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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 23 August 2024 🎣

 | By Seamus on 8/23/2024 2:17:25 AM | Views (218)
Recfishwest Newsletter
Recfishwest
Fishing Report
23/08/24
In great news for Perth metro fishers this week, The Fisheries Minister announced that crabbing in Cockburn Sound will be given the green light from December 1st for the first time in 10 years, meaning you can now drop nets, snorkel, scoop or dive for them like Ethan Yeo in this snap! For more info on this announcement, click here! 
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Sam Russell
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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!  

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

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RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT WRITER

Pic of the Week!

Macking the most of their honeymoon! How's this for a whopper of a Spanish mackerel caught by Drew and Aileen during one of @maccydave's great kayak tours west of Exmouth! 

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PAY US A VISIT AT THE 2024 CLUB MARINE PERTH BOAT SHOW!
The Recfishwest crew will be at the 2024 Club Marine Perth Boat show to answer any questions you may have about fishing across WA, with everyone who signs up as Recfishwest premium members receiving exclusive Halco lures to go target pelagics! Click on the banner image above for more info on this popular attraction. 
Broome catches
@tyler_ridlzz visited the beautiful Ord River near Kununurra which is renowned for producing thumper barramundi, a very nice trade off for a busted prop on the outboard! 

Boats

If you can get past the sharks, black marlin and sailfish have been in reasonable numbers out wide, along with Spanish mackerel and tuna a bit closer in. Bottom fishing out wide is still nigh on impossible when going up against big bad Bruce, but hugging the shallow ground just offshore from Gantheaume Point has produced the odd bluebone or coral trout. In Roebuck Bay blue-nosed salmon have been widespread but threadfin salmon not so much. Both Dampier and Crab Creek along with the Fingers have held big numbers of blue-nosed salmon as well as a few mud crabs. It will be mostly moderate south-westerly winds over the coming days but around midday should see drop offs if you can manage to launch before then with the tides. 

Shore-based

Barra have shown up in the fresh and saltwater parts of the Fitzroy River with Telegraph and Langi Crossing being the most consistent spots. Broome’s Town Beach Jetty has offered javelinfish, queenfish and trevally with bigger models of queenfish and trevally at Entrance Point and the Port Jetty. Willie and Barred Creek have held small trevally, queenfish, bream and the odd mangrove jack, while Quandong has been worth a crack for bluebone. Whiting chasers should target Town Beach or Cable Beach.

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
Big smile for a big red landed by @jacko8121 aboard the @exmouth_fishing_adventures charter! 

Boats

Things have got a little quieter on the west side of the Cape this week with billfishing tapering off. Blacks and sailfish have been the main fare but not in as bigger numbers as previous weeks. Wahoo have been a prominent bycatch though. On the bottom, goldband snapper and red emperor have been steady from the 80m depths and further out cod, pearl perch and ruby snapper have come over the side. Spanish mackerel have been scarcer along the near-shore reefs but good numbers of spangled emperor and Chinaman cod have been about. Spanish mackerel have been in better numbers at the Muirons, which have also fished well for coral trout in 20m depths and Rankin cod, and red emperor in deeper water. In Exmouth Gulf, the shoals have held blue-lined emperor, spangled emperor, coral trout and golden trevally, while baitfish schools have been attacked by shark mackerel, school mackerel and the odd Spanish mackerel. A few cobia were also taken. Squid fishing has been good in the Gulf, while down near the Bay of Rest mud crabs have been caught. While the southerly winds are staying relatively light over the coming days, the swell is up over two metres for most of the next week.  

Shore-based


No shortage of big queenfish around the Exmouth shallows at the moment as @jspencer_fishing discovered on a recent trip. It's great fun sight casting these beauties in the shallows then holding on for dear life. 

Learmonth has fished well for whiting and bream but squid and mangrove jack numbers have declined there. Whiting have also been caught around Bundegi, along with small trevally and queenfish. In the town marina small cod, trevally, queenfish, bream and mangrove jack have been taken, while the outside wall has offered squid, as did the rocks at the industrial area. Whiting and flathead have been caught at the mouth of Wapet Creek, while Oyster Reef, the Mildura Wreck and the Lighthouse have held spangled emperor and giant trevally. Tantabiddi has offered spangled emperor, a few golden trevally and squid.

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
Yes, this is pretty much as big as tailor get. This PB 103cm monster landed by @angus_line in our Mid-West is an absolute beauty, give his page a follow to see some other ripper fish he catches on fly. 


Boats

Things have been quiet with the demersal ban on but a few tuna have turned up off offshore along with the odd golden trevally, but no Spanish mackerel catches have been reported. Squid catches have been good at Red Bluff and this is also a good time of year to target big garfish there. Thankfully there is a bit of reprieve coming up from these large winds and swell that have made fishing tough, with Sunday onwards seeing a gradual drop in swell with lower winds forecast. If targeting Spanish mackerel, try trolling at 5-6 knots with a gardie on a gang and wire trace, this can often land big tuna as welcome bycatch.  

Shore-based

Mulloway catches have been good in the Murchison River with the town marina, the Sand Spit and the river mouth producing mainly school-sized fish this week. The water has been too dirty for whiting in the river but there could be a few at Red Bluff, along with squid and chopper tailor. Chopper tailor should also be at Wittecarra. Big swells and slippery rocks have ruled out fishing from the cliffs but the river has been a good option for those chasing bream and cod, with the town marina a good starting point.

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

With the demersal ban on and the water clarity not ideal for squid, very little boating activity has taken place. There have been no reports of pelagic activity offshore but the inshore reefs around town could be worth targeting for skippy and tailor. Given the swell is looking pretty mighty for the next few days, land-based fishing may be the go, with plenty of good catches still turning up despite the wild weather playing havoc all along the coast at the moment. 

Shore-based

Tailor are very patchy but they have been caught in mixed sizes at the end of the rock wall in front of the town boat ramp near the lookout. There have also been bursts of 25-30cm herring at some of the other rock walls in Champion Bay. Skippy have picked up a bit as well with the groyne near the boat ramp at Town Beach and the Batavia Coast Marina jetty producing them at night. Whiting is another species that has been hot and cold, with some good catches of 20-30cm fish coming from the back of The Lives along with flathead ranging from 35-45cm. Chopper tailor have been taken from the rock wall behind The Lives at the left end. School mulloway in the 60-80cm range have been caught at Drummond Cove, while from there headed north to Coronation tailor have been patchy. Crabs have been inside the Batavia Coast Marina and a school mackerel is believed to have been taken on a lure there earlier this week. Out of town, Port Dension’s southern groyne and the marina jetties have produced skippy in the late afternoons and evenings.

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

It’s been a terrible run of weather with little sign of improvement until at least next weekend, on the bright side it means land-based fishing is the go and plenty of good fish have turned up if you can manage to find clear beaches void of weed. Play it safe and keep your boat in the shed till the swell drops off. 

Shore-based

Weed has been a problem north of town and the beach has been washed out, meaning a long inland bush track to access the Didie Bay area. There are some clean beaches closer to town around Virgin Reef, while the southern beaches have held very clear water with little weed. Most people were reporting the fishing very slow with only a few tailor, though one group had a great day on a patch of school mulloway. The bay was productive with herring, skippy, King George whiting and tarwhine landed from the southern beaches. The jetty saw herring and small chopper tailor under the lights each night. 

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. 
 
 
Esperance catches

​Boats

Conditions have been far from ideal but good numbers of squid have been caught in Esperance Bay and big snook have come from around the port area. Lovers Cove has held good numbers of King George whiting and sand whiting have been in abundance at West Beach. There have been reports of pink snapper schooling at Pot Rock, fired up by the westerly winds, while Sweep Rock and Lion Island have produced queen snapper and breaksea cod. Nannygai have been landed at Dolphin Cove and Black Rock. The wind and swell represents a rollercoaster over the coming week but early on Saturday and Monday morning could hold the best windows on the forecast, outside of that looks like strong westerly winds and high swell. 

Shore-based

Skippy to 4kg have been caught at 14-Mile and Roses beaches with salmon mixed in, especially at Roses where big schools have been passing through. Big flathead have been landed on the big tides at 10-Mile Lagoon, while good skippy, salmon and bull herring have been the main fare at Fourth Beach with the first carpark the pick of the spots thanks to the big gutter formed close to shore there. At Lovers Cove schoolkids have been getting skippy to 2kg, while the port viewing area has held herring and King George whiting. Both Town Jetty and Taylor Street Jetty have offered garfish and squid at night. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour yielded skippy and King George whiting, while Wylie Bay has produced sand whiting, King George whiting and flathead.

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
This 45cm stunner of a bream took the Lil Muss in cockle colour from @outback_breamer_baits while the weather was looking rough off the coast. Just shows that the rivers can still provide great fishing when the weather turns ugly!


Boats

Very few boats managed to get out into King George Sound and most struggled to find King George whiting. Herring were more plentiful, but squidding was difficult because of poor water clarity. Out of town in calmer conditions between the cold fronts a couple of kayak fishers caught harlequin fish around 40cm. With the weather remaining ugly for the next week, consider having a go up the rivers or in the freshwater systems headed inland as this fishing is starting to fire up. 

Shore-based

It been pretty bleak around town but a glimmer of hope has been the bump in bream gear sold in the past week, suggesting their numbers have improved in the King and Kalgan rivers. The Hay River can also fish well for bream at times. Sheltered locations such as the town marina should offer herring and small skippy and squid are a chance if clearer water can be found. Frenchman Bay and Emu Point should offer these species too along with whiting.  A couple of big resident salmon were taken from Cheynes Beach earlier this week, while a decent harlequin fish was caught from the stones when the swells were down.

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

Winds and big swells have ruled out most activity off our South-West and even Geographe Bay has been difficult to fish this week and has offered little in the way of squid or King George whiting. Water clarity has been very poor for squid and even herring have been hard to find. Freshwater fishing is the better way to go for now but early on Wednesday morning could hold a decent window for the boaties. 

Shore-based

With the beaches full of weed and the Collie River loaded up with fresh water, land-based fishing hasn’t been easy either. The Bunbury Cut could throw up a few herring and skippy, while Busselton Jetty may hold a few herring. Squid fishing has shut down at the jetty due to the murky water and there have been no reports of snapper or mulloway catches off the end if the jetty. The small rock groynes at Back Beach could produce a few herring, skippy or juvenile salmon but it’s likely to be hard going. Sheltered areas around Dunsborough could cough up some herring, while the Blackwood River could be worth a try for bream. Near the river mouth at Augusta herring and skippy could be worth targeting. If you want to have a crack at freshwater fishing, check out the report immediately below this section as the trout and redfin are starting to fire up in our dams and rivers. 

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. 

Want to know all the trout stocking numbers and locations for 2024? CLICK HERE to see all the dams, rivers and brooks where rainbow and brown trout will be making a splash and dash! 
A few redfin perch and rainbow trout have been caught at Harvey Dam and Honeymoon Pool on the Collie River has offered rainbows as well. Harvey Dam had been fishing pretty well for rainbows and redfin a week or two back before the weather turned and with heavy rain in the Peel region this week feeder streams should be pumping nutrients into the local dams and start firing things up. Further south, Wellington Dam has certainly produced some big redfin perch with a kayak fisher nailing three over 50cm in the past week. Soft plastics have been the most effective lures on redfin down that way lately. In the Southern Forests region huge downpours have made trout fishing difficult and often dangerous due to high water levels and very strong stream flows, so keep to the banks if it looks hairy.

Make sure you don't miss out on Troutfest which kicks off at Drakesbrook Weir on September 7th from 10am-2pm! This is always a very popular family-friendly event that allows everyone to roll up their sleeves and help us release beautiful rainbow and brown trout into Drakesbrook Weir, along with plenty of other fun activities such as pop up stalls and free fly fishing tutorials. You can find more details about Troutfest by clicking here.
Mandurah and surrounds
@austin_wroth has been doing well on the big bully Sambos off Mandurah recently and these bicep burners have been turning up in good numbers around the shallow inshore reefs. 

Mandurah

Boats: It’s certainly been a bleak week or so for boat fishers with offshore activity ruled out and the next week not looking much better. Bream from a kayak or dinghy in the Murray or Serpentine rivers could be an option. September is a great time for inshore crayfishing, squid fishing enjoys a boost as the water clears in spring and big skippy show up on the inshore reefs. Better days should be on the way soon, hang in there!
 
Land-based: Bread-and-butter species seem the best options this week if spots can be found out of the wind and the weed is not too bad. The past week’s cold fronts failed to produce pink snapper, mulloway or winter tailor but beaches a couple of kilometres away from ocean entrances where the water will be cleaner should produce herring, whiting and skippy if weather windows can be found. Tims Thicket could be a good option. If the rain isn’t too heavy over the next week fishing should improve in the estuary and at the Dawesville Cut where herring and chopper tailor could be on offer. Bream fishers will be waiting for the Murray and Serpentine rivers to become less muddy so they can better target black bream. Bream and skippy should also be in the canals and marinas and small King George whiting could show up at the rockwall on the estuary end of the Dawesville Cut.   

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

Boats: During a midweek weather window crews found good numbers of skippy to 40cm, herring, sand whiting and garfish in inshore locations including Parmelia Bank, Mangles Bay inside of Garden Island, around Cockburn Sound and the edge of the Garden Island causeway. The window for squid wasn’t quite as good but when the water cleared enough good catches were taken from these locations as well, especially within Cockburn Sound. If you want some great squidding tips for Cockburn Sound, check out our video here. Tailor were caught at Mewstones and from the reefy areas off Garden Island. Around Wednesday should hopefully see some calmer conditions but the westerly winds may still hang around. 

Land-based: A handful of 70cm or so pink snapper were picked up at Secret Harbour when the cold front blew through but no reports of mulloway or big tailor came in. Reasonable tailor and herring were caught at Long Point, while in the weather-window lulls the sheltered waters at the Penguin Island spit, Port Kennedy boat ramp and Warnbro Beach offered sand whiting and herring. More Herring and gardies and a few squid were caught from Woodman Point and the Ammo Jetty, while the Rockingham and Palm Beach jetties have produced the odd squid when the water has been clear along with herring, skippy and chopper tailor in the evenings. Herring have been caught at Point Peron but conditions haven’t been good for squid fishing.

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
Another monster of a metro Sambo this time caught by a resilient Gail alongside @eddiesheppard1 near Rottnest Island. Hats off for landing the biggest ever fish on the Cruise Craft Gail! 

Boats

Whiting and squid have been the main targets this week as most crews stayed close in. Conditions for squid weren’t ideal but in deeper water some good midweek hauls came from South Fremantle and South Beach. Sand whiting have been in better numbers than their King George cousins this week and were abundant out from Cottesloe and City Beach in 10-15m and also near the shipping markers, where they have been keeping company with skippy, tailor and herring with these latter species showing a liking for micro jigs. Sand whiting have been mixed in with King George whiting at the Windmills, while at Stragglers sand whiting, skippy, herring and tailor have been the main catches. A few skippy were caught at the Three-Mile Reef. In case you missed this week's announcement, crabbing in Cockburn Sound has been given the green light on December 1st this year by the Fisheries Minister, which means friends and families can now gather a delicious feed in the Sound's sheltered waters for the first time in 10 years! Click here for more info on crabbing in Cockburn Sound being reopened! As for the weather forecast, it's still looking pretty bleak for the boaties over the next few days and this weekend is a definite write off, but a better weather window may arise on Wednesday morning. 

Get your entries in for Fremantle Sailing Club's epic Yellowtail Kingfish Competition coming up on 7 September! Scan the QR code to enter or click here! 

Shore-based

Pink snapper catches were scattered along North Mole this week but the weekend cold front is expected to fire them up in better numbers, just rock a poncho and hold on to your umbrella for dear life if you're not sitting in the warmth of your car! Pink snapper have also been caught from the northern beaches, along with big tailor and a few mulloway. At the Mindarie rockwall a snapper chaser was surprised to land a dusky morwong this week. Both North and South Mole offered herring and skippy, often on the inside of the rockwall. Herring, skippy and tarwhine have been in Fremantle Harbour, while the rockwalls around South Beach have produced excellent skippy catches, with a whitebait or bluebait gang fished under a burley cage working well. Land-based squidding has been difficult because of the churned-up water and there has been little tailor activity at beaches south of the river, although this is often the time when big tailor cruise around the reefs at Cottesloe and Swanbourne. There seems to be a lack of baitfish in the Swan River this year, which may be the reason it has been a challenge to fish. Finding the bait has been the best tip and lure fishers are recommended to go for flashy lures or lures with a rattle, such as vibes. The heavy falls and big flush of fresh water this week could push many species down to the Swan River’s lower reaches. Bream have been holding between the Causeway and the Narrows but now it could be worth targeting them further downstream at Crawley, Nedlands and Claremont, especially near the yacht clubs. Tailor to 50cm have been caught at Canning Bridge and smaller fish came from Claremont and Nedlands this week. Stickbaits and surface lures have accounted for a lot of river tailor but don’t discount Halco Twistys or the bigger soft plastics in the form of minnow or shad patterns. Soft plastics also accounted for a few decent flathead at Heirisson Island, while a big mulloway was lost on the shoreline at Canning Bridge earlier this week.

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

Black Bream
Black Bream

Black Marlin
Black Marlin

Bluefish
Bluefish

Breaksea Cod
Breaksea Cod

Brown Trout
Brown Trout

Cobia
Cobia

Coral Trout
Coral Trout

Dusky Flathead
Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Giant Trevally
Giant Trevally

Goldband Snapper
Goldband Snapper

Golden Trevally
Golden Trevally

Goldlined Seabream
Goldlined Seabream

Mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi

Mangrove Red Snapper
Mangrove Red Snapper

Morwong
Morwong

Mulloway
Mulloway

Nannygai
Nannygai

This Fishing Report was submitted on 8/23/2024 2:17:25 AM by Seamus and last updated on 8/28/2024 2:43:53 AM.


Location

3/45 Northside Drive
Hillarys, WA AU


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