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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 9 February 2024 🎣

 | By Seamus on 2/9/2024 2:38:44 AM | Views (416)
Recfishwest Newsletter
Recfishwest
Fishing Report
09/02/24
Up close and personal with a marlin tormenting a bait school! There are good numbers of billfish being raised and landed west of Rottnest, with catches expected to increase with the hot weather hanging around. Check out the @bdoutdoorsdotcom page for more cracking photos like this. 
Our contributors
Sam Bock
Sam Russell
Jarrad Lawford
Sedin Hasanovic 
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 responsible 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!

A day out wide spearfishing in Metro waters for @impact_zone_spearfishing this week resulted in this stonker of a yellowtail kingfish! These guys spear some great fish all around WA so give their page a follow! 

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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.
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Broome catches
@broome_fishing_club recently held their Big Barra Competition and despite some windy conditions, 39 anglers competed and landed 12 barra, with the biggest going 80cm. Youngster Malakai Corpus took out the Champion Junior category with this 49cm barra landed! Hats off to Tackle World Broome for supporting this great event. 

Boats

Roebuck Bay has been quiet but the edge of the Deeps has offered the odd fingermark. The creeks haven’t been too flash either, with Dampier Creek probably the best bet. It has offered a few small barramundi and blue-nosed salmon. The odd queenfish has been landed at the mouth of the creek on stickbaits and Halco Twisty's. Crab Creek has held mainly blue-nosed salmon and mud crabs. The conditions over the past week allowed a few boats to comfortably fish the Fingers in the mornings where they found a few small barramundi and blue-nosed salmon. Thankfully the wind and swell is staying relatively low over the next week and the mornings are your best bet if you're looking for the calmer conditions. 

Shore-based

The Fitzroy River has been pretty murky but it has produced a few barramundi around Langi Crossing and Telegraph Pool. In town, the Roebuck Bay end of Town Beach has produced whiting at times but the wind has made fishing difficult. Town Beach Jetty surprised fishers with some small barramundi earlier this week, otherwise it has held a few bream and small trevally. Queenfish and trevally have been caught at the Port Jetty and Entrance Point has offered trevally and queenfish in decent numbers. Willie and Barred Creek produced bream, a few mangrove jack and the odd small barramundi, while Hidden Creek has fished better for the larger mangrove jack. 

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
Dolphinfish are one of the most stunning fish in the sea regardless of their colours, but we think dolly's with the electric blue running through them takes the cake. They taste great, but can apparently lose some of their eating quality if frozen, so try to eat them fresh. This great fish was landed aboard @onstrikecharters

Boats

With strong winds hanging around most mornings and nights this week, most boats have been staying closer to town and took advantage of calmer weather windows in the middle of the day. Bigger boats that headed out from Tantabiddi were chasing billfish with modest success, landing mostly sailfish in smaller sizes. Other boats powered through the wash out to the Muirons but most crews have been staying inside of the reef on the western side for blue-lined and spangled emperor. The Gulf shoals closer to town were a reliable spot for blue-lined emperor and coral trout. Despite the hot weather, squid have bounced back in good numbers with bag limits caught in 2m depths or so either side of the marina. Most of Saturday and Sunday morning are looking great for the boaties at this stage with lower winds and swell expected, which is welcome news for the fishers who patiently waited for the wind to die down to comfortably punch out wider. Make sure you slap on the sunscreen and hat out on the water though because it's going to be roasting. 

Shore-based


Callan Gaunt @bigredfisho from @tackleworldexmouth put the Vexed Buckabou through its paces near Exmouth this week and went toe to fin with this impressive bonefish. These guys have been turning up in fantastic numbers over the past fortnight all over the place. 

Learmonth has offered queenfish, golden trevally, decent whiting and a few squid at the jetty. Good whiting have also come from further down in the Bay of Rest where it has also been worth dropping nets for mud crabs. Flyfishers out that way have also sighted permit and bonefish with some decent sizes being landed. Bundegi produced good-sized queenfish, small trevally and a few whiting. Muggy nights have resulted in better numbers and sizes for mangrove jack at the town marina and they have been caught frequently along with a few cod and bream. The marina’s ocean-side wall has produced queenfish and a few squid. The mouth of Wapet Creek held good numbers of whiting, while further into the creek bream, cod and mud crabs have been reported. VLF Bay and the tip of the Gulf were good options to escape the southerly winds and they both produced queenfish and giant trevally, while Tantabiddi has offered queenfish, spangled emperor and giant herring when fishable. 

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


Boats

There was plenty of Spanish mackerel and tuna action around Sand Patch and Bald Face this week, with Halco Laser Pros and garfish baits working well on the mackies and metals on the tuna. The 30-35m depths seemed to be the sweet spot for both species and if trolling, around 4-5 knots is perfect. Bust-ups have also been noticed off Frustrations and a jetski fisher hooked into a couple of mackerel in 20m depths along the cliffs this week. Both mornings this weekend are looking quite calm for the boats if you wish to duck out for an early troll during the red hot days as that should fire up the pelagics. Just make sure you slap on the sunscreen as it's going to be a sweaty 45 degrees and try to get back in before the wind goes wild from about 10:00am. 

Shore-based

An angler casting an array of metals and poppers was unlucky to lose a good Spanish mackerel at Red Bluff earlier this week and the favourable conditions have led to high expectations for Spanish mackerel chasers at Wagoe this weekend. Red Bluff and Wittecarra Creek have been consistent for tailor and good-sized dart, while there were a few tailor at Oyster Reef along with good yellowfin whiting inside the reef. In the Murchison River along with the marina jetty and up river has fished well for bream, while decent cod and the odd javelin fish have been among them. More tailor have also been caught at the marina jetty. The Sand Spit offered a few yellowfin whiting and javelin fish and, chopper tailor in the evenings. Crabbing continues to be consistent in the river with mud crabs widespread and blue swimmer crabs mostly around the river mouth. 

Shout out 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

The conditions made it tough this week for the boaties. There have been a few Spanish mackerel and the tuna caught in 40m depths north of town but catches have been lukewarm and both species have ranged from just size up to 15kg. Dinghy fishers have found little joy chasing squid and whiting with only a few catches reported. The southerly winds are expected to drop off between 9am and midday across both mornings this weekend but they may be your only opportunities to duck out as both the wind and swell are picking up and making it rough outside those times over the coming days. Later next week could hold the next-best windows. 

Shore-based

Flat Rocks has been consistent for tailor up to 50cm but they have been quiet on the local beaches across both sides of town. The Dongara marina and the Batavia Coast marinas have both held juvenile Samsonfish and tarwhine at times along with the odd school mackerel in smaller sizes. The Batavia Coast Marina has also offered a few blue swimmer crabs which have been turning up in decent numbers and sizes. They have also been caught at Geraldton Fishermen’s Harbour and were being hooked by whiting chasers at the town foreshore along with Separation Point. Some big southerly winds and large swells are heading into town early next week so try and find a sheltered area if you decide to wet a line. 

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


​Boats

For a chance to win some great prizes for catching top-quality fish at the FADs, check out the FADs competition details located under the Perth boat section at the bottom of this report! 

When winds have briefly allowed it this week, a few boats have been venturing out to check near shore lobster pots or casting a line about the bay, with most boats reporting catches of herring, squid or snook. Lancelin Angling & Aquatic Club will be making the most of some flat seas this Saturday by catching a few whiting in the morning before a lunchtime cook up on the annual Whiting Shootout, which has been a very popular and exciting event during the demersal closure. Although it's going to be an absolute scorcher for temperatures this weekend, that combined with the lighter easterly winds and lower swell should hopefully drum up some great pelagic action this weekend across both mornings. Expect the stronger winds to come back from Monday. If trolling for tuna or for the chance of a Spanish mackerel, try having the lures at the back of the bubbles generated by the boat and try trolling at a safe distance off the back off the reefs. 

Shore-based

With drone fishing now more popular than ever off our beaches (including Lancelin), make sure you do it safely as tightened braid can cause a lot of damage to passengers on boats or jetski's. Check out the great tips on safe drone fishing from Lancelin's Peter Fullarton below this section. 


It's been tough going for the land-based fishers over the past week or so. The mornings have seen some very low tides and next to no swell, which meant that most of the larger predators have moved out of casting range and these conditions look to continue through until at least Sunday when the seas and swell will pick up. Tailor have been difficult to find in any numbers due to these low tides, with the evening high tide offering the best bite. Mornings have been a safer bet for catching herring, but make sure you set up a burley trail for the best chances. When the tide is low and the water is dead flat, tailor tend to go missing, so wait until the water becomes choppy and the tide comes in as this brings in the fish. Tuesday and Wednesday morning is looking better for tailor off the beach given the swell is back up to two metres and there is a strong easterly wind to help with casting. 


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. 
 

DRONE FISHING SAFETY TIPS AND ETIQUETTE

With drone fishing growing in popularity, it's important to do it safely as boats or jetski's may not know that a line is out a long distance from shore and this can cause injury. Check out the tips below on drone fishing safely. 
With drone fishing now becoming more popular than ever, it's important to do it safely as there have been some very close shaves for bad accidents lately. Passengers on boats and jetski's may not know that a line is out and tightened braid can cause serious injury to passengers travelling quickly on the water. Below are some tips for drone fishing safely:

1) Avoid areas of high boat traffic.

2) Only send the line out a safe distance for the location (often 150m will still catch fish). 

3) Avoid setting lines high up on a dune at the back of the beach where the line is strung out across the top of the water as a small boat or jetski could have the line slice into a passenger and cause serious injury. 

4) Set the line as close to the water edge as possible, so the line settles into the sea at the back of the shore break.

5) Should a boat pass between the rod and the set bait, drop the rod tip with sufficient time for the line to settle deep enough so the boat safely passes over the line.

6) Ensure the dropper to the sinker is much lighter line and hook droppers are lighter than the strength of the main line. This way you can break off a sinker or hook without losing several hundred meters of braid line into the sea. You will catch more fish too and if the fish snags the sinker it will break free leaving you with the fish still on the line.

 
Esperance catches
This solid gummy shark was landed by @lachy_warren during high tide this week after putting in some serious hours of beach fishing, looks like it certainly paid off! The most consistent spot for catching them over the past few weeks has been Alexander Bay if you're thinking of soaking some baits. 


Boats

Baynes Reef has held big numbers of snapper, while good nannygai have been caught at Humlaria Reef. Thumping queen snapper have also been caught at Lion Island, while tuna have been plentiful around Black and Cull islands. Esperance Bay has held good numbers of squid and snook, while Wylie Bay produced decent King George whiting with even better KG's landed at Lovers Cove alongside some big herring. While it's been pleasant having the sun out over the past week, the strong easterly winds are sticking around. The mornings are your best bet over the coming days if you're thinking of heading out, but try and find sheltered areas as you will still be battling 12-15 knot winds. 

Shore-based

Dunns Beach has produced skippy, salmon and gummy sharks, Alexander Bay has also held salmon and a 15kg gummy shark was landed there last weekend. Gummy sharks and mulloway to 4kg have been the main fare at Thomas River and Tagon Beach, while big salmon have been caught at Hellfire Bay. Wylie Bay fished very well for flathead and sand whiting, while big flathead have also been doing the rounds in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Town Jetty and Taylor Street Jetty have held heaps of squid, while Fourth Beach and 10-Mile Lagoon have been the most reliable spots for salmon. Big numbers of bream around the 40cm mark have been smashing shallow-running hard-bodied lures such as Cranka Minnows at Woody Lake.   

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


Boats

Not too much action this week, but boats that took advantage of the weather windows last weekend fished King George Sound and reported smaller King George whiting in good numbers and squid. If targeting these two species, go for the squid first then use small strips of their tentacles as bait as they love a fresh feed. The end of their longest tentacles or 'candles' works best as it's quite tough, stays on the hooks for longer and can be a tad chewy when cooked up anyway. A few crews also dropped nets for blue swimmer crabs in Princess Royal Harbour for modest returns. A couple of boats got out to the coral grounds last weekend but unfortunately had little to report. Late on Saturday evening and early on Sunday morning should hold a pleasant window for the boats with a 1.2m swell and gentle winds. Get out there before the wind and swell picks up from Sunday arvo onwards. 

Shore-based

A few small schools of salmon have passed through but catches have been inconsistent and they are considered to be resident fish on the move rather than migrating salmon. Lowlands and Salmon Holes have been two locations that have produced decent salmon at times but it will be another month or so before the schools start moving along the coast. At Emu Point, juvenile salmon have been swimming with herring and whiting, while herring and small skippy have been caught in the town marina which also offered a few squid. The odd small King George whiting along with a few squid have also been caught at Frenchman Bay. Mulloway were quiet in the King and Kalgan rivers, but there was enough bream about to keep anglers escaping the strong winds interested. Blue groper have been caught from the rocks when the swell was down but make sure you are always wearing a lifejacket and fishing with a friend if attempting this. Denmark’s Ocean Beach produced King George whiting, tarwhine and herring.  

Cheers to 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. Remember, you'll also catch just as many fish off the beaches than the rocks and it is always much safer to go with this option on the south coast. 

South-West catches

Boats

The FADs have been very crowded but they have produced dolphinfish and tuna, more so early in the day. On the way out and back, crews have encountered reasonable numbers of tuna in better sizes, so it pays to have lures out the back whenever you're moving around. Spanish mackerel activity has been reported mainly north of Bunbury, with plenty providing impressive aerial displays. Out from Preston has been one of the better areas with a few landed and many being lost (our condolences to those unlucky anglers). If you manage to land a mackie, make sure you send in a snap of your catch to the Recfishwest Instagram page! Good numbers of sand whiting have been caught straight out of Bunbury towards the Ships and a few small King George whiting and small squid and been caught south of Bunbury. Most of the squid turned up near the weed at Dalyellup, but most people have targeted squid and KG's in Geographe Bay. Tailor around the 40cm mark have been caught by dinghy anglers in the Leschenault estuary and drop netters have been having a red-hot run on blue swimmer crabs there as well, with scores of big sizes being caught. The weather across both mornings this weekend should hold some lovely weather for the boaties but it would be wise to get back into shore before the wind picks up from around midday.  

Shore-based


Given it's going to be a scorcher this weekend, you can bet your bottom dollar that yellowfin whiting are going to go wild in the shallows. Surface lures, small vibes and micro-jigs should all work nicely if you want to gather a delicious feed but it pays to stealthily put in the distance on foot to find the schools. Image: @2_oceans_tackle

Preston Beach has been firing for mulloway and good numbers of tailor, with drone fishers also landing the odd pink snapper there too. Just be wary that your tightened braid can be very dangerous for passengers travelling quickly on boats or jetski's that don't know your line is out, so make sure you check out the safe drone fishing tips located below the Lancelin section of this week's report. Good tailor have also come from Myalup and Buffalo beaches but the beaches closer to Bunbury have been quiet. The Bunbury Cut offered herring and a few chopper tailor, while the Collie River produced bream and soapy mulloway. School prawns are still in the estuary in good numbers, but in smaller sizes. Those scooping blue swimmer crabs in Australind have started to do well and yellowfin whiting have been in reasonable numbers despite the sizes being down. Dalyellup was producing herring, juvenile salmon and the odd tailor in the mornings near the surf club with green straws fished in a burley trail working well. Busselton Jetty offered a few squid along with herring and sand whiting, while yellowfin whiting and herring have been caught in the mornings in Geographe Bay. Juvenile salmon have been around Dunsborough, often swimming with herring schools, while bigger resident salmon have been caught at the Yallingup Beach along with herring and decent skippy. Both mornings this weekend at this stage look great for a land-based flick. 

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. 

With the 2024 marron season officially wrapping up this week, it saw a lot of fishers venturing into our picturesque South-West to snag a last-minute feed of these delicious critters. Some jumbo's turned up that were nearly the size of crayfish and @good_dhu_dhu got in on the action near Busselton! 
Redfin perch are probably the best bet at the moment and with the warm weather, the fish are likely to be in deep and shaded locations around the dam walls or structure, so kayak fishers able to cover plenty of ground should have an advantage. Working soft plastics or micro-jigs aggressively right on the bottom is your best bet. Harvey, Drakesbrook and Wellington dams could be good bets as deeper sections of this waterway past 10m are still quite cool, while deeper sections of the waterways around the Pemberton region and Collie river should also offer decent redfin in the shaded areas but trout activity is likely to be slow. If trolling around the outside of the dams, try to stick to depths of about 5m and use vibe lures that can reach around 2-3m depths, this occasionally entices trout to rise up and strike even on the scorching hot days but your lures need to be passing directly over their heads. It was great to see fishers making the most of the last days of the marron season this year before it wrapped up this week and given the dams were very busy with campers, venturing to the remote rivers and streams out in the sticks produced bigger catches in better numbers.  
 
Mandurah and surrounds


Mandurah

Boats: Good King George whiting have been caught on broken ground on the 30m line north and south of town, while the inside of Five-Fathom Bank has been holding plenty of plump sand whiting. Tuna have been active around the 50-70m depths and a big wahoo was seen jumping in depths just shy of 50m earlier this week. There’s been very little current out at the FADs and catches have been well down over the past week, but conditions are expected to pick up over the weekend for those wishing to target a few dolphinfish and other pelagics. Those in boats have had no trouble getting a feed of tailor and herring along the estuary’s drop-offs and channels and these deeper spots are still the best way to go given the water level is still quite low. Saturday morning is definitely looking best for the boats over the coming days and we highly recommend trolling for tuna and other pelagics. 

Land-based: Yellowfin whiting have returned to the estuary in big numbers but they have mostly been schooling in slightly deeper water than usual. Once again, Eco Gear ZX Vibes and TT SwitchPrawns have been the most effective lures but when it’s been really hot on the flats, small surface poppers have reigned supreme. Flats fishers who have walked out a bit further to the drop-offs have been doing well on tailor and herring, while scoopers of blue swimmer crabs have started to do as well as their drop netting counterparts with crab catches widespread throughout the system. The Cut was unusually quiet along with the Mandurah traffic bridges this week, although a decent King George whiting was landed from the platform at the old traffic bridge last weekend. The Serpentine and Murray rivers have continued to fish well for bream and small mulloway but the Serpentine has been slightly better, with bream often taking surface lures fished around structure in the early mornings there. Whiting catches have been down at the local beaches but heading north and south of town continued to produce good chopper tailor and a few herring, while soapy mulloway have started to turn up as well. Silver Sands has been one of the better tailor spots.

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

For a chance to win some great prizes in the latest FADs competition, check out the competition details located under the Perth boat section! 

Boats: 
A couple of Spanish mackerel hook-ups in Cockburn Sound created excitement this past week with a 17.5kg model landed over the weekend. Tuna have been heavily targeted with good catches reported straight off the Five-Fathom Bank in 30-50m depths. The tuna have favoured trolled lures such as Richter Jelly Babes and Nomad DTX Minnows. Squid activity has slowed with deeper depths the best bet as they don't tend to linger around the warmer waters in the shallows. Mangles Bay and Cockburn Sound have offered King George and sand whiting, while the inside of Garden Island produced squid, herring, sand whiting and a few tailor.
 
Land-based: Madora Bay, Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy and Kwinana beaches have continued to produce good catches of tailor in the evenings and school mulloway have been in the mix as well. Good catches of yellowfin whiting came from the beach near the grain terminal on the warmer mornings when conditions were calm. Tailor have been on the chew at Long Point with herring, flathead and flounder among the bycatch. The Penguin Island spit has produced sand whiting, herring, flathead and the odd King George whiting. Rockingham and Palm beach jetties have offered chopper tailor and small mulloway in the evenings and herring and squid throughout the day, while the Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point have held a few small tailor, herring and skippy. Point Peron was still fishing reasonably well for squid but it pays to move around and cast at different patches until you find them.

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
The amberjack's and yellowtail kingfish were going absolutely mad this week off Perth and given the hot weather heading our way, the pelagic action should only improve. The crew from @pepitos_fishing_wa landed 20 fish at the towers near Rotto and this 96cm AJ on light tackle provided plenty of entertainment. If you turn up in a boat, check if boats are drifting first and try to avoid anchoring up in their path as this can be a popular spot. 

Boats



The 2024 FADs competition has kicked off and there's great prizes up for grabs! 

✅ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝟏 – Grab a 2024 Mahi Mahi Tournament Brag Mat & Entry Name Card from one of the four sponsor stores included above. 
✅ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝟐 – Get out there and start fishing from 1 Feb through until the 31 March near the FADs between Rockingham and Jurien Bay.
✅ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝟑 – Catch a dolphinfish or mystery fish (mackerel, wahoo or tuna) and take a photo of your catch on your 2024 FADs Tournament Brag Mat with your name tag, rod & reel visible in the photo.
✅ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝟒 – Take a second photo of the GPS coordinates of where your fish was caught (for judges verification purposes only – will not be published). 
✅ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝟓 – Email your photo to mahitournament24@gmail.com no later than 5pm on Monday, 1 April!

Rottnest and Garden Island both fished well for King George whiting. Good KG's have been coming over the side in 12-14m depths but better ones have been found in 20-25m. Three-Mile Reef has also been holding good King George whiting. At the West End of Rottnest small yellowtail kingfish and much bigger Samsonfish have been the main fare, while boaties have encountered tuna between 40-80m depths with the higher and lower end of that range producing the best catches. The FADs have also held good numbers of tuna but dolphinfish catches there have been patchy. The dollies seem to school on certain FADs and when schools of 30 to 40 fish have been encountered the action is generally rewarding, while on other FADs with groups of three or four they have been skittish and reluctant to take lures or baits. Exposed reefs such as Mewstones and at the back of Garden Island have fished well for tailor, while divers chasing crays at Mewstones have reported seeing schools of big Samsonfish. Good tailor have also been taken inside Three-Mile Reef. The sand whiting action at Windmills has tapered off but they were in good numbers in 7-12m depths off Cottesloe and Port beaches and have been part of excellent mixed bags which included King George whiting, big flathead to 70cm and just-size pink snapper. Squid chasers have done well in 8-10m depths off South Fremantle, while in the lower and middle reaches of the Swan River chopper tailor around 40cm have been taken on the troll. Drop netters in the Swan are finding blue swimmer crabs in 11m-plus depths with Blackwall Reach, Mosman Bay, Claremont, the old brewery and Applecross among the better spots. Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle is hosting a whiting and squid information night at Cockburn Power Boats Club on Friday, February 16, from 6pm. Entry is free but spots are limited so registration is essential. Book a spot via the Anglers Fishing World Facebook page. On Saturday, February 24, a squid and whiting competition will be held. For more details or to register for the competition visit the store’s Facebook page and ask them in person about the awesome FADs comp that is now underway. It's going to be red hot over the coming days and this combined with some ideal boating conditions on Saturday and Sunday morning will see a lot of boats ducking out. The pelagic fishing should heat up along with the weather, so make sure you're trolling when moving around.  

Shore-based


Young Oli from @compleatanglernedlands has been having some great success on the Swan River mulloway recently and this beast was landed from the Claremont Jetty earlier this week. For the best tips on where to go and how to catch them, make sure you venture into their store and ask their experienced staff! 

Scaly mackerel were in good numbers at the E-Shed wharf after dark and a few herring were among them, although bigger fish such as mulloway and Samsonfish have been ignoring these offerings. North Mole held chopper tailor after dark and the occasional just-legal pink snapper, while South Mole has produced lots of herring when burley is used with the occasional Samsonfish pouncing on a hooked herring. Small squid have also been caught at the end of South Mole and they have been in reasonable numbers off the sailing club rock walls and groynes all the way down to Coogee. These spots have also produced tarwhine and chopper tailor in the evenings. Good bags of blue swimmer crabs have been taken out from South Beach by snorkellers wearing sturdy gloves. The Cottesloe to Swanbourne stretch of beach has offered good tailor in the mornings, which have been taking stickbaits, metals and small Halco Roosta poppers at first light and then favouring mulies as the sun gets higher. Tailor, herring and the odd sand whiting have been the main early morning catches at Floreat Beach with small Halco Twistys working well on the herring and tailor. Hillarys rock wall has also offered tailor in the evenings and bigger tailor have been caught at Quinns and Yanchep Lagoon in the mornings. In the Swan River, tailor fishing has been good with some of the better spots being Claremont and the Narrows Bridge at night, while anglers taking advantage of the morning low tides to target giant herring have done well on tailor from drop-offs at Applecross, Point Walter and Crawley. Flathead were in reasonable numbers in the Swan River but sizes are down. Better flathead spots have been East Fremantle Rocky Bay, Mosman, Claremont, Bicton and Point Walter. Yellowfin whiting catches have slowed a little at East Fremantle, while a few decent mulloway have been hooked at the Narrows and Canning Bridge with the structure at these bridges holding good bream at times. Bream catches have also been reported at Mt Henry Bridge in the Canning River and at Ascot, Maylands and Guildford. Some big blue swimmer crabs have been scooped around Canning Bridge just before the sun comes up. Both mornings this weekend look decent for a land-based flick with gentle winds expected during some very hot temperatures but expect the water levels to still be rather low. 

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

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Catch Information

Species:
Australasian Snapper
Australasian Snapper

Barramundi
Barramundi

Bluefish
Bluefish

Bonefish
Bonefish

Coral Trout
Coral Trout

Dusky Flathead
Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Flounder
Flounder

Giant Trevally
Giant Trevally

Golden Trevally
Golden Trevally

Goldlined Seabream
Goldlined Seabream

Greater Amberjack
Greater Amberjack

Gummy Shark
Gummy Shark

Mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi

Mangrove Red Snapper
Mangrove Red Snapper

Mulloway
Mulloway

Nannygai
Nannygai

This Fishing Report was submitted on 2/9/2024 2:38:44 AM by Seamus and last updated on 2/9/2024 5:36:54 PM.


Location

3/45 Northside Drive
Hillarys, WA AU


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