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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
20 February, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to @claterz up in Exmouth for ticking off a lifetime goal and landing this cracker of a GT on fly!
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For your photos to be featured, make sure they follow our responsible handling and photography guidelines, which means fish held horizontally and not vertically by the gills, no blood, one hand under the belly and the other holding the tail, preferably water in the background etc). Stay safe, have fun, and keep sharing your awesome catches!
Another Hazardous Fishing Alert has come through for all South-West and South Coast fishers planning to fish over this weekend.
This Hazardous Fishing Alert is part of our partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology to help notify fishers of dangerous forecasts. With a significant swell and elevated wave heights moving along our coastline during this time, it is important to put your safety first.
INFO:
South to south-westerly waves with significant wave heights of to around 3.5-4.5m from Saturday afternoon with swell period of 14-16 seconds.
Wave heights easing during Monday morning.
No fish is worth your life, so put your safety first and if anyone you know is thinking of going fishing in these areas during this time, let them know of this alert.
In the meantime, make sure you download the Bureau of Meteorology's app to keep track of forecasts and warnings in real-time, even when out of range. For tips on how to stay safe while fishing, visit our website.
A lovely wet season barra from the local creek for @wadeo_clark!
Wind, constant rain and a low barometer have slammed the brakes on most activity this week. A small window over last weekend yielded little apart from a Spanish mackerel landed at Disaster Rock and a small barramundi in Crab Creek. One or two tripletail were seen around the moorings in Roebuck Bay so they could be a good target over the coming days. The westerly winds will continue throughout this week although Sunday should see them at their calmest if you wish to duck out.
Shore-Based
Very few people have bothered to venture out but a few determined fishers braved the wind at Town Beach Jetty for meagre hauls of bream and small trevally. The road to Willie Creek has been holding up okay, but the amount of freshwater coming in shut down most activity. A mangrove jack or small barramundi could be a chance though for anyone willing to give it a crack.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.
A first golden trevally on fly for @nickjsea during the same session that @claterz landed his solid GT in pic of the week!
It’s been hard going since Cyclone Mitchell bore through town. The heavy rain that accompanied it has dirtied up the water and strong south-westerlies have hindered crews trying to get out west where the water has been clearer. Bigger boats have been trying hard on billfish out west but with little success, with bottom fishers not having much luck either. It’s been quiet on the Spanish mackerel front, but the lagoons around Tantabiddi and Winderabandi have shown promise for spangled emperor. The west side of the Muirons has offered a bit of shelter and produced a few spangled emperor, but little in the way of other species. Exmouth Gulf has been the worst for water clarity and little activity has been reported from there. There are some more ugly south-westerly winds along with a swell gradually increasing to more than 2.5m in the coming days, which won’t make it pleasant out on the water. Early on Tuesday or Wednesday might hold better windows.
A few whiting schools have been sighted towards the Bay of Rest, while the marina has produced little apart from a few bream. Wapet Creek could be worth a shot for bream, trevally or mangrove jack, or perhaps a flathead at the mouth. A bit of exploration at the tip of the Cape could yield a bluebone or spangled emperor. Some solid trevally captures turned up on the western side this week for fly fishers willing to put in the miles around cleaner patches. Tantabiddi could be worth a shot for spangos and trevally species too.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!
Plenty of tuna have been about along with good numbers of Spanish mackerel. The Spaniards have been close to town and the tuna were a bit further out. Most of the mackies have been picked up by crayfishers heading out and returning from dropping their pots and a lot have been caught on trolled garfish baits. The forecast across this weekend doesn’t look friendly at all but the mornings between Monday and Wednesday should be more accommodating for the boaties.
Dirty water flowing into the Murchison River has changed things a little bit. Thankfully plenty of species have been active despite the murky water, particularly on the incoming tide when sea water comes into the system. Mulloway up to a metre have come down with the dirty water, while cod and sizeable tailor have also been active along with a few mangrove jack. Whiting have also been happy to take baits around the foreshore, but crabbing has shut down and bream catches have slowed. Wittecarra has been fishing well for tailor, whiting and herring and a good mulloway was landed there late last week. The river mouth has also been worth a crack for tailor and whiting. Pink snapper have been caught from the cliffs and the southern cliffs have also produced some big tailor. At Lucky Bay sand and yellowfin whiting have been in good numbers, while Wagoe has produced mostly decent-sized tailor.Shout out to Kalbarri Sports and Dive for their tips! Feel free to venture into the store and ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri.
Another local land-based pinkie for @mat.svenson on the cast!
On Sunday two or three 12-14kg Spanish mackerel were picked up on trolled baits north of the channel markers. Crews also trolled at the back of Point Moore, but no reports came from there. Bait schools have been prolific across most areas but not too many larger pelagics have been seen shadowing them or turning up on sounders. Near the Abrolhos Islands plenty of dolphinfish have been hanging around the FADs. There have been no reports of billfish catches there this week. Boating activity is looking very uncomfortable over the next four days with moderate swells and strong southerly winds. Wednesday will hopefully get a bit calmer.
With the Greenough River breaking through, dirty water has made fishing difficult as far up as Southgates. There were no reports of mulloway catches during the river flush, but locals reported seeing schools of whiting pushing into the river at high tide. Most of the fishing has been confined to town where whiting and herring have been in various sizes and modest numbers in the evenings at the entrance to Fishing Boat Harbour. The groyne at the Sail Inn has produced morwong, average tailor and a few pike in the evenings. Tailor fishing north of the Chapman River has dropped off and wasn’t helped by the big swells. Clearer water has been found behind the reef north of Drummond Cove where tailor from just size to 55cm have been landed right on sunset until 40 minutes or so after dark before the bite shuts down. At Drummond garfish were seen being harassed by bigger fish and hooked tailor were taken, possibly by sharks.
Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and solid advice for your next fishing trip.
Hugo with a nice little skippy landed on one of Peter Fullarton’s Tailored Treks Tours!
There have been enough Spanish and school mackerel around to keep anglers interested, although the bigger models are yet to show in better numbers. Most fish have been comfortably legal size, providing some solid fun without too many brag-mat contenders just yet. Offshore water temperatures have remained on the cool side, with the bulk of captures coming from inside the 25m contour. Schools of skipjack tuna have been holding along the 25m line where the cooler water is mixing with the warmer currents. This is a good place to keep an eye on the sounder and the birds. Out at the FADs, dolphinfish have been around and provided plenty of colour and action for those making the run. The weather isn’t looking inviting at all over the weekend, but Monday morning could be the go before better weather is expected to arrive on Wednesday and Thursday.
Tailor catches have eased off over the past week, with afternoon sessions proving more productive than the early starts. The mornings have however been reliable for the bread and butter brigade, with herring, sand whiting and a surprising number of skippy to 1kg keeping rods bent and anglers entertained.
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.
Nannygai to 3kg have been caught behind Baynes Reef and a few pink snapper have shown up around there as well. Giants Rocks has held Samsonfish and big yellowtail kingfish, while tuna have been active between Boxer and Cull Islands. Big queen snapper have been landed at Observatory Islands, while large snook were taken behind the headland at Twilight Cove. Lots of sand whiting have been in Wylie Bay, while King George whiting, squid and snook have been caught at Flat Rocks. Esperance Bay has held herring and squid in good numbers. This afternoon into the evening might hold a window, although the southerly winds and rising swell won’t make it comfortable across the weekend. Finding shelter behind the islands might provide some reprieve.
Gummy sharks and sizeable mulloway have been caught at Thomas River, while Dunn Beach has fished well for gummy sharks and big skippy. Salmon, small mulloway and big skippy have been active in Wylie Bay. Roses Beach has held gummy sharks, bronze whalers and mulloway, while big schools of salmon have been near Whale Beach. Salmon have been at Fourth and Salmon beaches. Decent flathead and King George whiting have come from the port viewing area. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has held herring and King George whiting. The Town and Taylor Street jetties have offered herring, garfish and squid after dark. Woody Lake has continued its good run for producing bream.
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.
Just one of many 40cm+ beast black bream for @andrew_ward_3 this week, with this session as good as it gets for this slow growing and hard-fighting species.
Most boats stayed close to shore this week and did well on modest-sized King George whiting in Frenchman Bay, at Griffiths Street and near Mistaken Island, while big squid were widespread in 8m-plus. Big sand whiting were running strongly at Two Peoples Bay, with squid in good numbers too. Crews trolling lures at Bald Head and Eclipse Island have picked up tuna, while drop netters have been doing well on blue swimmer crabs in the Frankland River, Wilson Inlet along with Princess Royal and Oyster Harbours. Be wary of the Hazardous Fishing Alert issued for the South-West and South Coast this weekend, with a gnarly swell period and swell direction arriving between now and Monday.
In promising signs for autumn good numbers of salmon have turned up at Cheynes Beach, Bluff Creek, Fosters and Reef Beach, while most beaches have held plenty of herring. Hartmans Beach has offered herring, skippy and sand whiting. Bream have been fishing well on the flats in the King and Kalgan rivers, while Emu Point has held small King George whiting, herring, skippy and the odd squid at night with the same species at the town marina. The good run of blue swimmer crabs has continued with Princess Royal Harbour, Oyster Harbour and Denmark’s Wilson inlet rewarding scoopers. Daytime squid chasers have found a few at Frenchman Bay. Stick to the beaches and avoid the rocks if you decide to have a land-based fish over this weekend given the Hazardous Fishing Alert issued for this weekend.
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.
Avid fisher Levi (left) set a new gummy shark PB this week, while the Hamelin Bay Competition last weekend saw some impressive crayfish captures that nearly ticked over 3kg.
Tuna schools continued to tease fishers out from Bunbury and in Geographe Bay, but catches have been sporadic. The 15-20m depths either side of Bunbury have continued to throw up decent King George whiting, while smaller KGs and squid have been caught in Geographe Bay which has also produced small yellowtail kingfish. Crayfish have been taken in 20-30m out from Bunbury, mainly by divers, while drop netters have been doing well on blue swimmer crabs throughout the Leschenault Estuary and into the Collie River and in Geographe Bay as well. Also in the estuary, tailor and herring have been hitting small metal slices trolled by crabbers between pulls. Saturday is looking too windy, but the mornings between Sunday and Wednesday look better.
Tailor and herring have been fishing well on beaches either side of Bunbury with a 67cm tailor taken at Preston Beach. Mulloway have been scarce, but Preston Beach has held yellowfin whiting. Drone fishers there have been getting pink snapper and also on beaches south of Bunbury and around Dunsborough. At Dalyellup, yellow-eyed mullet have been mixed in with herring and sand whiting catches, while at Quindalup they have been swimming with yellowfin whiting and herring. Back Beach and the Bunbury Cut have offered mainly herring and the odd chopper tailor, while the Collie River has held good numbers of soapy mulloway and a few bream. Squid have been the main game at Busselton Jetty, while scooping for blue swimmer crabs has been going well in the Leschenault Estuary, where yellowfin whiting catches have slowed and sizes declined for anglers wading the flats.
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.
Not a bad sight of scenery while you’re hooking up to rainbow trout for @twopirates_fishing earlier this week! Silver spinner did the job nicely.
Redfin perch continued to be the main species targeted with the deeper pockets of Harvey and Wellington Dams producing a few, especially for kayak anglers using soft plastics. Shore-based anglers have had to cover a bit more ground. Water levels have fallen in the streams around Pemberton and some of the small rainbow trout taken in Lefroy Brook have looked rather skinny. Deeper sections of the Big Brook Dam could be worth targeting where the water is a bit cooler.
Lance won himself the $50 voucher to spend at Tackle World Miami this week thanks to this beauty of a Spanish mackerel taken out from town! Keep an eye out for bait on the surface and troll deeper diving lures or trolled gardies at 4-5 knots for the best odds.
Boats
There has been some inshore mackerel action, mostly shark mackerel, for crews that have been trolling, while divers have encountered good numbers of Spanish mackerel. A few tuna have been landed out wide but big numbers of yellowtail kingfish have made inshore fishing a better proposition. Sand whiting have been heavily targeted inside the Five-Fathom Bank in 7-8m and at James Service Reef. Squid have been a good inshore option in 3-4m and good numbers have pushed into the Peel-Harvey Estuary, which has been firing for skippy, tailor and herring around the drop-offs. Drop netters have continued to do well on blue swimmer crabs in the estuary, while the clear water in 20-30m has rewarded those diving for crays. The mornings between Monday and Wednesday look best on the forecast as this weekend looks very windy.
Mulloway either side of a metre have been landed at beaches north and south of town and there has been a hot run of 40-50cm tailor since the last moon cycle. Herring, sand whiting and yellowfin whiting have also been in good numbers. Tailor catches have been decent at the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut where herring have been active throughout the day. The Mandurah bridges have held these species too. In the estuary canals and marinas soapy mulloway have been prolific, while the Murray and Serpentine rivers have held soapies and reasonable bream. Yellowfin whiting catches have been steady with several fish over 35cm reported, while scoop netters have been finding blue swimmer crabs in good numbers throughout the system. Prawns have been active 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!
Pelagic activity has ramped up with bonito and shark mackerel active in Cockburn Sound and a few Spanish mackerel off the back of the reefs. Offshore lumps have held Samsonfish, while big King George whiting have been landed behind Garden Island and at Carnac Island. Inshore at Woodman Point, Mangles Bay, behind Penguin Island and the inside of Garden Island have offered small King George whiting, sand whiting, herring and squid. Blue swimmer crabs have been in good numbers in Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds for drop netters and those diving in the shallows from boats. The mornings between Sunday and Wednesday look best on the forecast.
Tailor catches have been steady on most beaches and herring and sand whiting have been in good numbers as well. The odd mulloway to a metre was also landed and one or two pink snapper turned up for drone fishers on the southern beaches. King George whiting have been caught at Point Peron and along the foreshore in Mangles Bay, while yellowfin whiting have been active near the grain terminal and at the Pond in Safety Bay. Safety Bay has also yielded a few decent flathead. The local jetties have offered mainly herring, a few squid at night and blue swimmer crabs for drop netters. Blue swimmer crabs have also been picked up by those swimming out from the foreshore. The Ammo Jetty has produced a few bonito and soapy mulloway have been caught at Rockingham Jetty.
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!
A beautiful beach Sambo landed by Isabella Tan @castawaybell courtesy of the drone this week!
Last weekend’s Compleat Angler Nedlands Marlin Cup drew 50 boats and at least half a dozen marlin were tagged, with a rare shortbill spearfish landed and tagged before being released. Other catches in competitions included yellowfin tuna, a couple of wahoo and quite a few dolphinfish. Bonito have been widespread offshore from Ocean Reef down to Coogee. Shark mackerel have been hounding bait schools in close and Spanish mackerel have been out a bit deeper, particularly off the northern suburbs, as were yellowfin tuna. Dolphinfish and the odd wahoo have been at the FADs. King George whiting catches have been steady from Ocean Reef down past Fremantle, while sand whiting have been caught off Cottesloe and City Beach in 10-15m depths. Skippy and tailor have been taken close in off Hillarys. Squid fishing has been average due to dirty water. In the Swan River reasonable tailor have been picked up on the troll, mainly in the middle reaches, while drop netters have found blue swimmer crabs widespread with some of the better spots being Como, Canning Bridge, the old brewery, the Narrows, Applecross, Mosman Bay and Blackwall Reach. In the Canning River they have been caught at Mt Henry. A heads up that the Rottnest Channel Swim is kicking off on Saturday so the ramps will be very busy, but that day is looking ugly on the forecast for fishing anyway and there is a chance the race could be cancelled. The mornings between Sunday and Wednesday should see better conditions, but very strong easterly winds quite early will see choppy conditions before the wind is expected to drop off around midday.
The northern beaches have yielded fewer tailor this week, but the sizes have been very good, usually around 50cm. Herring have been consistent along this stretch and the odd pink snapper has been picked up by drone fishers. Soapy mulloway have been caught too, usually just before sunrise. On the southern beaches it’s been mostly herring with one or two chopper tailor. Bonito schools have shown up within casting distance and they have been caught south of Cottesloe, at Trigg and off North Mole. North and South Moles have produced herring and skippy, but not in big numbers. The inside of the northern marinas have at times produced herring, chopper tailor, small skippy, tarwhine and soapy mulloway. At the West End of Rottnest tailor, skippy, yellowtail kingfish and tuna have been landed when anglers have been able to wade out on to the reefs when the swell was down. In the Swan River’s lower reaches flathead and flounder fired up during the spike in hot weather last weekend. Tailor catches have slowed, but sizes have been better for those wading out to the drop-offs. Caution is advised on the flats due to the large number of bull shark sightings. Elsewhere in the Swan giant herring have been widespread and were in reasonable numbers, with some good mulloway hooked and lost on baits and lures up past the Causeway. One angler did pick up a mulloway around a metre in the Maylands area. Bream fishing has been quiet with most fish being caught up river from Bayswater.
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!
Our Fishing Report is compiled by West Australian writer and keen angler William Bennett, who contacts tackle stores directly around WA - love your work William!
Recfishwest’s fishing report contributors: Jarrad Lawford (editor and images), Sam Bock, Sedin Hasanovic, Sam Russell, Levi De Boni and Mason McHutchison.
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This Fishing Report was submitted on 2/20/2026 1:27:50 AM by Seamus and last updated on 2/22/2026 11:59:32 AM.
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