Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 17 January 2025 🎣

Israelite Bay has been firing with plenty of metre-plus mulloway and gummy sharks caught. The bigger gummy sharks to 15kg have been mostly landed at Poison Creek. Alexander Beach has also held gummy sharks and mulloway, while skippy and salmon have been plentiful at Dunns Beach and Stockyards. Salmon and 14-Mile beaches have yielded good numbers of salmon along with big herring in the mornings, while big sand whiting have been biting at Blue Haven Beach first thing in the morning. Big King George whiting have been caught from the port viewing area, while Taylor Street and Town jetties have yielded herring, with garfish turning up at night-time and squid throughout the day and into the night.
    
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. 

Plenty of tourists have been in town and most have done well on squid, which have been active at the town marina, Frenchman Bay, Whalers Cove and Emu Point. In good news for fishers who love this spot, this week the Labor Government announced if re-elected they will commit $200,000 towards the development of an all-abilities fishing jetty in Albany, with Emu Point the preferred location given the area is well regarded by the local community as a quality fishing spot. To read more about this click here. Herring and small skippy have complimented squid catches in the marina, while herring and small King George whiting have been taken at Frenchman Bay. Emu Point has produced herring and a few small KG's, snook and yellowfin whiting. In the King and Kalgan Rivers bream catches have been reasonable, but mulloway have been hard to locate. Plenty of people have been scooping for blue swimmer crabs in Princess Royal Harbour, and a few have targeted Oyster Harbour but with only modest success. Breaksea cod, blue groper and Samsonfish were taken from rock platforms east of town before the swells picked up, while herring and yellowfin whiting have been active in Denmark’s Wilson Inlet. Closer to Albany, Sand Patch has produced tarwhine, herring and the odd salmon, while herring and skippy have been caught at Cheynes.    

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. 

• Pick a night with less wind to help spot the marron feeding on the chook pellets easier. 
• Marroning on a waning moon or new moon is better.
• Pick the highest quality head torch you can.
• Don’t put the chook pellets out too early otherwise the ducks might nab them! Don’t put them out too far out either, the marron will come close to the bank for a feed. 
• Look for a stretch of bank where logs and rocks are submerged in the water – it’s the kind of habitat the marron like.

Fishing fanatic Max Yarker landed this lovely 30cm Swan River tarwhine on a whole prawn from the banks of Mosman Park this week. The 9-year old was pretty chuffed to pip his PB, great work Max! 

Fishing at the Fremantle Moles has been steady with mixed bags of herring, garfish, sand whiting, flathead, skippy and tailor being caught, while the rock walls along Mews Road have produced skippy, bream, herring and tarwhine. Squid have been hit or miss at all these locations with early mornings and late afternoons fishing best. At Cottesloe and Port beaches, tailor have been firing up when the afternoon sea breeze kicks in, while Floreat and Swanbourne have fished best in the mornings, producing mainly herring and the odd tailor. The Coogee rock wall has produced tailor as well. Further north, tailor and herring have been caught at most beaches and rock walls. At Pinnaroo Point, tailor have been active after dark and whiting have been in good numbers in the mornings. At Mindarie, snook have been swimming with the tailor. The Swan River is still producing a good range of species. Tailor haven’t been in as bigger numbers as previous weeks, but there are still plenty to be caught from jetties and drop-offs including at the Narrows, Canning Bridge, Claremont, Mosman Bay, Point Walter and North and East Fremantle. At Point Resolution and the Flying Squadron Yacht Club, tailor have been swimming with bull herring. Flathead and flounder have been in reasonable numbers on the flats with Claremont, Point Walter, Bicton, Mosman and East Fremantle among the better spots. Many flathead have been taken after dark from jetties by bait fishers. The East Fremantle area has remained consistent for those chasing elusive yellowfin whiting late at night on the outgoing tide. Scoop netters have found blue swimmer crabs at night and in the early mornings at Point Walter, Applecross, Alfred Cove and around Canning Bridge. In the upper Swan, bream and soapy mulloway have been holding around structure with the better areas including Garratt Road Bridge, Redcliffe, Optus Stadium, the Causeway and up around Guildford. Flathead have been at most of these locations but at Optus their numbers seem to have dwindled. Mt Henry Bridge has offered bream as well, while those targeting giant herring have started to pick up a few between Maylands and Guildford. Early on Sunday and Monday morning should hold better land-based fishing conditions.