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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
William Bennett
RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT WRITER
Recfishwest is back at the 2023 Club Marine Perth Boat Show from today right through until Sunday, so come down for a chat about all things fishing! Our friendly team are happy to answer any questions you may have about fishing across Western Australia, such as our stance on marine parks, our new Cast of Thousands campaign and rules about West Coast Demersals. Kids can enter our popular Halco lure colouring in competition and anyone that sigs up as a Recfishwest member can score themselves some fishing goodies! More info on the 2023 Club Marine Perth Boat Show here.Â
Once again there’s been very little action with most locals having given up chasing pelagic species and instead biding their time until the demersal ban is lifted for the school holidays between September 23 and October 8 (inclusive). The odd boat has targeted sand whiting in close around Red Bluff. At Jakes the crayfishing activity has picked up a little, with most boats coming home with a few bugs. The wild winds and swell is dropping off a bit, but it will still be rather choppy and rough on the water over the coming week.Â
The Town Jetty offered plenty of big squid in the afternoons and garfish at night, while the Taylor Street and James Street rock walls have been good for King George whiting, skippy and squid. The foreshore in front of the Thai restaurant held big King George whiting but not in great numbers, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour fished well for flathead. Salmon continued to be plentiful from beaches right along Great Ocean Drive but the pick of the spots have been 10-Mile, Fourth and Observatory beaches. Mulloway to one metre have come from Dunns Beach and Alexander Bay held gummy sharks to 12kg. Thomas River produced school mulloway and skippy up to 4kg, while Roses and Warrenup beaches have offered salmon and gummy sharks. Bream to 45cm have been hitting soft plastics at Stokes Inlet and Wheatfield Lake. Big thanks to Southern Sport & Tackle for their report as always!Â
Good feeds of squid and King George whiting came from King George Sound earlier this week with the more protected areas at Whalers Cove and Frenchman Bay in 5-8m depths fishing the best. Big swells curtailed offshore activity. Fishing is pretty much a no-go off the south coast this coming week as well unfortunately, with some pretty gnarly winds and swell expected. The sheltered bays protected by the mainland are probably your best bet for wetting a line if you're braving the weather.  Â
DPIRD has advised that from 1 October 2023, fishing will not be permitted for greenlip abalone between Busselton Jetty and Shoal Cape in the Stokes National Park, west of Esperance. While this closure is necessary, Recfishwest is disappointed it has come to this as it was completely avoidable. You can find more details about this here. Squid catches were good from the Town Marina, Frenchman Bay and Middleton Beach, while the Town Marina produced herring, small skippy and leatherjacket. A few King George whiting around 40cm were landed at Middleton earlier this week. At Emu Point, herring, whiting and skippy have been caught and big Samson fish were starting to make their presence known in the channel, which should increase over the coming weeks. Bream fishing fired up briefly in the King and Kalgan rivers last weekend although the cooler conditions this week may have shut down some of the bigger fish. Big thanks to the crew from Trailblazers in Albany for their tips!
Boats that went out to the 40m contour depths around Garden Island and at the West End of Rottnest this week found Samson fish, yellowtail kingfish around 5kg and a few tuna, with some solid skippy among them. Closer in near Garden Island King George whiting in the mid-40cm range have been in good numbers, while bigger ones have been in 40m depths behind Windmills. King George whiting have also been caught inshore from Hillarys. Sand whiting catches have eased, but good numbers have come out from Cottesloe with a few King George whiting among them. Squid were in good numbers and sizes before the midweek blow with 3-9m depths off South Beach fishing well and 2.5 sized squid jigs in black catching plenty thanks to their great contrast underwater. Thankfully the aggressive winds and rain should tone down a notch over this weekend, so many boat fishers should have a good window on Saturday to head out.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/14/2023 11:29:37 PM by Seamus and last updated on 9/19/2023 2:40:51 PM.
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