This Saturday’s abalone session cancelled: Recfishwest calls for flexibility

DPIRD has cancelled the West Coast abalone fishing session scheduled for tomorrow, 14 March following safety advice from Surf Life Saving WA about forecast swell conditions.  

Recfishwest respects the work Surf Life Saving WA does to keep fishers safe and understands why safety must always come first.

However, we are disappointed that no replacement session is currently planned – despite Recfishwest requesting DPIRD keep the option open should safe conditions arise in the coming weeks.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said:

“More than 10,000 licence holders paid $50 expecting four opportunities to fish the West Coast Zone abalone season.

“It’s disappointing they now appear likely to only get three sessions, particularly when there may still be safe weather windows ahead.”

Abalone are a publicly owned fishery and people who buy a licence deserve fair value for the access they pay for.  

Recfishwest believes a replacement session should still be considered if safe conditions arise and will keep pushing for this on behalf of abalone fishers.

A better weather window allowed Shimano ambassador @nickihuntfishing to have a duck up the coast with this tuna annihilating a sinking stickbait.

Phillip made the most of the good conditions during an early session this week with Peter Fullarton, landing some solid pink snapper and mulloway.

Boats

The wind has kept most boats tucked in close to shore this week, and drifting weed has made trolling a bit of a chore with crews constantly clearing lures. Despite that, there have still been some quality captures. A notable 30kg yellowfin tuna was landed in around the 20m depths off Ledge Point. The 20m contour has been consistently producing solid catches of sand whiting, while skippy and herring are building nicely in both size and numbers throughout the bay, offering plenty of action for anglers. For those trolling along the back of the beach, tailor have been active in the mornings, giving crews an exciting start to the day before the wind swings up. Early next week in the mornings when the easterly winds drop off will see the best windows for launching.

Shore-Based

Beach fishing has been on fire this week. Tailor have been chewing hard with some classic “fish-a-cast” sessions along the beaches. Sizes have been mixed, with fish ranging from around 30–50cm. Adding to the mayhem has been a strong showing of herring, flathead, snapper and mulloway all joining the feeding frenzy. When it all lines up it’s the sort of fishing that reminds you why standing on the beach taking in the sunrise with a rod in hand is so hard to beat.

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.

There were some absolute belter photos captured during the shotgun start from the Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club’s Offshore Angling Classic over the weekend! To see if your boat was snapped looking mighty and majestic in their photo gallery, click here!

Boats

The Esperance Deep Sea Angling Club’s competition went very well over the weekend for many of the 69 boats and 220 anglers taking part. The winning fish was a 22kg Samsonfish, which earned its captor a cracking $21,000 cash prize. Other substantial catches included a 3.3kg nannygai and breaksea cod to 2.5kg. The nannygai bite was red hot with most of the action taking place around Figure of Eight and Boxer islands. Big numbers of gummy sharks were caught on live baits at Cape Le Grande, while lots of yellowtail kingfish were a bycatch for club members fishing out wide. Elsewhere, King George whiting were caught at Lovers Cove, good numbers of squid and snook were at Cook Rocks and Esperance Bay produced herring and squid. The mornings between Sunday and Wednesday should see the calmest easterly winds and swell this week.

Shore-Based

Gummy sharks and mulloway have been plentiful at Thomas River, while big salmon and skippy were landed at Alexander Bay. Dunns Beach has held gummy sharks and bronze whalers, while Roses Beach and Warrenup have held mulloway and big schools of salmon. At 10-Mile Lagoon salmon and flathead have been caught, while the stretch between Blue Haven Beach and Chapman Point has fished well for sand whiting. Big King George whiting have been caught at the James Street rock wall, while the Town Jetty and Taylor Street Jetty have held good numbers of squid at night. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has fished well for flathead and King George whiting. Woody Lake has once again been firing best for 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.

It’s been a sizzling start to the salmon season off the South Coast, with catches between Bremer Bay and Albany already being reported in decent numbers. Jon took his nephew Brody out to land his first ever salmon and it didn’t take long for mission success! Chasing salmon off the beaches is not only safer, but it’s significantly easier to spot and chase down the schools.

Boats

Crews got out to the coral ground a few times in the past week and did well on queen snapper, pink snapper and breaksea cod, launching from Albany, Cape Riche and Cheynes. Closer in, 40-45cm King George whiting have been landed in 12-15m at Michaelmas Reef, behind Seal Island, at Mistaken Island and in Frenchman Bay. Reasonable numbers of big squid have been keeping them company. At Two Peoples Bay big sand whiting have returned, sizeable squid have been in good numbers and King George whiting and flathead catches have been impressive. The pelagic front has been quiet, but trolling around Vancouver Rock, Bald Head and Breaksea Island is usually worth a crack for tuna, bonito or yellowtail kingfish. Drop netters have been doing well on blue swimmer crabs in Oyster Harbour, Princess Royal Harbour and the Kalgan River. West Australian Tournament Anglers held their bream competition at these locations over the weekend and good fish were caught in reasonable numbers despite trying conditions. Monday is looking like the best day to duck out over the coming week, with solid easterly winds outside of that.

Shore-Based

Anticipation is growing for this year’s salmon run as catches have already been turning up across the board. Schools have been turning up at Nanarup every second day, a few fish have been caught at Bremer Bay, Fosters, Reef Beach and Bluff Creek. Salmon Holes has been fairly consistent off the beach. Big herring have been thick along most beaches, suggesting there is a plentiful food source for the salmon when they make their move. As well as herring, Gull Rock, Ledge Beach and Casey Beach have offered skippy and tarwhine. Squid fishers have been going well at Frenchman Bay and Whaleworld where herring and King George whiting have been caught as well. The odd squid has been taken at the town marina along with bream and skippy, while Emu Point has held these three species and also herring. The King, Kalgan and Hay rivers have been going well for bream, while scoopers have continued to catch blue swimmer crabs in good numbers in Oyster and Princess Royal Harbours.

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.

Yellowtail kingfish numbers in the South-West have been productive over the past few weeks and @harry.fisho managed to land this nice fish off Busso. Burley trails have been working nicely to attract this hard fighting species.

Boats

A few Spanish mackerel have been sighted out from Bunbury but only one reported catch has come in. Crews have also been trying for yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish close in where bait schools have been plentiful and had more success. A few crews have been targeting King George whiting but sand whiting have been in better numbers closer in, with the water also nice and clear for squid chasers. Squid have been going reasonably well in Geographe Bay, where King George whiting catches have been steady and the odd tuna has been about. Herring and chopper tailor have been plentiful in the Leschenault Estuary, where drop netters have had to work a bit harder for their bag limit of blue swimmers. The south-easterly winds will be quite strong on Saturday but midday on Sunday and early on Monday should see calmer conditions.

Shore-Based

Beach fishing has been going well from Preston right down to Forrest Beach with solid chopper tailor, herring, garfish, yellowfin whiting and sand whiting being caught. Whiting, herring and gardies have been caught mainly in the mornings. Some decent mulloway have been among the tailor schools and drone fishers have continued to pick up pink snapper, which have also been caught around Dunsborough. A mulloway around a metre was landed from the outer harbour rock wall over the weekend, while the Bunbury Cut has produced a few pink snapper along with herring and chopper tailor. At Siesta Park yellowfin whiting numbers have declined but herring, skippy and tarwhine have been about. Busselton Jetty has also held skippy and has been fishing well for squid, while the odd Samsonfish has been caught at the deep end. In the Collie River decent bream have been caught in the upper reaches and soapy mulloway have been in good numbers. Giant herring have been about as well and the crew at Whitey’s said Malosi Echo 65F surface lures have been very effective on the giants. Yellowfin whiting numbers have been holding up in the Leschenault Estuary, where scooping for blue swimmer crabs has been worthwhile despite numbers tapering off a little. Reports of salmon have come from Yeagerup and Bunker Bay, but there has mostly been a handful of fish hitting the sand. These numbers should start to increase over the coming month.

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.

Trout catches have been few and far between this week, although Lefroy Brook has thrown up a couple of bumper browns around the 50cm mark. A few big redfin perch have been caught in feeder streams to the Donnelly River and smaller ones have been in good numbers all throughout the Pemberton region. In the Collie River redfin have been mixed in sizes, while in Harvey and Wellington dams kayak fishers with access to deeper water have done best on redfin via soft plastics. If you can manage to take a fish finder out this will save you a lot of time paddling around trying to find where the fish are hiding in the structure.

Cam won himself a $50 Tackle World Miami voucher this week thanks to this slab of a Sambo! To go in the running for this weekly prize, simply tag @tackle_world_miami on Instagram or email your pic directly to info@tackleworldmiami.com.au.

Boats

There’s been plenty of dolphinfish action at the FADs on both rod and spear, while working birds and bait balls on the 25-40m lines have enticed tuna to smash stickbaits and metals. Samsonfish have been entertaining inshore anglers using light gear in 8-15m, while in the Peel-Harvey Estuary chopper tailor and big herring have been in good numbers around the drop-offs. Drop netters have continued to do well on blue swimmer crabs over a wide area. The mornings between Sunday and Thursday look best on the forecast.

Shore-Based

Canals and marinas in the Peel-Harvey Estuary near the Dawesville Cut on the Wannanup side have been fishing very well for bream with soapy mulloway mixed in as well. The Cut has continued to produce chopper tailor and herring, while pink snapper have been caught after dark at the ocean end. Yellowfin whiting chasers have had to work a bit harder on the estuary flats with vibes often out-fishing topwater lures. Scoopers have been doing okay on blue swimmer crabs. In the Murray River soapy mulloway have shown a liking for dark-coloured paddletail soft plastics. Beach fishing has slowed but tailor, herring and the odd school-sized mulloway have been kicking around on both sides of town.

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

The odd tuna has been around for trollers and a few schools of bonito have been kicking about in Cockburn Sound. King George whiting catches have been reasonable in the deeper depths, while tailor have been caught in the white water behind Penguin and Garden islands. Sand whiting, herring, skippy and small King George whiting have been the main catches in Mangles Bay and on Parmelia Bank. It’s been quiet on the squid front, but Cockburn Sound has been going strong for blue swimmer crabs. The next few mornings look decent on the forecast.

Shore-Based

Tailor numbers have remained decent along the local beaches with Secret Harbour, Long Point, Port Kennedy and Warnbro all producing. Herring have been in reasonable numbers and sand whiting have also been landed. A few school-sized mulloway have turned up, while yellowfin whiting has been caught in warmer patches of the shallows. The local jetties have held a few scaly mackerel, small tailor and herring, while the odd bonito has been landed at the Ammo Jetty. The jetties have offered blue swimmer crabs for drop netters and swimming out from the Rockingham foreshore to hunt them by hand has been worthwhile. At the Penguin Island spit sand whiting and the odd yellowfin whiting have been about along with a few flathead and flounder.

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 pelagics off Perth showed their force this week. The inshore reefs saw some solid kingie captures with @seain_ghosts landing this beauty on the surface. Further out skilled spearfisher Josh Faulkner @saltywatervibez scored himself a mighty bull of a dolphinfish out at the FADs west of Rottnest, with this specimen one of the biggest we’ve seen this season.

Boats

The postponed Blue Marlin Classic drew more than 50 boats out wide over the weekend, but only half a dozen billfish were landed. Wahoo and tuna were the main bycatch with skirts working nicely. Plenty of dolphinfish have been at the FADs, but they have been picky on what they have been taking. Spearfishers have been having a ball though. Waters west of Rottnest Island have produced yellowfin tuna at times along with yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish. Spanish mackerel have been sighted jumping south of Rotto, but only a few have been caught. A few shark mackerel have also been about. The Three Mile Reef has been a good starting point for mackerel chasers and has also held a few Samsonfish. Trolling lures or garfish baits at five knots has worked best for the mackies. Inshore waters from Coogee to Ocean Reef have fished well for a mix of sand and King George whiting and the odd bonito school was spotted off Fremantle. Squid fishing has improved off Cottesloe and South Fremantle, while those dropping pots inshore have found crayfishing steady. Tailor have been caught in the white water at Stragglers and Mewstones. In the Swan River blue swimmer crabs have been in good sizes but catches have started to become hit and miss in some locations. Tailor have been picked up by crews trolling in the river’s middle to lower reaches. DPIRD also want to hear from fishers after proposing extending the start of the blue swimmer crab season to 31 December from the Swan and Canning rivers to Minninup Beach. This would allow crabs to undergo an extra moult, meaning that fishers would be more likely to catch legal-sized crabs. To have your say on their survey, click here. As for the forecast, the early mornings look best over the coming days when the easterly winds are at their lowest.

Shore-Based

Some good tailor sessions have been enjoyed on beaches from Quinns to Yanchep with 40cm choppers in good numbers and the odd 50cm model mixed in, plus a few school mulloway. GT Ice Creams have been working well for lure chuckers. Drone fishers in these areas have picked up Samsonfish and the odd pink snapper. The northern rock walls have held mostly herring as have open beaches such as City Beach, Floreat and Swanbourne. Just the odd bonito has turned up at the Fremantle Moles which have held a few herring. South Mole has produced small chopper tailor, sand whiting and flounder. The odd decent tailor has been caught at Cottesloe. In the Swan River tailor activity has picked up a little with Point Walter, Chidley Point and Point Resolution producing a few. Flathead and flounder catches have been steady with Point Walter, Mosman Bay and East Fremantle producing some good ones. Small yellowfin whiting have been a bycatch for flatfish chasers using vibes. Mulloway to a metre have been caught around structure at both ends of the river, but bream have been quiet and giant herring catches have dropped off.  

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!