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See what's biting across WA in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 24 December 2021 🎣

| By Seamus on 12/23/2021 6:15:00 PM | Views (1077)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

24/12/21

Picture: Eligh Quigley

Our Contributors

Sam Russell

Jade Relph

Peter Fullarton

John Curtis

G'day <>,

Well that went quick, didn't it? It doesn't feel like all that long ago when we sent the opening fishing report of 2021, but here we are with the final one.

For those of you who contributed the fantastic fishing photos featured in the report over the past 12 months, thank you — you've all done a great job showcasing the wonderful fishing on offer across WA.

Also, thanks to writers Joachim Azzopardi, Peter Fullarton and John Curtis for helping making the report possible each week.

If you're fishing during the break, tight lines — the State-wide Fishing Report will be back on Friday, January 7. Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

For anyone wanting to contribute to the weekly fishing report, photos reflecting Recfishwest's responsible fish handling practices will be given preference.

If you know someone who loves fishing and would like to receive the weekly State-wide Fishing Report and our other exclusive communications, let them know they can become a Recfishwest member for just $10 a year.

Tight lines and safe fishing!

Zach Relph

RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT EDITOR

Catch of the Week!

Harleyyyyyy! Chris Rushford landed this solid harlequin fish while working soft plastics off Bunbury when wetting a line with Tom Miller. That's a fantastic fish and photo to match! 📸 Tom Miller

Your fishing photos

If you want to be included in our weekly State-wide Fishing Reports, send your best fishing photos and a description to zach@recfishwest.org.au to potentially be featured.

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Shhhhh, secret spot

👑 Catching yellowtail kingfish like this one guru angler Joel Borgers landed off Perth recently could become more regular for metro fishers thanks to an ongoing yellowtail kingie stocking program.

Scott Reef madness

How're the chompers on this dogtooth tuna! Safe to say Brian Edwards won't forget his recent Scott Reef adventure with his mates aboard Seaestar Boat Charters' vessel Two Seas. Simply awesome, Brian.

Shhhhh, secret spot!

BARRA! Muss Bilton has been putting in the long hours to chase barra near Port Hedland. 😎😎😎

Broome catches

A few solid northern mulloway have been caught near Broome recently, as shown by Ayesha Salkilld.

Boats

Your first 1m barramundi is a fish I'm sure you will never forget. For me, I'm yet to achieve the the magic milestone, writes Jade Relph. But Dom Hodnett — pictured below — recently did. Last Saturday, Dom joined local angler Wade Clark for a day on the Fitzroy and caught a 103cm trophy barramundi on a diving lure. The awesome catch is one of a recent flurry of barra catches in the Fitzroy — it's great to know the Fitzroy is fishing so well. Northern mulloway have been caught in about 8m of water, with Ayesha Salkilld catching a couple last Sunday. There are still plenty of queenfish around, especially near bait schools, which have definitely provided a world of fun to fishers.

Blue skies and a fish of a lifetime! Dom Hodnett was buzzing after joining the 1m barra club with this 103cm beast from the Fitzroy River last Saturday while fishing with his mate Wade Clark. 😎😎😎

Shore-based

Land-based anglers chasing barra throughout the Fitzroy River have landed fish to 90cm this week, but they've had to put in the long hours before being rewarded. Surface lures, such as fizzers, have worked really well at first light for barra in the Fitzroy lately. Want to know why the Fitzroy River is such an important fishery? Watch this short YouTube video:

Kimberley - Like Nowhere Else: Protecting the Fitzroy River and its amazing sportfishing

A couple of nice queenfish have been caught at Cable Beach, while bluenose salmon have also been caught along the same stretch of coast. It might be worth trying your luck for a threadfin salmon at the local creek mouths.

Exmouth catches

Seb Gomez overcame tough conditions to land this yellowfin tuna off Exmouth recently. 😎🐟🎣

Boats

Blue marlin and black marlin have been active out wide. Yellowfin tuna to more than 40kg are still being caught, with a bulk of the catches again coming relatively close to the FAD currently deployed off Exmouth as part of the State-wide FADs trial program. Spanish mackerel have again been caught behind the reef on the west-side and in the Gulf. Golden trevally have also been a reliable catch in the Gulf this week, with a bulk of the catches occurring in the 12m depths.

Shore-based

The yellowfin whiting fishing in the Exmouth Gulf has continued to deliver the goods for land-based fishers this week. Fly fishers have managed to tempt permit in the Gulf, too. Majority of the west coast accesses have had spangled emperor and small golden trevally on offer. Queenfish have also been found on the west side.

A stocking program keeping Lake Kununurra brimming with barramundi

Lake Kununurra produces regular catches of 1m-plus barra. But how do these barra get into the lake?

The ongoing Lake Kununurra barramundi stocking program has seen one million barra fingerling stocked into the waterway since 2013. Now local and visiting fishers are reaping the rewards with the chance to wet a line in a world-class sportfishery. Brimming with barra, safe and accessible with no saltwater crocs, as well as being free of big tidal movements typical of Kimberley rivers, it’s easy to see why Lake Kununurra is a must-visit fishing location for anglers. Click the photo above to see how the barra are spawned in Broome before making the more than 10,000km journey to their new East Kimberley home! If you want more awesome Lake Kununurra fishing content, subscribe to the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group's new YouTube channel!

Geraldton catches

Geraldton guru Mat Svenson landed this lovely mulloway relatively close to town last week. Awesome!

Boats

Small gaps in the weather have allowed boat fishers to get out and target demersals species. However, for the skippers who headed out, they stayed relatively close to town about 8km to 15km from shore. Dhufish, coral trout and various species of cod have been caught in up to 40m of water. Crayfish enthusiasts pulling pots also achieved good results, with numbers continuing to improve.

Shore-based

Tarcoola has been fishing exceptionally well for tailor this week, especially in the mornings. The evenings have been producing tailor and mulloway along stretches of coast to both the north and south of town. Fishing around the Southgate Dunes has resulted in tailor and herring. Fishing the gutters near Southgates might also produce a mulloway, however, it is seaweed and the wind dependent. People fishing along the rock walls in town have had success with bread-and-butter species such as herring and whiting.

Lancelin catches

Donning the Barminco jumper which would be more accustomed to drilling resource prospects in the Goldfields, Mitchell McIver explored the Lancelin coast with Tailored Treks and landed this tailor!

Boats

The Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club is hosting its 'Johnny Bray Junior Classic' for young guns 16 years. Register on the day at the club between 7am and 9.30am. Fishers chasing demersal species in the 25m to 35m depths have not had too much success. The better results have come from boats heading out wide to Direction Bank, catching a mix of dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod. Pink snapper have also been caught along and just inside the White Bank, with reports of the sought-after species caught in as little as 5m. Lobster potters are being rewarded with consistent mixed catches of whites and reds. Dinghy and kayak fishers are enjoying catches of herring, snook and King George whiting inside the bay. An unusually high number of tailor have been found in the bay throughout the day, responding well to trolled pilchards and lures.

Shore-based

Seaweed and shore surge has been a big problem for the land-based anglers along the coast to the north and south of Lancelin this week. With low swells and offshore winds predicted for the Christmas and New Year break, we can expect a rapid improvement in the fishing conditions. Tailor have been in excellent numbers, with North Point providing a great spot to fish for them while the swell has been up. Drone fishers should take note of the boating report with numbers of pink snapper in close to shore. Local anglers are anticipating shore-based pinkies to be landed over the holidays as the beach fishing conditions improve.

Scott’s Species – blue swimmer crab, a staple of the WA summer

Blue swimmer crabs are awesome fun to try and catch during the summer months.

In case you missed it: ‘Tis the season to be jolly… especially if you live in the metro area and love catching a feed of crabs, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan in the latest edition of Scott’s Species. Catching blue swimmers, also known as blue mannas, is an iconic WA fishing pastime beloved by West Australians for many years.

Esperance catches

What started as a slow day's fishing quickly turned into a great session on the water, after Tyson Tietjens landed this nannygai off Esperance last weekend. Persistence pays off ey, Tyson? 💪😁

Boats

Nannygai have been found near the lumps offshore towards the islands, with jigs and a variety of baits proving to be the most effective. Tyson Tietjens, pictured above, was among fishers to tempt nannygai while fishing with jigs this week. Queen snapper have also been caught in similar grounds to the nannygai this week, while there have been reports of Samson fish to 15kg taking jigs on the way down to the bottom. Closer to shore, dinghy fishers are still enjoying good catches of King George whiting in the bay in addition to herring and skippy. The occasional Samson fish has also been in the bay, often taking the light tackle fishers by surprise and proving too difficult to tame.

Shore-based

The Esperance Jetty and the Taylor Street Jetty are both producing squid at the moment, especially after dark. If you're chasing squid, don't be afraid to try a variety of different coloured squid jigs — if you are not catching, change to a different coloured jig until you find one that works. Four Mile Beach and Roses both have small salmon schools on offer. Herring and skippy have dominated the bulk of beach fishers' catches this week. For those who have ventured on camping trips out of town, mulloway have been caught at Israelite Bay.

Great Southern catches

Recfishwest Safety Ambassador Gideon Mettam made light work of this yellowtail kingfish while safely fishing from the stones somewhere in the south coast.

Boats

The easterlies have made fishing off shore difficult recently, with most skippers opting to take smaller vessels up river or fish the river systems from the kayaks. However, for those who have found a gap in the weather window, queen snapper and breaksea cod have been caught in 20m and beyond near structure off Albany. The seagrass meadows across Princess Royal Harbour are holding squid and King George whiting for small boat fishers.

Callum Dowell's most memorable session for 2021 was just before winter when he landed this 47cm black bream and PB 45cm silver bream somewhere in the south coast.

Shore-based

Mulloway to more than 1m have been reported in the King and Kalgan rivers, with the 'silver ghosts' tending to be on the bite near this full moon and big tides, writes Callum Dowell. If you're planning on chasing mulloway, target the slack tides on the change for the best results. The most effective lures have been large swim baits. In the harbours, the black bream are starting to move up on shallow sand flats as food is rich. Wading the flats casting small hardbody lures, such as a Ecogear SX40, and shallow diving crankbaits are a good option this time of year. Bartail flathead fishing in the Wilson Inlet is thriving, with fish to 60cm being reported from along the drop-offs. Catches have been patchy but multiple fish can be found in a short period of time.

South West catches

Skippered by Tom Miller off Bunbury, Matt Westbrook scored this dhufish after the latest two-month demersal closure came to an end. If you've got a fishing photo to share, tag #recfishwest.

Boats

South West boat fishers have enjoyed good catches of a range of species this week, with positive reports off Dunsborough, Busselton, Bunbury and Binningup. Off Busselton, pink snapper to 80cm have been caught in as little as 7m of water by those anchoring and burleying. This method has also resulted to catches of King George whiting to 50cm and plump skippy. Bunbury fishers reported catches of dhufish and pink snapper from 30m and beyond, with the best results coming from the 45m depths. The Dunsborough artificial reef and Bunbury artificial reef have both been safe and accessible locations for small boat fishers, with skippy and small Samson fish reported at both locations. Click here for the coordinates! Yellowtail kingfish have been caught off Cape Naturaliste in relatively shallow grounds featuring structure.

Penny O'Neill joined her sister Trudy Morehouse to wet a line off Busselton last weekend and landed her first ever fish... an 85cm pinkie! It's going to be hard to top that effort, Penny. That's a fantastic catch!

Shore-based

Tailor are starting to show up along on the west coast of Cape Naturaliste, with Moses Rock, Honeycombs, Injidup and Yallingup all returning catches of fish up to 45cm. The Busselton Jetty has plenty of squid on offer along the seagrass on either side of the iconic structure, while there have also been reports of small Samson fish patrolling the pylons. The beaches north of Bunbury, namely Belvedere and Buffalo, are also starting to see more tailor catches. The Eaton stretch of the Collie River has black bream on offer, but bream enthusiasts have had to work hard for their catch this week with reports of fish to 35cm caught on hardbody lures before being release to battle again another day. Blue swimmer crab catches in the Leschenault Estuary are improving.

Freshwater

Talented fly fisher Angus Line with a lovely rainbow trout tempted on fly earlier this year. 🌈🌈🌈

In the final Scott's Species for 2021, Western Angler editor and trout tragic Scott Coghlan casts his eye (or fly!) at rainbow trout. If you're planning to go freshwater angling this holidays, be sure to read this insightful and detailed piece before you do!

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

Fishing off Dawesville in 30m and beyond has resulted in dhufish and breaksea cod this week. Dhuies are responding well to a variety of jigs and big white paddle tail soft plastics. The northern part of Bouvard Reef has been one of the most productive spots for Mandurah boat fishers, with dhufish, King George whiting, Samson fish and skippy caught. Samson fish, mainly in the 5kg to 10kg class, have been caught on jigs near the Mandurah artificial reef. For those who have ventured farther south towards Preston Beach, the fishing has remained great with a diverse range of species reported from King George whiting to Samson fish.

Secret Harbour / Warnbro / Port Kennedy / Rockingham / Safety Bay

Dinghy fishers and kayak anglers have been reporting squid, herring and skippy in Warnbro Sound. Those chasing demersal species off Rockingham have had moderate success this week, with reports of dhufish to about 7kg taking jigs and whole baits. More fishers are reporting yellowtail kingfish around reefs and structure, alongside Samson fish. Beach fishers are enjoying tailor to about 40cm along the coast to the south of Rockingham.

Perth catches

Shaun Wieffering and Jacob Doutch went a bit 'cray-zy' when they got these two jumbos on the boat.

Boats

The safe and accessible waters of Cockburn Sound are continuing to produce squid this week for small boat fishers and kayak fishers. Parmelia Bank and The Windmills are both producing King George whiting, while the sought-after species has also been found off Hillarys and Mindarie. Dhufish to 8kg were reported off Two Rocks and Mindarie, while pink snapper have also been caught near Rottnest Island. Joel Borgers, pictured at the top of the report, was among boat fishers to land a solid yellowtail kingfish in metro waters this week. Reefy areas with a bit of white wash off the northern suburbs have been holding a few kingies, with surface lures seemingly working the best, while they have also been caught near Rottnest. Big Sambos to 20kg are still being caught at the Perth Fish Towers and also near Carnac Island, Stragglers and along Three Mile Reef. If you're fishing the north metro artificial reef over the Christmas and New Year period, be sure to send us photos of your catch!

Shore-based

Fishing along the Swan River flats has been terrific as temperatures rose above 30C most days, with reports of bartail flathead to 50cm and dinner-plate size flounder in some areas. Fishers landed flatties along the Applecross flats and Como flats, while they were also landed near the Causeway Bridge as bycatch by black bream fishers. Tailor to 35cm have also been caught throughout the Swan and Canning river systems this week, especially at dusk. Murmurings of giant herring catches have remained rife among metro fishers during this spate of hot weather. However, details about catches relating to the enigmatic species are hard to come by. Beach fishers casting lures along the north metro beaches are also landing tailor, while bread-and-butter species such as herring have been caught in the morning at Floreat Drain. North Mole is producing squid, however, they're not overly big.

🤯🤯🤯 How's this estimated 10kg pink snapper Jayson Spencer caught at a metro beach!

SunSmart Fishing Clinics' Catch of the Day

Catch Information

Species:
Australasian Snapper

Barramundi

Black Bream

Black Marlin

Blue Marlin

Bluefish

Breaksea Cod

Dogtooth Tuna

Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish

Flounder

Mulloway

Rainbow Trout

Samson Fish

Snook

Spanish Mackerel

Whiting

Yellowfin Tuna

This Fishing Report was submitted on 12/23/2021 6:15:00 PM by Seamus and last updated on 12/24/2021 4:07:11 AM.

Location

3/45 Northside Drive
Hillarys, WA AU

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See what's biting across WA in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 24 December 2021 🎣

Catch of the Week!

Your fishing photos

Changed your email?

Scott Reef madness

Shhhhh, secret spot!

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

A stocking program keeping Lake Kununurra brimming with barramundi

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

Scott’s Species – blue swimmer crab, a staple of the WA summer

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

Freshwater

Mandurah

Secret Harbour / Warnbro / Port Kennedy / Rockingham / Safety Bay

Boats

Shore-based

SunSmart Fishing Clinics' Catch of the Day

Sponsored by Healthway

Catch Information

Location

GPS Files

Download GPS files of fishing spots for this area.

GPS Coordinates

Let us custom design a SD Card of fishing spots for your GPS unit!

Featured

Upgrade to Pro

Catch More Fish Download GPS Files Create Custom Maps Fishing Predictions Featured Listings