Bull dolphinfish monster Spanish mackerel and cray-zy crayfish there's plenty to read in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 18 December 🎣

Crews who have been working the reef bottom within Roebuck Bay have been catching northern mulloway, as well as fingermark bream and bluebone. When the weather has permitted for the boats to head farther out, red emperor, blue lined emperor and Rankin cod have been picked up between 20m and 40m of water. Spanish and broadbar mackerel can be targeted off Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point. Threadfin and bluenose salmon can be found in good numbers in front of the creek mouths.

Barramundi have continued be caught in good numbers within Dampier Creek. Recent rain has caused the Fitzroy River to start flowing and, in turn, seems to have increased the barra activity in the system. Barra are also sometimes being caught at Entrance Point and Cable Beach. Queenfish and varieties of trevally — including golden trevally and small GTs — have been appearing at the Port of Broome jetty. Bluenose and threadfin salmon can be targeted at the local creeks.

Striped marlin and an estimated 300kg black marlin have been caught recently together with longtail tuna, yellowfin tuna and dolphin fish. Goldband and ruby snapper have been caught in respective depths of about 120m and 250m of water. Spanish and shark mackerel have been responding to bibbed minnows and rigged garfish trolled behind the west coast reef line and near the Muiron Islands. Coral trout and bluelined emperor have been picked up on soft plastic and metal jigs near the reefs located within Exmouth Gulf.

Bluewater Tackle World’s Josh Chong has been using a variety of lures to catch mangrove jack in the 40cm to 50cm range at the marina. Queenfish between 80cm to 1m have been passing within casting distance at Learmonth Jetty and other areas of Exmouth Gulf. Ross Lawrence caught a big permit on fly at one of the sand flats in the gulf last Friday. Spangled emperor have been caught on lures and baits at the reefs located between Tantabiddi and the lighthouse.

Spanish mackerel have started to appear in bigger numbers offshore with fish several fish in the 10kg to 15kg range caught north and south of the river mouth this week. Baitfish schools, found in a range of depths and areas, sometimes have longtail and mack tuna working them. Expect yellowfin tuna to turn up in bigger numbers in the coming weeks. Divers and potters have been picking up good catches of rock lobster.

Tailor have been turning up most mornings and evenings at Wittecarra Creek and Red Buff. The tailor at both spots have mostly been in the 40cm to 50cm. Bigger tailor to 70cm can be targeted at Back Beach, Chinaman's Beach and Oyster Reef. Surf fishers have been catching tailor, golden trevally and flathead at Frustrations, especially in the morning. Some big mulloway have recently been landed at Wagoe. Black bream have been picked up near the jetties and pens. The sand flats located in the lower reaches of the Murchison River have lots of yellowfin whiting. Blue swimmer crabs and mud crabs are have been caught throughout the system.

Rock lobster have started to be caught in very good numbers and sizes in just about all of the usual areas. The reefs off Horrocks and Coronation, the back of Pensioners Bank and the ground south of African Reef have all been producing excellent hauls of whites as well as reds. There are big schools of baitfish in a range of depths and areas, however, the only predators found working the shoals are longtail, striped and mack tuna. Spanish mackerel are yet to show in local waters, but they won't be too far away considering the food sources present offshore.

A surf fisher, visiting from Perth, caught a superb 1.6m mulloway, estimated to be 30kg, at Flat Rocks about a fortnight ago. Plenty more smaller mulloway in the 60cm to 95cm range have also been caught at Flat Rocks alongside tailor between 35cm and 60cm. Tailor have also been running near Greenough and West Bank morning and evening. Drummond's Cove has been producing lots of pike as well as tailor and the odd mulloway. Herring of 20cm to 30cm are in many areas along the beaches north and south of town. The bread-and-butter species can also be caught from the Batavia Marina and the Fishermen’s Boat Harbour. Blue swimmer crabs are also been caught at both spots. Yellowfin, school and sand whiting are along the beaches, but have been difficult to target because of the seaweed.

The white cray run has slowed considerably along White Bank. However, it is still worth checking pots daily with most people still getting a decent number, if not a bag limit. The boats that followed the whites out into deeper waters have been catching great jumbo crays along with the whites. Southern bluefin and striped tuna are still being caught off Lancelin, while yellowtail kingfish have been surface feeding on baitfish near the bay's fringing reefs.

The hot weather, easterly wind and low swell led to some water quality issues inside the bay this week. There was a pool of smelly low oxygen water mixed with rotting seaweed. At times, the pool has surrounded the jetty, so fishing has been impacted. When the jetty has been clear, some good catches of sand whiting, squid and herring have been made. Most of the dirty water pushed out of the bay by the strong southerly wind the past few days. The beaches have been fishing well for tailor at sunset, despite the strong southerly winds. While the tailor have been difficult to tempt in the mornings, a session should find a few along with sand whiting, herring and flathead. Fisher Shirly Balcombe joined Peter Fullarton, of Tailored Treks, one morning this week and landed two tailor on the one bait!

Dinghy and small boat fishers have been doing well on big sand whiting, King George whiting, herring and skippy in close. There are lots of queen snapper and Samson fish near the islands. Nannygai in the 50cm to 55cm range, breaksea cod and harlequin fish were among the species caught out wide.

Taylor Street Jetty has a variety of species on offer including herring, King George whiting, skippy and snook. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has been producing similar species as well as some big flathead. Mature and juvenile salmon can be targeted between West Beach and Roses Beach. Lots of herring, flathead and small skippy have also been caught at the local beaches. Mulloway can be targetted at Fourteen Mile, Dunns and Thomas River.

Recfishwest Safety Ambassador Aron Dixon, of Dixon Brothers Fishing, caught this lovely blue groper - estimated 25kg - from the rocks near Albany. "About time I had some luck off the rocks," Aron said.

King George whiting are in good numbers within King George Sound and in reasonable quantities in both harbours. Picking up a feed of Geordies, which are mostly in the 30cm to 40cm range, still requires a lot of moving from spot to spot to find the small schools of fish. Sand whiting are still difficult to find inshore and there are very few catching squid. Small metal lures tolled inshore will likely produce catches of herring and juvenile salmon. Mixed catches of reef fish including queen snapper and pink snapper as well, as breaksea cod and the odd dhufish can be picked up along the coral in 60m to 80m. Deepwater enthusiasts who recently ventured to the shelf experienced difficulty in catching hapuka, blue eye trevalla and grey-banded cod.

Big schools of salmon are still passing along Reef Beach and Fosters, while small numbers of salmon are being caught along the coast near Walpole. King George whiting are sometimes being caught at Frenchman Bay and Cosy Corner. There are still plenty of herring right along the coast and bigger skippy in the more remote places. The open beaches are producing lots of sand whiting. Yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish have been landed at the rocks near West Cape Howe and Bremer Bay. The King and Kalgan rivers are producing lots of black bream in the 30cm to 40cm range, as well as the odd bigger fish. Mulloway to 1m have recently been caught in the Kalgan and King sytems.

Rock lobster catches have been improving along both sides of Cape Naturaliste, with pot users and divers alike picking up good numbers of whites and reds. Samson fish and yellowtail kingfish have been caught near the bombies and reefs off Cowaramup Bay and Canal Rocks, while Sambos are still prevalent off Bunbury. There are still some nice King George whiting being caught in 10m to 20m of water within Geographe Bay. Squid are being picked up around the seagrass meadows, however, catches have dropped in recent weeks. Fishers who got out off Bunbury after the demersal closure lifted on Wednesday scored dhuies - as shown by Tom Miller above - and pink snapper.

Tailor are being caught at Moses Rock, Honeycombs, Injidup, Smiths and Yallingup. There are tailor also being caught at times around the other side of the cape at Bunker Bay, Fish Rock and Elmore Road. Herring are about in good numbers along both sides of the cape. Yellowfin and school whiting have been responding well to small poppers and miniature stickbaits along the Geographe Bay sand flats. Yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish can be targeted from the stones near Yallingup, Contos and Hamelin Bay, when conditions are suitable. Yellowfin whiting are still being caught along the Leschenault Estuary flats, while most beaches near Bunbury are producing herring and the odd tailor.

Dawesville Cut has tailor, herring, skippy and whiting on offer. Beaches south of Mandurah are producing tailor and the occasional mulloway up to 12kg. Mulloway between 5kg and 6kg have been regular catches in the early morning around sunrise and well after dark. The slightly warmer weather has slowed bream activity down and anglers fishing the deeper holes are finding a few fish. Generally they are spread throughout the system and there have been reports of some good fish taken in the lower estuary and from the areas adjacent to the Mandurah Quays and up around Murray Bend. Anglers wading the Peel-Harvey Estuary sand flats in the early morning are finding plenty of action, with whiting and herring caught. Surface poppers have been successful, but the better lure to use is a small dark coloured blade as these can be worked to suit the depth required.

The region's jetties have herring and a few tailor on offer. The occasional King George whiting and plenty of yellowfin whiting have been taken from Shoalwater Bay this week. The drop-off along the sandbar to Penguin Island is producing flathead and and the occasional flounder. Long Point, Kwinana and Warnbro beaches have tailor early in the morning, while yellowfin whiting and herring are about until the seabreeze makes fishing with light tackle difficult. Anglers fishing from the beaches near Warnbro are catching tailor and small mulloway.

Recfishwest's Perth Fish Towers are holding plenty of Samson fish in the 10kg to 20kg range, as well as the odd bigger fish nearing 30kg. More Sambos have been caught near The Barges, wide of Rottnest Island, as well as near Carnac Island, Stragglers, Champion Rock and along the western edge of Three Mile Reef. Yellowtail kingfish have been patrolling the northern and southern sides of Rottnest in small packs. There are lots of King George whiting being caught along Parmelia Bank and The Windmills, while smaller numbers have been coming from waters off Leighton Beach and City Beach. There are still squid being caught along the seagrass meadows off Fremantle. Rock lobster catches have really increased this week with some noteworthy hauls being picking up in pots near Rottnest, at the back of Carnac and Garden islands and near the Three Mile. Divers have equally been doing well off Rockingham, Fremantle and Hillarys.


Matt Pertillo has been all smiles when pulling pots packed with western rock lobster off Perth recently!

Tailor have been caught in the morning and evening at South Beach, North Mole, Cottesloe Groyne, Swanbourne, Floreat Groyne, Trigg Beach and in front of Club Capricorn. Herring are also being caught along the coast, especially when burley is introduced. There are some nice yellowfin whiting being picked up on small poppers and stickbaits between Watermans Bay and Sorrento. More yellowfin have been caught in the lower reaches of the Swan River and between Canning Bridge and South Perth. Mulloway are being landed near Narrows Bridge, Old Swan Brewery, Freshwater Bay and Blackwall Reach. Claremont Jetty is still producing squid in the evenings. Blue swimmer crabs have continued to be caught in good numbers throughout the Swan River.


A nice Swan River mulloway for Tom Currie! Read how you can chase Swan River 'silver ghosts' here.