Chris enjoyed a ripper of a session with Peter Fullarton on one of his Tailored Treks this week, landing this solid pinkie in between some great action on the sharks.

Boats

There’s been a big surge in boating activity thanks to a run of great weather and the early-season excitement of people dropping pots ahead of the expected whites run. Those putting in the effort have still been finding good catches of reds, while there’s also rumours of a few whites already, which has added to the buzz. Striped tuna schools have been widespread and hard to miss, with fish showing from about the 25m line and thickening up around 30m. They’ve been hitting a range of lures and were providing a lot of fun, although the current lines hold a lot of weed, so casting or trolling jet heads has managed the avoid the weed sitiation. As always, the 20m contour continues to deliver dependable feeds of sand whiting. Inside the Bay, it’s been busy and productive. Herring and skippy have been schooling in good numbers, flathead are turning up along the sandy edges, and there have been some very respectable King George whiting for those putting in the time on the ground. Just be aware that winds are shifting back to a southerly pattern for a few days, which may make the weekend a little less comfortable on the water.

Shore-Based

Beach casters have been treated to sensational morning conditions, and the fishing has matched the weather. Chopper tailor have been firing with quality sessions reported, keeping anglers busy around dawn and dusk. Alongside the tailor, most sessions have produced small sharks around the metre mark, which are perfect eating size and every now and then someone hooks into a mulloway to keep things interesting. Snapper activity from the beach has stepped up too, with 2–4kg fish encountered early in the low light right within casting distance. As the sun gets higher, drone anglers are having better success pushing baits out to the 200m zone, where the pinkies are holding in slightly deeper water.

Big 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. Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand.

Not bad for your first Sambo! The smile couldn’t be wiped off Kate’s face after landing this brute close to shore. You can see more of this action on her page @calandkates_adventures.

Boats

Leg of Lamb has held lots of nannygai and breaksea cod, while big Samsonfish have been active at Cape Le Grand. Monster sand whiting have been caught at Lion Island, while Observatory Island has offered queen snapper and harlequin fish. Sand whiting have been at West Beach in decent numbers. Lovers Cove has held King George whiting. Big squid have been taken in 20m at Cook Rocks, while Esperance Bay has fished well for smaller squid and snook. Both mornings this weekend should allow a duck out, with Sunday morning looking slightly more favourable.

Shore-Based

Rossiter and Dunn beaches have held gummy sharks and salmon, while Wylie Bay has produced very big flathead and salmon. Roses and Warrenup beaches have thrown up mulloway, gummy sharks and skippy, while Fourth Beach and 10-Mile Lagoon have been early morning salmon hotspots. King George whiting have been caught in good numbers on the town foreshore, while the Town Jetty has produced squid and snook. Skippy and King George whiting have been caught in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour, while Wheatfields Lake has been the pick of the bream spots.

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.

Queen snapper are one of the most striking-looking demersals and joined many other great bottom species aboard @andrew_ward_3’s boat off Albany this week.

Boats

Crews that took advantage of the superb conditions last weekend were not disappointed. Those that launched at Cheynes did exceptionally well, finding plenty of nannygai on the top edge of the shelf. On the 70m contours and on the coral grounds saw plenty of breaksea cod and queen snapper, while the lumps at the Passage Reefs yielded breaksea cod and lots of pink snapper. Crews that launched from town didn’t miss out on these species either, while waters out of Hartmans and Peaceful Bay yielded the same reef species along with hapuka and blue-eye trevalla on the shelf. King George whiting fished very well at Mistaken Island, Michaelmas Reef, inside Michaelmas Island and off Gull Rock. Sizeable squid have been abundant at Seal Island, off Whaleworld and in Frenchman Bay. Sand whiting have been prolific and squid have been in reasonable numbers at Two People Bay. Tuna were landed at Vancouver Rocks and Eclipse Island, while Denmark’s Wilson Inlet has continued to reward dinghy fishers with pink snapper. The weather isn’t looking favourable at all over the next few days with high winds and swell, but Wednesday morning may produce a possible window.

Shore-Based

Emu Point continued to clear up and has fished well for squid, herring and whiting, while the town marina offered squid, herring and skippy. Squid fishing has been rewarding at Frenchman Bay and Whaleworld, while bream have been taking baits and lures in the King, Kalgan and Hay Rivers. A couple of salmon were landed at Gull Rock this week where herring, whiting, skippy, tarwhine and flathead were also caught, with the same species coming from Nanarup, Sand Patch and Bluff Creek.  

Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their fishing tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, Trailblazers Albany have loan lifejackets available if you wish to fish off the rocks, but keeping the sand between your toes is always a safer option.

Squid have been in great numbers all throughout the South-West and are a simple way to gather a delicious feed. Look for broken ground of weed and sand in depths from 5-12m and as proven by Trudy Morehouse @squidqueen.wa this week - yellow, green and white jigs worked best.

Boats

Crayfishing has been going well with divers picking up jumbos in the 30m depths and plenty of reds being taken from as close in as 3m depths. Crews dropping pots have been doing best in 15m or so. Squid continued to go well either side of town, but King George whiting catches have slowed. The odd tuna has been caught and Samsonfish have been active on the lumps. Squid fishing been rewarding in Geographe Bay and King George whiting catches have been steady. Kayak fishers out from Busselton have been finding King George whiting in 8m, while tuna have been in Geographe Bay as well. Nice tailor have been caught by dinghy fishers trolling in the Leschenault Estuary. Tomorrow morning is shaping up to be a nice window out on the water.

Shore-Based

Yellowfin whiting have been in good numbers throughout the Leschenault Estuary and have been enthusiastically smashing topwater lures and small vibes, especially on the warmer days. Tailor catches have been more consistent for beach fishers either side of town, along with good numbers of herring and sand whiting in the mornings. As we head towards the new moon it could be worthwhile soaking a bait after dark for mulloway. Despite the change in seasons a few pink snapper are still about with a couple of good ones taken on the cast recently. One was caught at Back Beach and the other at Buffalo, while drone fishers have been getting the odd one up at Preston Beach. Back Beach has also fished well for chopper tailor and herring, while the Collie River has offered bream and school-sized mulloway. Squid have been steady at Busselton Jetty, where some nice skippy have been landed, while Samsonfish have been spotted cruising off the deep end.

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.

The waterways around Pemberton were on fire this week for both species of trout. James Ancell @james4ncell enjoyed a great session on the brown trout, while local legend Simon Holland @southernforests_angler got up to his usual fly fishing mischief on the rainbows.

Waroona, Harvey and Wellington dams have all been producing small rainbow trout and reasonable numbers of redfin perch, mainly at first and low light. The upper reaches of the Collie River and the Preston River have held small rainbows at times, while the Collie town site has been going all right for redfin perch. Big perch have been caught in the the waters around the Pemberton region, while the Lefroy Brook has held a nice mix of brown and rainbow trout in the faster flowing shallows.

Boats

King George whiting have been the main species targeted this week with good catches out from Dawesville. There was more KG action reported to the south towards the Bouvards, where sand whiting were also part of the mix. The good run of sandies in 28m at the back of Five-Fathom Bank has continued to go well. Samsonfish have been active on the prominent lumps straight out from town and a few tuna have been sighted along the coast. Crews have generally been reluctant to target pelagics this time of year, but as the recent catch of a 25kg wahoo near the artificial reef shows it could be worthwhile putting some hours in. Divers have continued to do well on crayfish in 15m and they have picked up jumbos in 30m, but most of the pot-pulling crews have been cooling their heels waiting for the whites run to start in a week or so. The Peel-Harvey Estuary has been holding a range of species, but the tides haven’t been kind over the past week. It should soon improve for those chasing tailor, herring, juvenile salmon and skippy. Tomorrow morning is looking like the best window over the next four days so make the most of it.

Shore-Based

The Peel-Harvey Estuary has continued to fish well for yellowfin whiting with locations widespread and sizes ramping up. Topwater lures and vibes have been working equally well, and it’s been a case of finding the right retrieve to get fish in the bag. Dawesville Cut has been fishing well at night for chopper tailor nudging 40cm and it has held plenty of herring during the day. The Mandurah bridges have also fished well for tailor after dark, but sizes there have not been as good. Beach fishing has been very quiet on both sides of town, but warmer weather should bring on the summer run of chopper tailor. Yellowfin whiting have started to show up on the beaches in the early mornings with Melros, Falcon and Seacapes worth a try. In the Murray and Serpentine rivers bream fishing has been decent and nice soapy mulloway have showed as well.

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!

Boats

Crews that haven’t minded burning a bit of fuel have found tuna schools when trolling and even encountered some wahoo out very wide. Keep an eye out for current lines or slicks on the surface and troll at 4-5 knots through these areas. Inshore has seen a nice mix of King George and sand whiting with some of the better spots being behind Penguin Island, inside of Garden Island, Mangles Bay and on Parmelia Bank. Squid fishing has been steady at best, but squid have shown up at these locations also. Divers have been doing well on crayfish on the inshore reefs towards the Five-Fathom Bank and near Penguin Island. Saturday morning is looking best on the forecast.

Shore-Based

Rockingham Jetty punched well above its weight in the past week or so, producing a 1.3m mulloway, so it goes to show there is often value of soaking a bait with a big set-up just in case. A 92cm pinkie was also landed here, but given they are spawning make sure they go back so the cycle can continue. Apart from that the jetty, along with Palm Beach, the Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point has produced mostly herring, the odd sand whiting and tarwhine. Beach fishing for tailor has continued to improve with fish around the 35cm mark being taken regularly at Port Kennedy, Secret Harbour and Warnbro, with decent school mulloway mixed in at times. Herring and sand whiting have also shown up at local beaches, while the grain terminal beach and Safety Bay have produced a few yellowfin whiting. The Penguin Island spit has offered mainly herring and the odd sand whiting, but as water temperatures heat up it should start producing a few flathead and flounder. Squid fishing has been quiet, but tomorrow morning would be the best time to target them during the calmer conditions.

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!

While the whites run is expected to kick off sometime between 24 November and early December, there are still good numbers of reds around, with waters around Two Rocks in particular producing the goods for @sullly_dives and @oldmanbluedive. If the weather heats up, the whites run should kick off in the next week, but cooler weather will likely delay the run until December.

Boats

Crews have started dropping craypots inshore heading into what will likely be the whites run at the end of the month. Sand whiting, King George whiting and a few nice flathead have been caught out from Mindarie and Fremantle. Reasonable squid numbers were down at Fremantle, while tailor were being taken in the white water at Stragglers. A few tuna have been sighted north of Rottnest Island, so it may be worth having a troll around here at 4-5 knots with deeper divers and keeping an eye out for diving birds. Dinghy fishers trolling the Swan River have been keeping an eye out for working birds and found chopper tailor at Nedlands, Applecross, Como, Canning Bridge and Blackwall Reach. Tomorrow morning is looking like a nice window to duck out in the boats before the weather turns sour from tomorrow arvo. If you time it perfectly, you could fish the nice weather window and be back in time for the start of day two of the Ashes.  

Shore-Based

Calling young fishos! Are you a teenager between the ages of 14-18 that loves fishing and has a passion for makiing a difference? Applications are now open for our Rising Tide Youth Program!

If you’re passionate about fishing and the community, are keen to speak up for young fishers and shape the future of fishing in WA, apply on the form below!

We are taking a group of 8-10 kids and if successful, you will be:

• Connecting with fishing industry mentors and leaders;

• Working alongside like-minded young fishos;

• Representing young fishers in real conversations about how fishing is managed;

• Help shape projects and solutions that support great fishing in WA;

• Take part in workshops, events and hand-on experiences with Recfishwest

Got you hook, line and sinker? APPLY HERE.

The Moles have been quiet, offering mainly herring, but blue mackerel have turned up at North Mole and the South Fremantle rock walls also. Youngsters using micro jigs have been having fun on skippy and small Samsonfish inside the northern marinas. Tailor have been a bit quieter on the beaches this week. Floreat has thrown up a couple, but it has mainly been herring and sand whiting. The Brighton and Trigg stretch has produced a few good ones, but not in great numbers. The Swan River has been fishing well for tailor though from the Narrows downstream, including Nedlands, Claremont, Chidley Point, Point Walter, Blackwall Reach, North Fremantle and Canning Bridge. Mulloway have been going well in the Swan too with catches of croakers up to a metre taken from the Causeway up to Maylands. Flathead have been running hot and cold with some excellent catches on some days and very little on other days. Around Bicton and East Fremantle respectable yellowfin whiting have kept flathead fishers using vibes happy on slow days. At East Fremantle flathead have been hard to find, but some good flounder have been taken. A very big flattie was landed in Claremont midweek and Applecross, Ardross, Mosman Bay, Rocky Bay and Nedlands have all produced good flathead at times, as did the Causeway and Optus Stadium. Flathead catches have slowed in the Canning River around Mt Henry, but tailor have turned up on most days. Small giant herring around 30cm have been caught on warm days in Alfred Cove, Como and Nedlands areas. Bream fishing in the Swan has slowed a little with a lot of the action now taking place from Redcliffe up to Guildford. Tomorrow morning’s forecast is shaping up for a nice land-based fishing window.  

A big thanks to Compleat Angler Nedlands for their great metro tips! These guys are all avid fishers, know the best spots for every particular species and have provided great support to Recfishwest and metro fishers for many years. Make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice at their store just off Stirling Highway and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat!