Winners are grinners in our Grins and Fins comp!

Who can blame Lesmurdie’s 12-year-old Hendrix Yates for having a beaming smile on his dial after catching this super Samson fish trolling on 15kg outfit trolling a Haclo LaserPro 190 while chasing mackies off Port Denison. The smile got even beamier when he was presented with a swag of fishing gear goodies for winning the latest round of our Grins and Fins junior fishing photo competition. Well done Hendrix for rocking the comp!

Supported by our partners at Healthway This competition is all about celebrating kids and the joy of fishing. As a parent or guardian, you can enter by submitting a snap of your child fishing or showing off their latest catch.

Click here to find out more and to enter

Boats

This week brought a welcome improvement in conditions, allowing more boats to get off the beach and spend some time on the water. The 30m line has been holding plenty of baitfish, which in turn has attracted some quality pelagic action, with yellowfin tuna being the standout. Closer to shore, the sand patches both north and south of town in 5-6 metres of water have been producing some excellent catches of plump sand whiting. Within the bay, King George whiting have also been feeding well, with fresh squid proving difficult for them to resist.

Shore-Based

Shore-based fishing has been a little slower in terms of overall numbers this week, but the quality of fish being landed has certainly made up for it. Several nice greenback tailor and mulloway have been caught along the beaches, rewarding anglers prepared to put in the time and fish through the better tide changes. The sheltered waters of the bay have continued to provide reliable fishing during the recent swells, with anglers finding plenty of herring and pilch while making the most of a clean weed free beach. The jetty has also been a productive option after dark, with tailor, skippy and herring all featuring in catches.

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.

Boats

Nannygai have been plentiful at Figure of Eight Island, while big Samson fish have been stretching arms at Dart Reef. The back of Charley and Cull islands has fished well for tuna, while large sand whiting have been plentiful off West Beach. Decent King George whiting and schools of salmon have rewarded fishers in Wylie Bay, while Esperance Bay has held plenty of squid, herring and garfish.

Shore-Based

Gummy sharks to 15kg have been landed at Dunns Beach, while Rossiters Beach has held lots of mulloway around the 60cm mark. Stockyards has offered big tarwhine, skippy and small mulloway, while Roses and 14-Mile beaches have yielded gummy sharks, mulloway and lots of salmon. Salmon have been plentiful in the mornings at Fourth and Salmon beaches, while Observatory Beach has held big sand whiting. King George whiting have been abundant along the town foreshore, while the Town and Taylor Street jetties have offered lots of herring, garfish and squid in the late afternoons and at night. Flathead and King George whiting have been caught in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour.

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.

King cracker! Gideon Mettam of Gido’s fishing adventures scored this beauty of a kingie on a stickbait off the stones on the Great Southern coast.

Boats

Dirty water could be a challenge for competitors in Albany’s big squid competition this weekend with darker coloured squid jigs and the deeper depths more likely to get results. Sea conditions look manageable but with clearer water likely to be further out around the islands the bigger boats may have an edge. Before the blow the islands had held a few bonito and salmon. Poor water clarity in King George Sound is unlikely to hinder King George whiting chasers.

Shore-Based

Just enough salmon have been kicking about to keep things interesting with most of the action east of town at Cable Beach, Cheynes (where accessible) and Normans. Fishers driving on the beach will need to keep an eye for sections washed away by the recent big swells. Rock platforms either side of Albany should come into play again this weekend. Before the weather turned nasty they had fished well for pink snapper, harlequin fish and blue groper. Squid chasers should go all right in Frenchman Bay, and at Whalers Cove and Quaranup which should also produce herring, skippy and small King George whiting. Bream chasers found the rivers too dirty and fast-flowing this week but bait fishers should go all right at Emu Point. Bream area also likely to be in the town marina, where skippy should be hanging around the pylons as well. Denmark River had been fishing well for bream, which by now could have been flushed into Wilson Inlet, where a few flathead had been about.

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.

This nice Busso jetty squid couldn’t resist Rick Levy’s Tsuriou orange yellow super UV bright jig - be prepared to chop and change your jigs - it’s amazing how different colours can work at different times in different conditions. Worth having a look at this  cracking kraken Tall Tails podcast with veteran squidder Tony Thwin for more.

Boats

Between the weather fronts squid have been landed when clearer water can be found in Geographe Bay but King George whiting fishing has been slow. Out from Bunbury a few Samsonfish have been on the lumps and when burley has been used herring and good-sized skippy have shown up.

Shore-Based

Unsurprisingly pink snapper have been the main target this week and they haven’t disappointed with drone fishers and casters cashing in from Preston Beach all the way down to Dunsborough. Binningup, Busselton Jetty the shores of Geographe Bay Bunbury Cut, Buffalo and Belvedere beaches and Back Beach and Dalyellup have all produced. A few good mulloway have been among them but strangely there has been little else around, with herring and tailor numbers well down. Busselton Jetty has fished fairly well for squid between the cold fronts. A couple of resident salmon were landed at Preston Beach and the odd one has been caught between the capes. Slimy mackerel have been taken at the Bunbury Cut and Back Beach. A few tailor have been caught at the Geographe Bay boat ramp and from the rocks at Eagle Bay.

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.

Redfin perch have been the main species targeted this week, with Drakesbrook Weir and Wellington and Harvey dams producing good numbers of smallish fish for those using bait, soft plastics or small hard-bodied lures.

Azaniell Oneill scored a nice late season salmon on a beach south of Mandurah - he says it was on his “fourth last cast”! We’ve all been there! 😜

Boats

Skippy have been the main inshore species this week and they have been in good numbers around James Service Reef and the Five-Fathom Bank, especially if burley is used. Herring have been about but King George whiting, sand whiting and squid numbers have declined. The Peel-Harvey Estuary is still reasonably clear and it has held herring in good numbers along with a few chopper tailor. Blue swimmer crabs are likely to be holed up near the ocean exits of the system.

Shore-Based

Pink snapper chasers were out in force this week and quite a few good fish were landed. Beaches either side of town have been the most consistent, while the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut and the town rock walls mainly fired when the weather was ordinary. A few good mulloway have been swimming with the pinks. Most beaches have held plenty of herring but tailor numbers have thinned with most fish being caught on baits. Herring have been in good numbers at the Dawesville Cut, while the town bridges have held them too along with whiting and tarwhine. Soapy mulloway have been keeping company with bream and skippy in the canals and marinas of the Peel-Harvey Estuary, while bream and soapy mulloway have been active in the Murray and Serpentine rivers.

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

Sand whiting and skippy have been fishing well for inshore crews with Mangles Bay, Parmelia Bank and the inside of Garden Island firing for the sandies, while skippy have been haunting the lumps in Cockburn Sound and along the Garden Island causeway. Squid have been going all right too with 4-5m depths a good starting point. Samsonfish have been targeted at the D9 and behind Garden Island, while schools of small yellowtail kingfish have been active on inshore reefs such as the Sisters.

Shore-Based

Shore fishers have been killing it on the pink snapper front with fish to 80cm landed at the Kwinana, Warnbro, Secret Harbour and Port Kennedy beaches as well as Long Point, Woodman Point and Singleton. Herring have been in good numbers along the beaches with a fresh herring fillet often proving irresistible to the pinks. Tailor numbers have declined but one or two big ones have been caught on stickbaits around reefy structure. The Rockingham and Palm Beach jetties have produced just-sized pink snapper and a few herring. Land-based squidders have been targeting Point Peron and the Henderson cliffs.

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!

Gotta love a metro mackie in July! Oscar from @spearz_fishing pinned this nice sharkie off Rotto on a jig - that’d certainly warm up a cold winter’s day on the water!

Boats

Skippy and herring have been widespread from Fremantle right up to Mindarie, with Hillarys and Whitfords going well for both species. King George and sand whiting catches have been down. Squid have been about in good sizes off Fremantle and Cottesloe and when the swells have been low tailor, skippy and herring have been caught at Mewstones and Stragglers. Small Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish have been in the burley trails with the skippy.

Shore-Based

Pink snapper were once again heavily targeted but numbers have dropped off since the cold front passed. Both the beaches and rocks produced fish but often in ones and twos. South Mole and Coogee rock wall held some as did Cottesloe Groyne, Hillarys, Mindarie and Two Rocks and the northern beaches. Solid skippy have been caught from South Mole and the South Fremantle rock walls, with both locations producing squid at times. Herring and garfish have also been caught from the rocks around ferry terminal in Fremantle. Most beaches have held good numbers of herring when the weed hasn’t been too bad and a surprise salmon was landed at Floreat Beach this week. The Swan River has been holding mulloway in good numbers around Maylands and further up and while bream chasers have struggled in the middle reaches, they have picked up a few flathead as bycatch around the Narrows. Tailor around the 50cm mark have been taken in ones and twos between the Narrows and Claremont.

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!