More dolphinfish at the FADs and massive land-based hoodlums there's plenty to read in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 29 January 2021 🎣

When the weather permitted, reef fishers caught red emperor, saddletail seaperch and blue lined emperor in 30m to 40m of water. Roebuck Bay has been producing fingermark bream, bluebone and northern  mulloway. There have also been threadfin salmon, bluenose salmon and barramundi caught in these waters too. More barra have been caught in the local creeks and the Fitzroy River. Tripletail can be found near the moorings and flotsam.

The local creeks have mangrove jack, barramundi, bluenose salmon and barramundi on offer. Threadfin salmon can be targeted along the coast near the creek mouths. The jetty is worth a visit following reports of queenfish, varieties of trevally and barramundi being caught from and near the structure. Cherabin are being caught in good numbers in the Fitzroy River.

Blue marlin continue to be encountered out wide – beyond the 400m contour – alongside striped marlin, wahoo and dolphinfish. Smaller black marlin and sailfish have been appearing in spreads trolled between the 100m and 200m lines. Spanish mackerel have been responding to minnow-style lures and rigged whole baits trolled along the back of the reef line and near the Muiron Islands. Reef fishers have been catching red emperor and Rankin cod in about 60m to 90m of water, while goldband snapper and ruby snapper are in depths of about 100m and 200m respectively. There have been some nice catches of spangled emperor caught on surface and soft plastic lures in the lagoon.

Ben Svenson had a fun-filled session casting lures for spangled emperor at Exmouth earlier this week.

Spangled emperor are being caught along the accesses between Tantabiddi and Mildura Wreck together with bluebone and the ever-present varieties of small trevally. There have been some nice queenfish caught at the accesses within the national park. VLF Bay and Old Bundegi have also been producing queenfish as well as small golden trevally and GTs. There are still lots of whiting along the beaches close to town and the lower areas of Exmouth Gulf. Squid can be caught at the marina and Learmonth Jetty during an incoming tide.

Pelagic activity has increased this week, with many crews getting among lots of Spanish mackerel, tuna — comprising the yellowfin and striped varieties — and the occasional cobia. The waters out from Sand Patch were among the spots where Spaniards were caught in very good numbers, while the 10m to 30m depths south of the river mouth also produced mackerel in the 8kg to 15kg range. Reef fishers who visited ground in 40m to 50m of water north-west of town scored red emperor, Rankin cod, dhufish and pink snapper. The shallower waters have been good for baldchin groper.

Surf fishers have been enjoying mixed catches of tailor, skippy and big dart along the Wittecarra to Red Bluff stretch. Bigger tailor can be found at the Back Beach, while Oyster Reef and Chinaman's have also been producing the odd bigger fish. There have been some nice mulloway landed in the lower reaches of the Murchison River. Yellowfin whiting seem to be about in bigger numbers and sizes along the sand flats. Blue swimmer crabs and mud crabs can be targeted in the lower parts of the system.

Dinghy and kayak fishers have been catching herring, skippy, pike and squid inshore. Spanish mackerel have been caught along the back of Pensioners Bank and near African Reef. Reef fishing has been productive in 30m to 50m north-west of the marina where dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper have been caught.

Tailor have been caught morning and evening along the Flat Rocks to Greenough River mouth stretch, with a few school-size mulloway. The first and second points at Greenough have pike, herring and whiting on offer. Early morning seems to be the better time to try for tailor along the reefs south at Southgates and Separation Point. The back Lives and the marina have mostly been producing catches of bread-and-butter species including herring, whiting, pike and squid. Drummond's Cove, and the beaches north of there, have tailor, mulloway and bull herring.

Boat fishers have been catching plenty of baldchin groper drifting the flats out from 30m depths where cuttlefish have been picking up the baits, as well. The 50m to 60m contours have been the most reliable depth to find tuna schools. Fishing the bottom of the same area has produced dhufish. Reef lumps in 20m to 30m have been holding schools of skippy to 50cm. Small boats fishing within the bay have landed a multitude of species with garfish, herring, flathead, flounder, squid, tailor and pike featuring in bags.

Tailor, between 40cm and 45cm, and herring have been biting very well most evenings along the surf beaches. Gutters have produced some tailor to 60cm, though most are sanded up at the moment so high tide is required to get results. There has been a run of pink snapper earlier in the week, with several anglers catching fish south of Lancelin, casting and with the aid of drones to drop baits farther out. The jetty has been hit-and-miss this week, with some good catches of sand whiting, herring and tailor at times.

Dinghy and inshore fishers have been satisfied with catches of King George whiting, herring and squid. Schools of small southern bluefin tuna have been turning up inshore at times and are common near the islands. There seems to be a lot of breaksea cod being caught near the islands at the moment. Crews who travelled wide got onto lots of nannygai and Samson fish.

Landing harlequin fish from the stones, east of Esperance, is becoming easy work for Callum McGovern!

Herring, skippy and squid are on offer at Taylor Street Jetty, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been producing herring, skippy, black bream, King George whiting and juvenile salmon. Surf fishers have been catching mature salmon, herring and flathead at Fourth Beach and Salmon Beach. Roses has been fishing well for tailor early morning and evening while mulloway have been landed there at night. More mulloway, are coming from the eastern beaches including Dunns, Poison Creek and Thomas. Avid rock fisher Callum McGovern, pictured, is among those catching great fish from the headlands east of town.

For Matt Pullella, jigging for demersals off Albany on Australia Day was worthwhile after he hauled this great dhufish up from the depths! 

Reef fishers have been doing reasonably well on red, pink and queen snapper as well as breaksea cod, harlequin fish and dhufish along the coral in 60m to 80m. Bigger red snapper were found at the edge of the shelf while hapuka and grey-banded cod were caught out deeper. King George whiting were a little harder to find inshore. Michaelmas Island, Gull Rock, Caseys, Goode Beach and Frenchman Bay were among the spots where the Geordies were caught this week. There seems to be a lot of big sand whiting as well as the odd flathead around inshore. Squid numbers seem to be slowly improving with some boats picking up close to their limit.

BIG bream! Callum Dowell was buzzing after landing this 47cm beast while chasing bream near Albany.

While small schools of salmon that have appeared along the beaches have some fishers convinced that the annual migratory run has started, seasoned locals have put the recent flurry of fish down to last season’s ‘leftovers’. The salmon should not be too far away though with February and March the months when the popular surf fish normally grace the southern coast. There have been a few tailor caught along the beaches including Nanarup and Bornholm. The deep gutters and channels at some of the more remote spots are worth trying for skippy. Herring numbers seem to have tapered off, but should increase again in the coming weeks. Rock fishers have been landing Samson fish, yellowtail kingfish and blue groper at the Steps. Afternoons seem to be fishing better for black bream in the King and Kalgan rivers. Bream enthusiasts keen to try the systems a little out of town should do well in the Hay and Torbay.

Giordano Gervasi tempted a few black bream with a Razor Edge Lures Fat Boy Paddletail, near Denmark.

Reports of a Spanish mackerel speared off the west coast of Cape Naturaliste last week have prompted many to troll minnows and rigged whole baits for the toothy speedsters. Yellowtail kingfish have been found in small packs off Cape Naturaliste where most of the small southern bluefin seem to be turning up. Reef fishers have been doing well on dhufish, breaksea cod and queen snapper off Cowaramup Bay and Canal Rocks. There are pink snapper and King George whiting being caught within Geographe Bay. Squid can be caught along the seagrass in 6m to 10m of water. Boat fishers working the 30m depths between Bunbury and Binningup have been rewarded with dhufish and the occasional pink snapper.

Dhuie time! Corren Wakelam was stoked to get this dhufish on deck while jigging off Cape Naturaliste.

Surf fishers have been enjoying mixed catches of tailor, herring, tarwhine, skippy and salmon at spots along the west coast of Cape Naturaliste. Yellowfin and school whiting can be targeted along the Geographe Bay sand flats. Scoopers have been picking up some nice hauls of blue swimmer crabs between Busselton and Dunsborough. Reports of yellowfin whiting catches along the flats in the Leschenault Estuary, near Australind, have tapered this week. However, the area is still producing blue swimmer crabs.

FAD-tastic! Clay Lewis can't get enough of catching dolphinfish at the Mangles Bay Fishing Club's new fish aggregating devices off Rockingham! If you've been to the FADs, be sure to share photos with us.

Beaches near Golden Bay are producing tailor, herring and whiting. Larger mulloway have been caught from the beaches north of Mandurah, with several reported from San Remo, Singleton, Golden Bay and Madora. Mandurah Estuary has good blue swimmer crabs on offer, especially from deeper water on the edges of the channels. Those fishing from the area adjacent to the traffic bridge are catching skippy, while dinghy fishers in the estuary have been locating tailor by looking out for birds working over the bait schools. South of Mandurah, tailor are being caught around dusk and after dark. Tim’s Thicket and White Hills are fishing well for tailor and mulloway. Dawesville Cut is always a place worth dropping a line as there are herring, tarwhine, skippy and whiting being taken, along with tailor.

Mangles Bay Fishing Club's fish aggregating devices (FADs) off Rockingham are still producing powerful pelagic species, including dolphinfish and tuna varieties. Warnbro, Kwinana, Long Point, Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour beaches have all been producing good tailor this week. There has been excellent fishing for yellowfin whiting, with good reports of herring and blue swimmer crabs out in the deep water. The region's jetties are turning on herring early in the morning, along with squid and blue and scaly mackerel. The beaches between Port Kennedy and Warnbro have been producing tailor of an evening, with herring and whiting during the day.

The metro fish aggregating devices are holding plenty of dolphinfish, however, the aerobatic sportfish have been found to be reluctant to bite at times. Wahoo and striped tuna are also being caught near the devices and it would be to no surprise, considering the high water temperatures out wide, if marlin were also passing in these waters. Spanish mackerel continue to be caught in metropolitan waters. Those who can lay claim to catching a Spaniard off Perth this season recommend trying many different areas because the mackerel do not seem to be sticking to same spots. Among the spots where mackerel were caught this week were Cockburn Sound, West End and Three Mile Reef. Reef fishers have been catching dhufish in the relatively deeper waters of 50m to 70m off Rockingham and Fremantle. Pink snapper and yellowtail kingfish have been coming from the southern side of Rottnest Island. Squid can be picked up in the relatively deeper seagrass areas of 5m to 10m.

During the morning and evening, tailor together with herring, sand whiting and the occasional tarwhine have been caught along the beaches. More herring and a few juvenile salmon have been caught from the Fremantle rock walls where squid are sometimes being caught. There are still loads of scaly mackerel at Fremantle Harbour, which means mulloway are likely to be about. Spanish mackerel are a chance on balloon or lure at Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point, North Mole or the northern marina rock walls considering their occurrence offshore. Flathead and yellowfin whiting have been caught along the shallows of the Swan and Canning rivers. There have been some nice giant herring caught in recent weeks and lots of chopper tailor at Point Resolution, Point Walter and Applecross Jetty around dusk. Blue swimmer crabs are being caught throughout the system, with the better catches of bigger crabs coming from in front of the Old Swan Brewery.

Misato Hirai, from ELGA Design, tempted this Swan River flathead with a 20g Elga Shore Hunter jig.