his group cruised around the Muiron Islands and had a great session on the surface mackies during the runout tide on poppers and 22cm stickbaits. In close, Josh Lynch managed a cracker of a squid with the hood well over 40cm (pictured above). The longtail tuna were quite sporadic, although bottom dwellers such as goldband snapper did well in 100m+ while the reds were common around 70m. Rankin cod were prolific between 30-40m mostly on the soft vibes along with queenfish. Billfish had a great run over the weekend usually between Muiron's and the mainland but became more quiet throughout the week. One lucky gentlemen came across a floating boogie board way out in 400m of water and noticed a school of bait underneath being circled by a giant 25kg dolphin fish. After one flick he managed to get the beast on board, which just goes to show how much they love any surface structure no matter the size! Most experts think it's been gorging itself on the bait underneath the board for months. Saturday and early Sunday isn't looking too bad with a slight drop in the swell and wind forecast if you want to go gallivanting.

Shore-based

We heard reports of a few GT’s off the beach near the Mildura Wreck and closer to the lighthouse, although they maxed out at around 6-7kg they're still plenty of fun to target! Spangos on the western side went very quiet thanks to cooler water and they seem to have headed further offshore. We heard that plenty of queenies were patrolling in close off the jetty but they’ve turned their noses at every lure flicked their way. Using live baits might be a better tactic to spike their interest. Spanish mackies off the western side are still performing well. There has also been a stack of whiting caught down towards the Gulf Station, with one fellow netting about 60 in one cast. Muddies have been doing very well but most of the good reports have come from those who walked the mangroves rather than dropping nets. If you decide to go exploring through the mangroves, take a camel back and hook with you in case you spot a giant buck but take care of your legs!

Kalbarri catches

Boats

The pinkies remained very popular this week during the better days of weather but the bigger 50-70cm catches still lurked around the 20-30m reef banks. Once again, dhufish seeemed to be everywhere and some boats simply couldn't escape them even in the 10-20m depths. Sweetlip emperor performed nicely out deeper. Baldies were not as prominent this week although they still popped up frequently with the dhuies. Early on Saturday and Sunday isn't looking too bad for a send, although the wind and swell is set to spike from Monday afternoon.

Shore-based

The mulloway window is still wide open. The estuary and marina jetty have both seen a couple of bigger catches crossing the one-metre mark along with the Sand Spit. Sand whiting continue to feature in the Spit, with a couple of stonkers between 25-30cm being caught. Bream around the structures near the boat ramps were a bit quieter this week, with soft plastics, hard bodies and baits not raking in as many as last week. They continue to move around and will get spooked easily, so we recommend trying new snags and putting in the distance on foot to find them. Red Bluff also saw plenty of tailor throughout the week mostly around the 35cm mark. The occasional big snapper around 70-90cm are still being plucked from the gutters off the beaches both north and south of town. Saturday morning is looking best for a land-based flick this weekend as the east to south-easterly wind should aid your casting.

Geraldton catches

The crays are starting to go crazy off the reef ledges close to shore! These guys had great luck on a few drops with Offshore Charter WA - Geraldton.

Boats

Boat fishing has been quite “mixed” in more ways than one. Some fishers reported great catches and others reported none, but those who did have good luck reported mixed buffet bags of species. Boats who hit up African Reef had a great time landing dhufish and some cracking baldchin groper. On the northern side of town around Pensioners, dhufish and pink snapper have been caught in great numbers and mixed in with those two species were breaksea cod. In the 30-35m depths north-west of town, catches of medium-sized dhufish in the 5-8kg range have been frequent. There’s still some tuna schools around, mostly stripey tuna, with most being caught on trolling lures. The reef ledges within a kilometre of the shore are also starting to really ramp up for Western rock lobster. Saturday is currently looking best for a send as the swell and wind drops off slightly, but from Monday afternoon they both will spike wildly.

Shore-based

Tailor action has been prolific from the north side of town and heading south closer to Dongara. Summer-sized tailor in the 35-45cm bracket have been very popular up off Drummonds Cove, on the north side of Coronations and also around Flat Rocks. On a nice low tide, Flat Rocks has been a great location for trying to pluck a solid greenback past the impressive 70cm+ mark. Mulloway action has been fairly quiet, however those in the know have still been landing some solid fish. Pajero specialist Drago Bozuric has had some good success landing a few school mulloway and tailor south of Geraldton.

Lancelin catches

Boats

It's been fantastic boating weather, with plenty of glassy days inviting skippers to go wide but the best results mostly came from those who stayed in close. Snapper, baldchin, breaksea and dhufish were still running nicely in 25-30m depths, along with the ground under 15m along the inside of White Bank. Crayfish catches are also going nicely along the nearshore reefs. Squid have been prominent in the bay's crystal water as the sun sets but the clearer conditions this week has seen them roaming from 3-15m up and down the coastline where boats could find some broken weed patches.

Shore-based

We had less mulloway images sent our way this week, although there was a couple of catches around the one-metre mark. Pinkies off the beaches are now starting to become a bit less common as they seem to be venturing a little further offshore, but drone fishers are still taking advantage. Larger tailor around the 60cm mark are taking a mix of light-weighted ganged baits and a combination of lures in the gutters and within the whitewash closer to reef breaks. The same surfy areas have also seen solid whiting and herring, while the reef structures saw decent catches of tarwhine and skippy. If you want to catch yourself an easy feed of tailor, skippy, squid or herring, the main jetty remains a great place if you want to bring kids along during the better conditions this weekend.

Esperance catches

Boats

We saw some great weather over the weekend that enabled boats to head further offshore and fish for some tasty demersals. There were numerous reports of solid breaksea cod and nannies being caught. For those who opted to stay in closer, Sambos and kingfish have started to ramp up in numbers. There was also scores of 50cm+ King George whiting landed from the smaller boats who ventured over the broken sand and weed patches in 5-20m depths. The closer bays continue to produce sand whiting, herring and squid, with the latter showing consistent hood sizes around the 20-25cm mark providing perfect-sized rings in the pan.

Shore-based

The Esperance Beach Classic land-based fishing competition is finally here! Make sure you enter and wet a line this weekend to chase some of the best fishing prizes up for grabs we've seen for any competition across WA!

Entry Fee: $50 for adults (puts you in the running for extra major prizes), $10 for kids 16 and under. For you kids or teenagers thinking you can take the old goats down, you can pay $50 to enter as an adult for a crack at bigger prizes.
Sign in: 9:00am-9:45am at the Deep Sea Angling Club.
Prizes: Ranges from $300-$1,000! Biggest mulloway scores $1,000, biggest catches of multiple beach species scores $500, even the biggest squid will nab you $300!
For more details: Check out the Esperance Land Based Fishing Club page. If you're wanting the best gear or tips for the competition, make sure you pay the pro's a visit at Esperance Southern Sports & Tackle!

There was plenty of solid skippy being caught from Dunns Beach, while Alexander Bay has been producing salmon up to 4kg which have provided great fun on the lighter gear. Munglinup Beach continues to be a great spot for gummy shark fishing. The beaches located to the west have also produced solid mulloway crossing the 80cm mark and gummy sharks. The jumbo King George whiting around the 45cm mark are still red hot from the port viewing area, in front of the Thai restaurant and around Bandy Creek boat harbour. The bream have remained rather quiet, although Windabout Lakes is still your best bet to land the 40cm+ beasts. Saturday and Sunday's forecast shows the wind is dancing around in circles but is relatively calm, best of luck if you're wetting a line in the competition and send us your pics!

Great Southern catches

Nathan Woods @walkaboutwoodsy "turned a crab into a slab" when he scored this Papa Smurf of a Western blue groper not far off the beautiful southern coastline. Great catch mate!

Boats

According to Trailblazers in Albany the hapuka were going off the charts out wide for boats that managed to make it out as they seem to be spawning. For those that preferred to avoid them and head back in, nannies were caught on the reef grounds closer to shore. The inshore crews got heaps of dhuies and pinkies in surprisingly shallow waters of 5-10m. There are still heaps of whiting and squid in close for the smaller boats with respectable sizes reported for both. One lucky fisher showed a photo of a captured squid to the Trailblazers crew that weighed a staggering 2.58kg and a hood estimated at 50cm+, surely that has to be the biggest squid caught state-wide this week, but send us your pics to prove otherwise!

Shore-based

Was a little bit quiet for land-based luck this week. There have been massive schools of salmon still kicking off at Salmon Holes, Lowlands and Sand Patch. A few big bream featured next to the jetty structures but the murky water from the runoff in the harbours is still making it a difficult slog. Most of the anglers doing well off the beaches mostly travelled well away from the rivers and runoff to find clearer waters, where squid and whiting preferred to roam. Saturday isn't looking too bad once again for a flick so good luck if you go gallivanting.

South West catches

Trudy Morehouse @squidqueen.wa this might be the biggest leatherjacket seen since Michael Jordan wore them in the 90s. This beauty was caught and released in Geographe Bay.

Boats

Pink snapper continue to be the main target for fishos, although most boats have reported they are starting to venture further offshore into 20-40m depths. Dhufish were still lively in the 30m depths out from Busselton, but the harlies and breaksea were still more common further south. The King George whiting results are slowly starting to improve and a good technique is to pick them up on gulp worms when drifting between seagrass beds. They are often sitting in the sand holes, so its always good to have a rod rigged for them while fishing for squid as they tend to patrol similar areas. The squid tend to be firing in better numbers further south of Busselton across a wide range of depths from 3-20m. The conditions are predicted to be quite calm this weekend with a touch of rain, so best of luck if you wished to lick the stamp and send it.

Shore-based

The pinkies off the beaches are still floating around with big sizes of 80-90cm reported, but they are becoming more elusive as they start to venture out deeper. The inshore reefs are still flowing nicely for tailor around the 35-50cm mark but the flathead and whiting were still very quiet this week in close as the water conditions didn't seem to warm up too much. The squidding off the the Busselton Jetty is still as red hot as it's ever been, with one hooked squid being frequently surrounded by a squad of others every time they took the jig. On clearer days this past week we've even heard reports of fishers sight-casting for them when the water was crystal clear. Bream activity is starting to pick up in the local rivers and bait fishing seems to be the best method, but lures will start to become more effective as the water clears up. A few mulloway have been reported off the beaches, with late afternoons and evenings your best time to land a slab of silver.

Freshwater

Make sure you get out and about for trout over the coming weeks because they continue to run wild. Harvey Dam and Drakesbrook Weir have seen a big spike in the number of rainbows and browns caught on soft plastics or deeper diving hard body lures. Drakesbrook Weir has also seen plenty of luck for kayakers and land-based anglers closer to the caravan park and along the western side. Redfin perch also appeared in the dam systems but once again were usually on the smaller side between 25-30cm. If you're wanting to get involved with Troutfest 2022 at Drakesbrook Weir, make sure you venture down on October 15 to help release hundreds of trout and try your luck at catching them! You can find more info about Troutfest on the Shire of Waroona wesbite and also check out the South West trout stocking numbers and locations here.

Mandurah and surrounds

Dylan @dylan.fishing125 was one of many fishers who targeted squid in the pristine conditions over the weekend, with plenty of jetties and rock walls being turned black during the glassy windows.

Mandurah

Demersals once again performed very well this week. Five Fathom saw loads of smaller pinkies, while the bigger catches around 60-70cm are still being taken in close up and down beaches. While they are still active, their numbers are starting to slow as they head into spawning season. If you by-catch snapper within Cockburn or Warnbro Sound, make sure you handle them with care and release them quickly and safely right through to the end of the season closure on January 31, 2023. The dhuies, breaksea and baldies seemed to be loving the 20-30m depths over the reef ledges closer to home. Squid in close have gone absolutely nuts over the past week when the conditions were calmer, with a lot of fishers frequently coming home with a bag of at least 4-5. The King George whiting are really starting to accelerate in numbers from the inlet and most bagged out on 32-35cm specimens within 1-2 hours. Tailor picked up slightly in numbers off the beaches and herring featured prominently thanks to the crystal clear water conditions earlier in the week. This weekend is once again lining up nicely for a purple patch in weather, albeit with a bit of rain. If you decide to have a flick, make sure you pay the experts at Tackle World Miami a visit for the best tips and gear!

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

There was a good spike in tailor numbers off all directions of Point Peron throughout the glassy conditions earlier this week and as it became more choppy by Thursday. The occasional King George whiting has been pulled in from the same areas but only over the weekend when it was dead flat. Rockingham Jetty produced the goods for herring and sand whiting and the squidding has been doing extremely well for fishers that could cast over the slightly deeper weed patches during the days of impeccable visibility. The squid numbers were just ridiculous around Rockingham and Point Peron over the weekend. They were frequently plucked in water only 1.5m deep, so if you're land-based the odds are in your favour. This weekend is looking decent again with some small patches of rain forecast but that shouldn't offset the odds of getting squid rings in the pan.

Perth catches

Corey Hill from the Fishing Perth & W.A - Land based Facebook page. finally caught a 50cm+ land-based King George whiting recently in metro waters. If you squint hard enough and work out where the spot is in the blurred background then that's just as impressive as this fish!

Boats

The weather was pristine over the weekend before it turned into hell in a handbag by Tuesday. The weekend saw a swarm of anglers head out to take full advantage of the glassy conditions and there were widespread accounts of dhuies being more common than blowies. One gentlemen who headed out on Monday in the northern regions around Two Rocks managed to catch 10 dhuies in the space of two hours and simply couldn't get away from them. There was also strong numbers of pinkies and yellowtail kingfish plucked from the reefs about 5-7km offshore from Hillarys to Ocean Reef and on the southern and western sides of Rottnest. Tuna seemed to have gone missing, but should come charging back once the water conditions continue to warm up over the coming month or so. For the boats in close, the weed patches around Fremantle and Cottesloe have been very productive for squid on the drift. Saturday and Sunday is looking quite nice for another boat trip, there might be a bit of rain forecast but it should be flat enough for you to avoid the fronts with good pace.

Shore-based

Tailor continue to be popping up in good numbers around Cockburn Sound off Coogee and Leighton beaches. Cottesloe Groyne also saw some decent pink snapper and skippy landed throughout some of the slightly rougher days this week. We didn't hear any reports of snapper caught off the Fremantle moles, but there were swarms of squid, tailor and herring pulled in off both. The river has completely dried up for tailor, but there were regular accounts of soapie mulloway around the 45-70cm mark around the Canning Bridge, while bream were featuring closer to the Causeway. Thanks to Anglers Fishing World for their report this week!

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Catch Information

Species:
Australasian Snapper

Baldchin Groper

Breaksea Cod

Dhufish

Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish

Golden Trevally

Great Barracuda

Gummy Shark

Hapuka

Mulloway

Queenfish

Red Throat Emperor

Samson Fish

This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/15/2022 8:00:00 PM by Seamus and last updated on 9/19/2022 4:31:51 AM.

Location

3/45 Northside Drive
Hillarys, WA AU

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