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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 23 September 2022 🎣

| By Seamus on 9/23/2022 6:10:19 AM | Views (557)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

23/09/22

spangled emperor in all its glory - Pic: Marco Fraschetti

Our contributors

Sam Russell

John Dempsey

Peter Fullarton

John Curtis

G'day <>,

It's been a really busy month, including being at last weekend's Perth Boat Show, and it's made me feel that long overdue trip up north to chase a few mulloway and tailor is required to reset.

I remember heading up through Dongara when I was younger and on the way my cousin told me all about the "silver ghosts" he landed there, the land of the fabled metre-plus mulloway! Excited and full of hope, I thought that was going to be my moment to land these elusive species, over two days he bagged out while I caught a cold. I did land my personal best tailor and dart though!

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!

Sedin Hasanovic

INTERIM RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT EDITOR

Pic of the Week!

"Pretty happy with this one" said Joel Borgers. I'd bet! Pulling in this GT would have been an agonising battle, but clearly a victory. An epic capture, and a worthy pic of the week!

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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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Perth Boat Show 2022 Wrap-up

The petition opposing the proposed nine-month west coast demersal ban has clocked up nearly 17,000 signatures, making it the biggest online petition in WA history

Our entire Recfishwest team spoke with thousands of concerned recreational fishers, tackle store staff, boating businesses and social media influencers from every far corner of WA throughout the 2022 Perth Boat Show about the future of their fishing, livelihoods and businesses.

Click here to check out some of the interviews and see what people in our community had to say!

Broome catches

Ben Lye has been on the water last weekend chasing some barramundi, and he got what he was looking for. Great work, mate!

Boats

Even though the weather has been quite hit-or-miss, a few boat fishers have had some solid success chasing bluebone. The aptly named Broome Billfish Charters have been raising a few sailfish further out when the weather was a little nicer. There's still a few golden trevally getting caught on jigs and lures. Spanish mackerel and tuna are also still being caught, however, it's been quite rare.

Shore-based

Dampier Creek for land-based fishers is still excellent with a few barramundi being reported. Going along Crab Creek road, there's been one fisher who managed to snag a barramundi while the water was dirty. Crab Creek has been producing good numbers of mud crabs. Gantheaume Point has been doing well during the day when the tide has been high for queenfish and trevally. Further north of town, Willie Creek has been quite good for the odd cod, bream and flathead, one fisher reported hooking up to a permit as well. Eco Beach customers have been fishing well out of Jacks Creek recently on the low tide, with heaps of cod being captured.

Exmouth catches

Talk about an interesting catch! One of the On Strike Charter clients managed to land this amberjack in 45m depths. They pull hard, even at this size. Great work!

Boats

Spanish mackerel have been firing quite nicely off the Muiron Islands alongside a few cobia and the odd wahoo. Combe Reef and Otway Reef has also been quite good trolling for mackerel as well. Sailfish have also been reported with a few being landed on skirts and lures. Out deeper, red emperor have been caught. Inside the reef on the west side, bluebone and spangled emperor have kept the light-gear fishers entertained.

Shore-based

The big tides have been quite nice for trevally and mackerel with a few fishers landing some absolute stonkers. The deeper waters south east of Mildura Wreck have also been great for trevally and queenfish. The Learmonth jetty is also a great spot lately for squid and the beaches north of the marina have been highly productive for whiting. Beach fishing on the western side has been solid for those targeting some spangled emperor and cod using stickbaits. Yardie Creek and Mesa Camp have also been successful spots lately.

Kalbarri catches

Boats

The wind and swell has been up a fair bit this week although we still had some good reports coming through from the boaties. The pinkies remained popular when boats managed to get out and stayed in close with a few 50-70cm catches reported, but most were smaller in size. Dhufish dropped off a bit in numbers this week but a few popped up between 20-30m. This week is throwing another curveball on the wind and swell forecast unfortunately, but there might be a smaller window of opportunity on a couple of mornings this week.

Shore-based

Mulloway have been hanging around the gutters off the beaches when the weather has permitted casting. Just keep an eye out for less waves breaking off the beach and you'll know it's a deeper pocket. The estuary and marina jetty have both seen a couple of bigger catches of mulloway crossing the one-metre mark along with the Sand Spit. Sand whiting continue to feature in the Spit but in much lower numbers to last week as the swell and wind picked up. Red Bluff continues to fish well for tailor usually around the 35-40cm mark and they seem to be loving the whitewash. The occasional big snapper around 70-90cm are still being plucked from the gutters off the beaches both north and south of town but it's becoming less frequent.

Geraldton catches

Mat Svenson @mat.svenson went strawberry picking over the weekend off his yak, pulling in this chunky coral trout. Great balancing/flexibility skills there Mat!

Boats

Boat fishing for Geraldton has been great lately with pink snapper being prolific in that 40m contour mark and sizes up 70cm+ not uncommon. Baldchin groper and estuary cod have been mixed in well with the snapper as well around the 30m depths. Around Pensioners, one lucky fisherman landed a hefty 6.4kg 'Jason Statham' of a baldchin. There has been a few stripey tuna schools being spotted but no one has managed to entice them. Mat Svenson has had some incredible success on the kayak, landing a solid coral trout in close to town (pictured above).

Shore-based

A few fishers who went north to Coronations reported some great tailor action with a few average 35-45cm fish. However, a fisher on the north side of Coronations had some great success landing tailor well into the 60cm mark. If you're looking for a decent feed of school whiting, Drummonds has just what you need, with plenty being reported in the clearer patches of water. Once the waters start to clear up around the marina you can expect squid to start firing up again. Another great spot included 5 and 7 Mile Beach north of Dongara, which has been quite good for the mulloway and tailor, however, beaches have been quite washed out so be careful when tackling the sand in your fourbies!

Lancelin catches

Boats

Offshore there have been plenty of snapper and baldchin groper featuring in the bags from fishers drifting the flats out from the 30m depths, while dhufish have been schooling on the heavier ground in 25-30m. Most of the dhuies were in the 50-60cm range, with boats finding it hard to get away from them. If you find you're catching loads of dhuies and already have your limit, make sure you use release weights to get them back down to the bottom quickly or move spots as there is about a 50 per cent post-release mortality rate on dhuies depending on your depth. Samson fish have also featured frequently with the dhufish on the 25-30m reef structures. The same depths has also seen concentrations of baitfish and schools of bonito, bluefin and yellowfin tuna becoming very active, with average weights of the tuna sitting between 6-10kg. Bay fishers have also started to pick up some solid King George whiting, along with herring, snook and skippy.

Shore-based

Weed has been a problem this week, making fishing difficult while the higher swells didn't make it easy either. Tailor dominated the beach catches with anglers reporting the best success by casting surface lures a long way offshore to reach them. Casting baits to the back of the wave breaks inside Lancelin bay has also found good numbers of yellow-eye mullet, while Lancelin jetty has seen good numbers of herring coming on the bite after sunset.

Esperance catches

Boats

Inshore fishing around Esperance has been inundated with plenty of herring, sand whiting, King George whiting, squid and skippy. The squid have been thumpers and most seemed to be caught around the 10m mark. King George whiting have been found behind the Breakwater and herring have been everywhere. Fishers who have hit up Cooper Reef this week have been landing large skippy and the odd Samson fish. For those who went out a bit wider, harlequin fish, queen snapper, breaksea and dhufish have been on offer usually on the drift over the reef structures.

Shore-based

With the Esperance Land Based Classic finishing up we heard of some great catches being reported. This included a 23.3kg gummy shark, 1.8kg flathead and plenty of salmon up to 5kg. Tailor east of town have been red hot, so it may be worth it to try and chase them as they rarely make it that far east. The Port viewing area has seen a few King George whiting being caught up to 45cm. A few fishers who flicked a line into the bays further east reported skippy up to 3.5kg and 10-12kg gummy sharks. A land-based club record was also set with a 46cm black bream caught at this year's classic as well, kudos to whoever pulled in that giant!

Great Southern catches

If you're wanting to catch some amazing southern coast action off the rocks then @gidos_fishing_adventures is your best bet. Make sure you check out his YouTube channel too!

Boats

The hapuka have been thick for those who were able to head out wide. Nannygai have also been quite prolific, especially at the top of the shelf around the 80-120m mark. Pink snapper have featured well in close after the storm, along with queen snapper in the same areas. Squid are still around in great numbers and this continues to be one of the best winter and spring periods we've seen for catching big hauls. The whiting action has slowed down quite a bit lately though but we're expecting this to improve as the water starts to warm up.

Shore-based

The shore-based fishing action has quietened down significantly, however it's not all doom and gloom. The odd tailor have been popping up from time to time around Bornholm Beach, Nanarup Beach and the Sand Patch with a few cracking the 50cm+ mark. The Kalgan River has been hard work for bream with the cold weather possibly playing a factor into why it's so quiet, though a few fishers who put in the time have reported some solid fish crossing the 40cm mark. Herring have been abundant on most beaches with a few schools of them being reported at Mutton Bird Beach along with salmon providing some great entertainment on the lighter gear.

South West catches

Trudy Moorehouse AKA the Squid Queen has been living up to her name as she spent the past couple of days landing some absolutely kracken squid. The Busselton Jetty is still covered in ink if you prefer a land-based squid session.

Boats

The weather is looking ok from Sunday through to Tuesday, with a slightly lower wind and swell forecast, although the success from boats has been rather quiet this week. Thankfully the crays are starting to kick off in great numbers near the reef ledges closer in to shore. If you decide to target these tasty critters, dropping pots is currently the best way to go as diving has been rather difficult with dirty water and poor visibility. Sunday and Monday are looking best if you decide to go gallivanting so best of luck to those hitting the open ocean.

Shore-based

Out from Forrest Beach there has been consistent 35-45cm tailor pulled in, although that’s pretty much as exciting as it got for beach fishing this week. The squid are still going absolutely nuts in close and the Busselton Jetty is still red hot no matter the distance offshore. The next month is on track for big mulloway to start appearing with the new moon and further north around Myalup is where most fishers tend to have the most luck when the conditions play nice. Sunday and Monday are looking quite decent for a flick with lower winds expected.

Freshwater

If you’re going for trout or redfin perch at the moment, the dams are your best bet. The river systems are still flowing way too quickly and resemble choccy milk, but all South West dams are going well for redfin perch by casting close to the sticks. Most perch are still around the 30cm mark, although the bigger brutes around 35-40cm are making welcome appearances. Rainbow and brown trout are still common in larger numbers in a range of depths. Drakesbrook, Harvey and Wellington dams are seeing 35-45cm fish pulled in via a mix of soft plastics and loud action spinners or lures such as the RMG Scorpion that dips between 1.5-3m depths.

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

Snapper and dhuies continue to run wild in the 20-30m depths. Anglers fishing the southern beaches have been rewarded with good numbers of herring and some tailor, with a few small mulloway up to 60cm. Weed has also been a problem in some areas but there are sufficient clear patches allowing anglers to wet a line. The Cut is still producing herring, tailor, sand whiting, King George whiting, tarwhine and an occasional big skippy. Locals suggest fishing the incoming tide for herring, with the tailor being caught at dawn and dusk. There are still some small salmon around usually around the 30-40cm mark and we recommend using light gear when targeting them for a great adrenaline rush. King George whiting continue to increase in size in the estuary, just make sure you cast on to the sand patches near the weed. The estuary has also been turning on some small salmon and a few good skippy. Around the river mouth you can get a mixed bag of tarwhine, herring and whiting, while further up the Murray and Serpentine river there are solid numbers of black bream over the 35cm mark. One lucky angler caught and released one fish that was over 45cm during the week.

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

One spot that has been fishing very well over the week has been Shoalwater Bay, where there have been plenty of herring, whiting and skippy for anglers. The odd King George whiting has also been plucked from the area. Tailor have taken a good spike in numbers and size off the beaches around Secret Harbour, but this is the only spot that seems to be producing these fish regularly in this region. The southern beaches have also seen tailor, but the best success was reported once the sun went down. Point Peron continues to be a great spot for squidding when you can position yourself with the wind hitting your back to aid with casting. The calmer conditions have been most productive and we heard that a white jig worked nicely. If you have the right action though, any colour will work wonders, the squid are very aggressive at the moment and you're sure to catch one if you put in the time and effort by moving around.

Perth catches

@francois_fwlfrenchy loves a troll around Rottnest and has done very well on the tuna in recent weeks! Make sure you keep an eye out for diving birds and bust ups on the surface!

Boats

Plenty of snapper are being encountered by small boat fishers, with the fish being widespread in the waters off the north metro area in depths between 10-30m. There are still a good amount of dhuies around. Smaller yellowtail kingfish have been caught over the week, but fishers have been secretive about where they found these hard fighting sport fish. You're sure to improve your luck finding them by trolling over Five Fathom or the artificial reef that is positioned around 8km off Ocean Reef. The waters of Cockburn Sound continue to provide squid, whiting, skippy and herring for small boat and kayak fishers. Sand whiting have been on the menu at the Windmills and the shipping channel, with some chunky specimens being landed.

Shore-based

Snapper were caught off the groyne at Cottesloe earlier in the week, as the rougher weather enticed them to come in chasing crabs washed off the rocks. Tailor have been caught in good numbers from Fremantle and Cottesloe beaches, along with beaches further north including Ocean Reef, Yanchep and Two Rocks. Herring have been a mainstay at most metro rock walls, with burley being a key ingredient to attract in these little scrappers. The rivers have been quiet, but there are still bream lurking upstream in both the Swan and Canning systems.

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Recfishwest · 3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys · Perth, WA 6025 · Australia

Catch Information

Species:
Australasian Snapper

Baldchin Groper

Black Bream

Coral Trout

Dhufish

Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish

Golden Trevally

Gummy Shark

Hapuka

Mulloway

Nannygai

Queen Snapper

Queenfish

Red Emperor

Samson Fish

Spangled Emperor

This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/23/2022 6:10:19 AM by Seamus and last updated on 9/23/2022 11:36:33 PM.

Location

3/45 Northside Drive
Hillarys, WA AU

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