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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
22 May, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to Drew Clowes and the crew from @jazzcharters landing his first swordfish after a gruelling two-hour fight!
Tag #recfishwest in your posts or send them via DM to our Instagram @recfishwest—don’t forget to include where and how you caught it!
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!
Recfishwest is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Steven Mattaboni, who was bitten by a shark while spearfishing off Rottnest last weekend.
For all those who would like to contribute, there is a gofundme page to support Steven’s wife and two young daughters. Click here to donate.
Steve was a respected member of the fishing community. As a member of Recfishwest’s Spearfishing Working Group, Steve was a passionate advocate for spearfishing and the broader recreational fishing community. He generously gave his time, knowledge, and experience to improve fishing and his contributions will be greatly missed.
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Steve’s family, friends and all those impacted by this devastating tragedy. We also acknowledge and thank the emergency responders and Steve’s friends for their efforts to save him under incredibly difficult circumstances.
@j3llis with 112cm of sheer silver stunningness in the pitch black!
Windy conditions have made fishing challenging for the boaters this past week. A few crews have braved the chop and managed to get a few cracker sailfish at the FADs. Spanish mackerel and tuna have been sparse out from Willie Creek but a few coral trout, Rankin cod and red emperor were pulled from the lumps offshore with heavy jigs and sinkers necessary to battle fast drifts. In town, threadfin to 90cm have been caught at Crab Creek and the Fingers for those tucking out of the wind. The occasional jack and bluebone have been landed from the rubble around Gantheaume Point, but wind is looking quite daunting over the coming days.
Shore-Based
It was tough fishing but crews fishing Cable Beach and Coconut Wells have had great success, with whiting reports coming through daily and the occasional queenfish and trevally mixed in causing a bit of chaos. Entrance Point has fished slow for barra, threadfin and queenfish but Gantheaume has produced bluebone, blue-lined emperor and queenfish. Cuttings and Telegraph Pool along the Fitzroy have fished steadily for barra and threadfin with poppers and fizzers being most popular.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.
@trent_gregory2 at the helm of @evolutionfishing with this pearler of a coral trout.
Days were thin for boaties the past week with conditions bringing out only the most determined fishers. The gulf is still murky and fishing very slow but the odd spango, queenfish and trevally has been pulled from King Reef. Boats finding the few weather windows have picked up coral trout, blue-lined emperor and red emperor towards the Muirons and on the west side, goldband and Rankin have been prolific in 90-100m. Those deciding to troll along the back of reef have had good captures of Spanish mackerel with the 190 Halco Laser Pro. The upcoming afternoons will be the best bet for those wanting to get out.
Shores inside the Gulf have been difficult to fish with the dirty water, but the Marina has produced some awesome fish. Mangrove jack to 50cm, queenfish and trevally proved great fun for those walking the protected waters with metal slices and paddle tail soft plastics being effective. Whiting catches along the beach at Mildura have been consistent with good sized spangled emperor and mangrove jack coming as welcomed surprises. Tantabiddi has produced the occasional bluebone and the odd tuna school on the inside of the reef.
These great tips were courtesy of the friendly team at Tackle World Exmouth. Swing by their store for advice and gear ahead of your next trip!
Troy from @hit_n_miss_fishing with this silver ghost kicking off the start to an amazing trip.
Carnarvon’s annual Carnarfin competition kicks off on Sunday running till the 31st and will see boats flock to the town. But further south, Spanish mackerel have been playing hard to get with multiple reports of abundant bait and fish on sounders but only one being landed for line-fishers and a couple for the spearos. Tuna have been scarce but good size green backs have kept crews busy and beaches south of town holding squid and herring. In the river mulloway up to 10kg have been landed and giant herring getting around the flats. Drop-netters have got around a couple of blue swimmers but the mud crabs seemed to have disappeared. The next couple afternoons are the pick of the bunch with the wind dying down so make the most of the nice weather that has been offered.
The inlet has fished well for estuary cod, tailor and the odd soapy mulloway and the sand flats in town producing the usual whiting and flathead. The boat pens have held mangrove jack to 60cm with young groms having good fun in the tight structure. Black bream have been amongst the snags and around the town jetty and giant herring in the upper reaches have provided a few arial shows. Beaches around have put up great fish with Frusties and Wagoe supplying Spanish mackerel and pink snapper. Wittecarra has shown promising numbers of tailor but no real size to the fish with mulloway being in a similar situation.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.
With weed pushing in proving a challenge, @thetidaltale pulled this 6️⃣🤷♂️7️⃣cm greenback from the wash.
Wind and weed have made boating days thin with those getting out only reporting a few bonito is 30-40m and bait and bird action being almost non-existing. Boats staying close have managed good numbers of sand whiting but no real size to the fish. Tinny fishers are still getting a few crabs right in close in close to the marina out from town. The weekend and Monday afternoon is looking like the best opportunity to wet a line.
The beaches have been weeded out badly with Drummond and Coronation being unfishable at points, but small windows have allowed those closer to Drummond to get a few pink snapper in the evenings. Nice whiting were had where the weed was thin, but the low vis made squid fishing difficult. A few tailor at Separation Point fishing best at sunset and towards South Gates in the evening when tide has permitted. West Bank has got a few tailor and mulloway of unreported sizes and numbers, but it was hard fishing for those hitting the beaches.
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.
Richard out with @TailoredTreks with a nice pinky - simply casting pilchards off the beach no drone required.
Boats
The weather has been absolutely sensational and it’s motivating boat fishers to head offshore and make the most of it. The bay has been fishing exceptionally well, with plenty of skippy and herring about, while the squid fishing which was already firing has somehow gone to another level again. Some excellent bags have been coming from both inside the bay and the surrounding weed beds, with that late afternoon period proving especially productive. Further offshore there are still some quality sand whiting being caught around the 20m line, providing great fun and top quality table fish. The White Bank has also been holding solid schools of skippy, which are an absolute blast on light gear and little micro jigs. Pelagic activity has gone noticeably quiet over the past week. Conditions through the weekend and well into next week are looking more of the same light winds, clean water and plenty of opportunity to get out there. Definitely worth making the most of it while it lasts, because this run of weather surely can’t go on forever!
The big mulloway have continued rewarding the dedicated fishers willing to put in the hours, with some excellent fish being landed along the beaches. The gutters have also really started to fire on school-sized mulloway in the 60–90cm range. Tailor haven’t been in huge numbers, but most sessions are still producing a couple of fish around that 45–50cm mark. They’ve been in fantastic condition too, with enough fillets from a session to put together a very respectable feed. Snapper were properly fired up late last week while the swell was rolling through, although the very clear water and bright sunshine this week seem to have pushed many fish out a bit deeper and made them far more cautious. Even so, there are still opportunities there for those fishing dawn, dusk and after dark. For anglers simply looking for a feed, most beaches have been fishing exceptionally well for large sand whiting and herring, with many sessions producing near guaranteed results. Lancelin jetty has been on the reliable side too with plenty of herring, snook, skippy and squid coming in under the lights at night.
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.
@Gidos_fishing_adventures with this beast of a sambo during one of his recent cave camping sessions.
A few nannygai to 60cm and good mixed bags of breaksea cod and harlequin have been at the Leg of Lamb reefs. Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish have been hitting live baits and lures at Dart Reef with the odd fish also popping up at Mondrain Island and Waterwitch. Closer inshore, sand whiting have been caught at Chapmans Point, Blue Haven and Twilight, while the King George chasers have had luck at Lovers Cove and out towards Button Island. Squid in the bay have been consistent with hezza schools getting in the way hitting jigs at times. Sunday and Monday are going to be the pick of the bunch for the coming days.
Posion Creek has been consistent for mulloway, gummy sharks and bronzies. Skippy up to 4kg at Alexander Bay with constant whiting and herring catches mixed in. Dunn beach has held a few salmon with crews welcoming mulloway and gummies as well. Thomas Beach and Cape Arid fished well for gummies, salmon and mulloway with sand whiting and herring mixed in. King George on the foreshore between the jetty and pier and both jetties have held good numbers of squid and garfish. Bandy Creek has offered the occasional black bream on hard bodies.
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.
A fine 45cm specimen pulled from the Kalgan on a crank bait by Callum from @outback_breamer_baits.
Boats heading out to the shelf from town and out from Cheynes have had good numbers of hapuka when the weather has allowed. The Coral Grounds inshore and Heartmans Bay have fished well for breaksea, harlequin and queen snapper and crews fishing deeper have had success with the nannys. Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish have been slim pickings and the occasional tuna caught on troll. Bigger squid and better numbers have been found at Limestone Head with 3.5-4 jigs working best in the deeper water. Gull Rock and inside the Sound has produced consistent sand whiting with the occasional King George. Two Peoples and Cape Riche have been fishing well for whiting, squid and the rogue salmon. The Kalgan and King have been steady for bream, but the mulloway seemed to have slowed. Sunday is shaping up well before the rains settle back in next week.
Salmon numbers have been consistent at Little Beach, Cheynes, Normans and Salmon Holes. Herring numbers have been steady with crews waiting for the big winter herring to hit shores. Yellowtail kingfish and sambos at West Cape Howe have been landed with burley being the trick for many to get the fish fired up. The Town Marina has been quiet on the squid front but a few decent skippy and herring have been pulled from the water and the odd bream mixed in. Upstream in the Kalgan and King has been the place for the bigger bream with mulloway catches waning.
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.
Great fish from the young guru Harry out with dad Ant in Geographe Bay on the deadly @Vexed Fishing Micro Meat.
There has been a huge run of King George whiting in 12-25m with bigger fish up to 60cm in the deeper pockets. Big sambos have been loitering around the reef edges with jigs worked fast being best. The salmon have been hit and miss this week with schools moving through quickly and often not hitting lures. Small amounts of striped tuna have been found working bait schools with diving birds being the giveaway. Boats launching between the capes have encountered small tuna, samsonfish and kingfish but weather has kept some boats on the driveway.
Land-based pinks and mulloway have been on fire! Dalyellup and Busselton Jetty both proving to be worth a crack with skippy and whiting keeping crews busy between bites. Herring and tailor have been growing in numbers and size off Binningup, Minninup and Dunsborough foreshore with metal slicers being most popular. Rocks throughout the capes have fished well for snapper but the beaches have done just as good around Yallingup, Smiths and as far as Contos. If you are fishing off the rocks, wear a life jacket, fish with a friend and check the conditions.
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.
Colder days and flowing streams have started to fire up much of the South West waters with some good reports of redfin coming from Harvey, Wellington and the odd fish from Dwellingup but not much size to the fish. Soft plastics in the 2.5inch size worked with slow pops along the bottom has been the most successful. The banks of the Donnelly and Blackwood have been steady with redfin and the stray rainbow trout with reports of browns slowing right down. Many fishers are getting ready for the winter and spring months where the freshwater really fires up!
Sensational sashimi! Skippy have keeping Ash from @Tackle World Miami busy with the micro jigs proving to be the go for a good bag.
New moon has fished well, and the water movement got some nice clean water moving through the system. The Cut produced herring, skippy, tailor and the odd salmon on CID Shiversticks and Halco Twisties. Out further, nice 40-50cm King George whiting were found when at anchor and burely. Skippy came to play on the reefs as well with the Oceans Legacy Roven micro jigs and Vexed mirco meats putting in the work. For those still running a couple pots the odd crayfish has been lingering about and a few tuna schools have popped up as well. Squid have really begun to fire with those fishing the 15m depths have pulled some krakens from the depths. When fishing the deeper water for squid, don’t be afraid to run a bigger jig or jig weights, you must make sure your jig is getting to the bottom.
Land based offered good tides for those fishing for snapper with Preston Beach up to Tims Thicket supplying fish for both casters and those with drones. Those not catching snapper have landed a great run of mulloway up to 20kg on mullet strips and live herring. Loose salmon have been caught at Clifton and Whitehills Beach and the usual herring, whiting and tailor have been about. Upriver in the Murray and Serpentine bream catches have slowed but solid numbers of soapies around that 60-70cm size have been landed. Crabs have withered away in the rivers with only the small ones visible to scoopers, while the top water whiting action has tailed although some are still being picked up on worm and squid baits.
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!
There have been a few salmon around The Sisters with the occasional samsonfish hitting casting lures. The Five Fathom held striped tuna, kingfish and the odd Spanish mackerel with deeper diving lures getting down to 6-7m working best. King George in Mangles Bay shallows and out to 30-50m with many opting to run the Vexed bottom worm whiting rigs. Parmelia bank has offered sheltered waters for sand whiting, herring, skippy and for those that burley too hard, butterfish. Bigger squid have been found on the weed beds in the sound and coming in closer to the shallows near Point Peron with the water cooling down.
Most beaches have reported good tailor, mulloway and salmon from Long Point to Mandurah. Madora Bay and Secret Harbour were the choice for the drone fishers with drops up to 250m and when snapper were not landed mulloway were out in force. Palm Beach and Ammo Jetty offered squid, whiting, herring and snook. The flats out to Penguin Island produced good sand whiting and some lovely greenbacks. Squid have been slow with a few landed at Rockingham Jetty but expect more to come with the colder months approaching.
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!
The fish so nice it features twice! Drew Clowes from @jazzcharters with his spectacular swordfish out at the trench!
The metro has been blessed with some wonderful weather this week with crews managing to get out to the trench and get amongst the swordfish and even land a mako shark. Back in closer to Rottnest, the Towers have held a few big kings and sambos with many ignoring jigs and only hitting baits. Trolling for mackerel has been steady with a few reports off the back of the Three Mile and up towards Two Rocks. Striped tuna have been in the mix with salmon schools but getting them to eat has been a challenge. Boats game enough to tackle the fringing reefs have pulled 50cm tailor and the odd rat king on lures and live herring. Squid and whiting off Cottesloe have been getting bigger coming into the colder days but herring have been sparse. The river has fished slow for flathead and flounder but crews putting in the work on the tide change have had good luck with the tailor. Bream in the upper reaches on hardbodies have been hard to come by with many having success with bait. The weekend is looking inviting for the boats to hit the ramps.
Our beaches have been alive with salmon catches from Hillarys to Cockburn with good numbers of herring being the driver. No big schools have hit the shore but those casting lures and soaking mullies have been got around fish up to 80cm. Tailor in the wash around Trigg and Yanchep have been steady with the odd skippy and tarwhine mixed in. Mulloway have eased off with many having more success a few hours north or south of the city but afternoon and morning snapper has been great for the those casting and even more successful for those droning 250-300m. North Beach Jetty and the marina rock walls have held squid, skippy and good herring. The Swan has slowed on the flathead and flounder front but plenty of bream have been kicking around the upper reaches in Maylands and Ascot. With the weather cooling down and the colder month approaching many are looking at getting into the winter greenbacks.
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: Sam Bock, Sam Russell, Sedin Hasanovic, Levi De Boni, Mason McHutchison and Logan Hellmrich.
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This Fishing Report was submitted on 5/22/2026 3:49:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 6/2/2026 6:48:49 PM.
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