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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
8 May, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to @Castawaybell for this awesome tailor. These fish are great fun from the beach and know how to put up a good 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!
Do you love fishing? Are you a communications professional or a gifted content creator and storyteller, who is super well-organised and knows their way around a press release and engaging with the media?
We have a rare opening for an energetic Communications Coordinator to drive our communications content across our digital channels and external publications.
If you have a strong interest and knowledge of recreational fishing in WA, a sharp attention to detail, the ability to juggle multiple deadlines and have experience using images and video for storytelling, filming and editing, this could be your dream role. Any bites?
Click here for more info and if you are interested submit your resume and covering letter to Ben Carlish, Communications Lead, by 5pm Friday, 22 May.
We run these Hazardous Fishing Alerts in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology to help notify fishers of dangerous fishing conditions. It is important you put your safety first if you plan to fish in these areas during this time and notify anyone thinking of wetting a line.
If you're thinking of chasing salmon in our Southern and South-West regions, we strongly recommend you stick to the beaches and avoid the rocks.
INFO:
West to southwesterly waves with swell heights around 3.5-4m and periods around 14-17 seconds from Wednesday morning, peaking Wednesday night with swell heights near 4.5m around Cape Leeuwin.
Swell heights begin easing from Thursday morning, but are expected to increase again Thursday evening, peaking around 4.5m near Walpole.
Swell will ease during Friday, dropping below 3m overnight Friday night.
No fish is worth your life, so put your safety first.
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 here.
Who said you need a big boat for a big fish! @owendouglasadventures proving the humble tinnie can do it all from barra to sailfish.
Crews fishing 40-60km out from town have been doing well on Rankin cod and red emperor, while closer in they found coral trout, blue-lined emperor and bluebone around the inshore bommies. Spanish mackerel and tuna schools have been in Roebuck Bay and tripletail have been mooching around the moorings. Barramundi have gone a little quiet in the local creeks, but the Fingers and Crab Creek have held plenty of threadfin salmon, and Willie and Crab creeks have gone well for mud crabs. Spanish mackerel and tuna have been active off Port Smith and waters off Barred and Willie creeks have been worth a look for sailfish. This weekend the afternoons are shaping up really nice with low offshore winds.
Shore-Based
Barramundi fishing has picked up a little in the Fitzroy River with fish being taken on live baits and lures at the Cuttings, Langi Crossing and Telegraph Pool. In town, whiting chasers have found fish at Town Beach and at Coconut Wells, while Town Beach Jetty has held its usual bream, trevally and queenfish. Bigger queens and trevally have been caught at Entrance Point and with Spanish mackerel active in Roebuck Bay it could be worth targeting them at Gantheaume and James Price points. Willie Creek is worth a look for mangrove jack and trevally, while the lagoon at Port Smith has been going well for mangrove jack. Threadfin salmon have been in good numbers at 80-Mile 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.
Pearler of a permit for Paul on @onstrikecharters. When looking for these fish keep an eye out for clouds of sand being stirred up as they are known for foraging shellfish in the shallows.
Strong northerly winds have limited fishing at the Muirons and few boats have bothered to fish in coffee-coloured Exmouth Gulf. It’s been a lot better on the west side though with bottom fishers picking up goldband snapper, Rankin cod and red emperor in 80-100m. Spanish mackerel have also been in good numbers at the back of the reef, while the lagoons at Tantabiddi and in the national park have produced a few spangled emperor. Conditions have made trolling for billfish difficult with no reports coming through. The afternoons over the weekend offer some nice weather windows and moving into next week is looking the goods.
Unfavourable winds have hampered shore fishing but there have been some good fish about. Torpedo Bay has produced Rankin cod and 50cm-plus spangled emperor which have shown a liking for Malosi hard-bodied lures and Nomad Designs Madscad stickbaits, while good spangoes have also been caught in Lighthouse Bay and at Mildura Wreck. Not a lot of action has come from the discoloured waters in Exmouth Gulf but the town marina has produced bream, cod, small trevally, the odd mangrove jack and some sizeable bluebone. Tantabiddi has also been worth a crack for spangled emperor and mangrove jack.
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!
When all the conditions line up perfectly, it can make up for some pretty magical moments and for this power couple that was the case. @james4ncell and his partner caught a handful of Spanish mackerel during their weekend away.
Last weekend Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club’s Classic was hailed a success with good catches recorded in all sections. For boaties Spanish mackerel were plentiful in a range of sizes, a few tuna were caught and a big amberjack was landed. Mulloway were pleasant surprises for tailor fishers, with greenbacks up to 70cm. Some lovely easterlies all weekend long with the afternoons being the best pick of the bunch.
Pink snapper and baldchin groper have been caught from the cliffs, while Wittecarra and the river mouth have yielded decent tailor and the odd mulloway. Dart and herring have also been caught at Wittecarra. Mulloway have also been caught at Lucky Bay and Frustrations, while Wagoe has produced Spanish mackerel and amberjack for ballooners along with good tailor, while a young angler fishing in the Kalbarri Classic at Wagoe landed a 19kg longtail tuna on a balloon rig. In the Murchison River bream and cod catches have been good but mangrove jack have been scarce. Giant herring have popped up around the pens and whiting have been in good numbers at the foreshore and the sand spit.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.
@ricky_fender_beachfishing_wa showing us why many call him the Mulloway Master!
It’s gone very quiet on the boating front. Reports have come in of bonito or tuna schools working out the back of Fishing Boat Harbour and a few blue swimmer crabs have been pulled up just outside the Batavia Coast Marina. Judging by shore catches, Point Moore and Separation Point should be worth a shot for dinghy anglers after a feed of squid. The wind is sticking around with the only nice weather window looking like the weekend afternoons and Tuesday
Mulloway catches have been good a little north of Drummond Cove to just past Coronation Beach with fish ranging from school size to 17kg hitting the sand. There have been plenty of mullet schools along the beaches, but tailor and whiting have been scarce. Blue swimmer crabs have been pulled up in the Batavia Coast Marina, where squid have been caught from the rock walls and herring have been steady on the north side. Squid have also been caught from the rocks at the Esplanade and on the weed beds from Point Moore around to the Fishing Boat Harbour. A big Samson fish was landed off a live bait at Flat Rocks this week.
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.
It's been an awesome week with everyone getting onto some proper greenbacks. Caroline tagged along with Peter and managed this handful of a fish on a popper!
Boats
It’s been a sensational week on the water with the weather gods finally playing nice for a change. Light winds, manageable swell and plenty of fish around the bay have made for some very enjoyable sessions. Squid have been the standout again this week with excellent numbers spread across the inshore weed beds. The late afternoon into sunset period has consistently been the prime time to target them, with anglers putting together quality bags while enjoying some cracking conditions. A slow drift over the broken weed and sand patches with natural coloured jigs has been hard to beat. The weed banks have also produced plenty of action on light tackle with skippy and snook keeping anglers entertained. Schools of herring have been thick through the southern shallows of the bay. King George whiting are still around in reasonable numbers, although anglers have needed to stay mobile and keep moving to stay ahead of the packs of trumpeters. North of the bay, excellent sized sand whiting have been caught in the 5-6m depths. There are still a few mackerel and tuna getting around offshore for those prepared to burn some fuel and cover ground. With flat seas forecast and the moon starting to wane over the weekend, conditions could line up nicely for anyone keen to chase a few speedsters.
If you’ve ever wanted to tick a mulloway off the bucket list, now is shaping as one of the better opportunities we’ve seen in quite a while. There has been a solid run of fish along the local beaches with multiple captures reported over the past week. As always with mulloway, there are no guarantees and they rarely come easily, but the anglers putting in the time, soaking fresh baits and fishing the better tide changes are starting to get rewarded for their efforts. Tailor numbers along the open beaches have noticeably slowed compared to previous weeks. However, some proper big greenbacks have moved into the wash, with anglers casting poppers accounting for numerous fish in the 55-70cm range this week. For those simply looking to put together a nice mixed feed, the beaches have continued to fish very well after establishing a steady burley trail. Anglers fishing pilchard pieces, prawn or squid strips have been picking up a good variety of dart, herring, tarwhine, skippy and some very solid sand whiting.
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.
Boxer Island has produced good numbers of nannygai, while a few pink snapper and the odd dhufish have been pulled up at Baynes Reef. Big queen snapper have been landed at Observatory Island, while Samsonfish have been plentiful at Black Island. Squid have been fishing well in 12m between Cook Rocks and the port, while sand whiting have been thick off West Beach. Esperance Bay has offered squid, herring and snook. The weather is shaping up alright for those wanting to stick in close.
Poison Creek has been a hotspot for salmon, gummy sharks and mulloway, while gummy sharks and big skippy have been landed at Dunns Beach. Stockyards has offered tarwhine and small mulloway, while Roses has fired for salmon, skippy and gummy sharks. Early birds have been getting salmon at Salmon and Fourth beaches, while Blue Haven Beach has held big sand whiting. The town foreshore has been going well for herring and King George whiting, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has held KGs and skippy. Taylor Street Jetty and Town Jetty have fished well for herring, garfish and squid from the evenings into the night, while Woody 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.
An afternoon session on the southern squid for @tad_bit_of_fishn. With the winter months on the horizon the squid fishing is only going to get better.
Squid catches have been very good at Limestone Head, Frenchman Bay and Mistaken Island, while King George whiting have been active at Michaelmas Island and Gull Rock. Two Peoples Bay has continued to fish well for sand whiting and big squid. The coral ground off Cheynes has produced plenty of pink snapper and nannygai, while crews that got out to the shelf from Cheynes, Albany and Hartman found hapuka in good numbers. Crews trolling at Bald Head, Vancouver Rock, West Shoal and towards Breaksea Island found plenty of salmon mixed in with small tuna. A few bonito have been reported at Breaksea Island also. Drop-netters have been going well on blue swimmer crabs in Oyster Harbour, around Green Island and Elizabeth Street. The coming days are looking great for the crews looking to stay close in, with some unfavourable conditions towards mid next week.
Salmon numbers have been good at Bluff Creek, Cable Beach, Salmon Holes, Normans Beach and Bettys Beach and a few have been caught up at Windy Harbour. Herring have been prolific at most Albany beaches and good-sized skippy have been caught at Nanarup. The rivers have been a lot quieter for bream but scoop netters have done well on blue swimmer crabs in Oyster Harbour and crabs should still be in Princess Royal Harbour. Emu Point has produced a few good bream but big numbers of small trumpeter have been frustrating. The town marina has fished well, producing herring, skippy, leatherjacket and small flathead. Squid should be a chance there and squid have been in good numbers and sizes at Whalers Cove and Frenchman Bay, where a few small King George whiting have been among the herring schools. Flathead and herring have been caught at the Tourist Rocks at Cheynes, while at Pallinup, bream have been caught in the river and salmon and skippy in the ocean. Big herring have been caught at Denmark’s Ocean Beach.
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.
When the aussie salmon are firing there aren’t many fish that are more fun to catch. @livinginsalt_ landing this beauty of a fish on fly truly does justify his big grin.
King George whiting catches have been good with plenty of 50cm-plus fish in 16m straight out from Bunbury. Whiting chasers have found Samsonfish a nuisance, often smashing whiting baits and taking hooked KGs. Skippy were also in good numbers on the broken ground and tuna schools also turned up at times north and south of town. Salmon chasers found the going a little slower in Bunker and Eagle bays this week but a few have been taken off Buffalo Beach. Geographe Bay has fished best for squid and smaller King George whiting. Herring have been in good numbers there and tuna schools have also turned up. Plenty of herring have been in the Leschenault Estuary and a few good hauls of blue swimmer crabs have been reported. The weather in the coming days is looking lovely for those wanting to get out in the bay and make the most of the weekend.
Herring have been thick on local beaches but tailor numbers have thinned. The good mulloway run seems to have finished and most of the pink snapper caught have been landed on drones, although a few have been taken on the cast by bait fishers at Dalyellup, Back Beach and the Bunbury Cut. Salmon action has slowed between the Capes but Eagle Bay, Castle Rock, Point Picquet, Bunker Bay, Boranup, Injidup, Smiths Beach and Yallingup have fired at times. Preston and Myalup beaches have also produced the odd salmon, while bait fishers have caught them at Buffalo and Back Beach and lure throwers have got a few at the cut. Sizeable tailor have also been caught from the reefs at Yallingup and Smiths Beach. In the Collie River soapy mulloway numbers have waned but bream catches have continued to improve. Squid have been in reasonable numbers at Busselton Jetty and a few Samsonfish have been landed at the end of the platform.
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.
It’s been very quiet on the trout front with only a few reports from Pemberton and most redfin perch have been taken from the deeper sections of Harvey and Wellington dams, mainly by kayak anglers using soft plastics and vibes. A few good reddies have come from the Warren River and around the Collie townsite.
A lovely black bream for @jameslauchlan, beautiful bycatch while chasing mulloway.
There hasn’t been a lot of offshore action although a few tuna schools have been sighted, and yellowtail kingfish encountered towards the Bouvards. Sizeable King George whiting have been caught out from Dawesville and further south, the odd one has turned up at James Service Reef. Sand whiting have been in good numbers in 10m or so inside the Five-Fathom Bank and skippy have been caught on the broken ground. Nearshore weed banks at Melros, Falcon and Seascapes have yielded squid. In the Peel-Harvey Estuary crews trolling the drop-offs have found herring plentiful but chopper tailor less so. The estuary is still producing blue swimmer crabs for those prepared to work a bit harder in deeper waters.
Herring have been plentiful on the local beaches, but tailor catches have waned. Pink snapper have been landed at White Hills and an 85cm model was caught on a herring strip in Blue Bay at Halls Head this week, while big mulloway have been caught from Silver Sands through to Madora Bay. Salmon schools have shown up at the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut but few have been landed and the odd one has been caught at White Hills. The cut has offered the odd chopper tailor and plenty of herring as well as squid at the ocean end and also from the rock walls at the Mandurah entrance. Those wading the Peel-Harvey Estuary flats have been picking up a few yellowfin whiting on vibes and Ocean’s Legacy Roven micro-jigs but the ‘tings have shown little interest in surface lures. Flats waders have also encountered plenty of herring and some good-sized flounder and reported seeing good numbers of decent-sized blue swimmer crabs in the weed. The Serpentine and Murray rivers have been fishing well for bream and soapy mulloway.
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!
A few salmon have been caught on stickbaits behind Penguin and Garden islands and they have been mixed in with schools of small tuna and rat yellowtail kingfish. Rockingham staples squid and King George whiting have been about in good numbers and sizes, with the bigger KGs being caught towards the Five-Fathom Bank and behind Garden Island. Sand whiting, small King George whiting, herring and skippy have been in reasonable numbers inside of Garden Island, Mangles Bay, off Woodman Point and on Parmelia Bank, while mulloway catches have slowed. The deeper sections of Cockburn Sound have continued to yield sizeable blue swimmer crabs.
Pink snapper have been rewarding both casters and drone fishers at Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour and mulloway catches have been good as well. Herring have been thick at most beaches but there’s been less tailor activity, although some nice ones were landed on the exposed reefs by hardy anglers who waded out to the end of the Penguin Island spit. There have been a few sightings of salmon schools but few have been landed, although a nice one was taken at Golden Bay. The local jetties have been quiet, offering mainly herring, the odd whiting and a few squid at night. Point Peron has been fishing well for squid during the day.
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!
@1blakecurtiss8 scored himself a sensational salmon first cast! Reports coming through of metro salmon being caught in small numbers, will we start to see bigger schools hitting metro shores?
Salmon schools have been sighted off the northern beaches and one was landed off Mindarie this week but there’s been very little action apart from several caught around Rottnest Island, which has also offered yellowtail kingfish, Samson fish and squid and King George whiting closer into the island. Nice KGs and good-sized squid have been caught off Fremantle, while sand whiting have been in 10-15m off City Beach. There have been reports of Spanish mackerel sightings on Direction Bank. In the Swan River, trolling for chopper tailor has become less productive but blue swimmer crabs have continued to be pulled up in the deeper pockets. The weather is looking amazing in the afternoons for the coming days.
There was a good of run of mulloway along the northern beaches leading up to the full moon and shore-based pink snapper chasers did well out that way as well. From the northern rock walls and at Fremantle Moles, herring, chopper tailor and snook have been caught. Tailor to 60cm have been in good numbers on the northern beaches and in reefy areas around Cottesloe and Trigg, where the odd stray salmon has been landed. Most metro beaches have held good numbers of herring, while the rock walls from South Mole through to Coogee have offered a few squid and also produced yellowtail, herring, small Samson fish and skippy for anglers using micro-jigs. Fremantle Harbour has held plenty of yellowtail, while Samson fish have been caught at the Fremantle Traffic Bridge and at Rous Head. Tarwhine have been in good numbers in the lower Swan River and a few flathead have been hanging about as well. Flathead have been caught as far up as Guildford where they have been keeping company with bream. Mulloway have been caught from the Narrows up to Maylands with glide baits and paddle tail soft plastics being the choice for many.
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 5/8/2026 3:35:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 6/2/2026 6:49:34 PM.
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