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See what's biting across WA in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 28 January 2022 🎣

| By Seamus on 1/27/2022 8:31:42 PM | Views (935)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

28/01/22

Picture: Jim Bastow

Our contributors

Sedin Hasanovic

Jade Relph

Peter Fullarton

John Curtis

G'day <>,

The pelagic action in metro waters is really heating up at the moment, with reports of wahoo and Spanish mackerel caught off Perth this week.

A report reader contacted me to say they saw a Spanish mackerel hooked before it threw hooks after a short run at a beach just south of Perth earlier this week!

Either a Spaniard or wahoo are a prized catch for metro fishers, and for obvious reason. What's a bucket list catch that you're hoping to achieve?

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!

YEWW YEWW! Young gun Wade was more than happy with this impressive bluebone while enjoying glamour conditions off Exmouth. That's a fantastic catch, Wade, and one we're sure you'll remember!

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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

Glen McRedmond finally caught a harlequin fish, a species which had been eluding him in metro waters for a number of years, at his secret spot off Hillarys last weekend. Nice work, Glen! 😎

Broome catches

Boats

Crab Creek has been dynamite for threadfin salmon this week, reports Broome fisher Jade Relph. With last weekend's big tides, the thready action really heated up with fishers reporting good catches of the great sportfish. A relatively random wet season easterly gave boat fishers the opportunity to get a bit farther off shore than what they've been able to in recent weeks. For those who fished the grounds about 20 nautical miles off Broome, coral trout and Rankin cod were caught on a variety of jigs and baits.

Shore-based

Calob Rossiter enjoyed an awesome session working a variety of lures near Entrance Point, catching almost a fish a cast. There were plenty of baitfish in the area, with Calob making the most of the fishing frenzy to catch and release queenfish and small trevally on his light spin combo. The mangroves relatively close to town are still holding good numbers of mud crab.

Exmouth catches

Reef fishing off Exmouth has been exceptional this past week, with red emperor among the sought-after species caught. On Strike Charters put their clients onto a couple of rippers, including this one.

Boats

Fishers jigging the reefy areas in about 60m of water have been catching red emperor, Rankin cod and spangled emperor this week. It comes as goldband snapper have been caught in roughly 100m of water, while ruby snapper are being reported in about 200m and deeper. Blue marlin have been reported beyond the 400m contour, while wahoo and dolphinfish have also been encountered in similar areas. Spanish mackerel are still being found behind the reef on the west-side.

Shore-based

Permit and big queenfish have been on offer for fly fishers working the lower reaches of the Exmouth Gulf. Small stickbaits are working well for spangled emperor at the accesses between Tantabiddi and the lighthouse, while queenfish have been turning up at VLF Bay and Old Bundegi. Bluebone have reportedly been caught on lightly weighted crab baits along Pilgramunna's rocky platform, while spangos have been caught along the area's sandier part.

FAD-tastic entries into Richter and Madfish FADs photo comp

Joel Borgers, pictured above, is among sportfishers who love fishing the FADs for dolphinfish off Perth.

Richter Lures and Madfish Gear are the FADs fishing partners! Given photographic evidence of the FADs fishing success will help ensure the program continues into the future, the Richter and Madfish crew on board sponsoring the photo competition. If you're fishing the FADs, send your FADs fishing photos to Recfishwest’s Zach Relph to take part in the Richter/Madfish FADs Photo Comp for a chance to win awesome monthly Richter and Madfish prizes! By the end of the three-year trial, it is critically important that we have plenty of video and photographic evidence showing the FADs’ fishing success.

A hungry school of yellowfin tuna were awaiting Cody Suladra during his metro FADs mission last week.

Geraldton catches

Boats

Geraldton guru Mat Svenson enjoyed an awesome session off Geraldton in his kayak earlier this week, fishing the nearshore reefs. A brute Samson fish took his kayak for a tow, before Mat ultimately landed the specimen, took a photo and released it to tangle with again another day. Those with pots out off Geraldton are still picking up the occasional cray along the crayfish coast. If you want to learn about to cook crays perfectly, watch our YouTube video! Spanish mackerel are worth targeting off Geraldton at this time of year at spots including the back of Pensioners Bank and near African Reef.

Shore-based

The stretch of coast between Flat Rocks and the Greenough River mouth is still producing good tailor, especially in the morning and evening. Metal slices and floating stickbaits are working best, with regular catches of tailor measuring more than 50cm. Tailor to about 60cm have been landed at Tarcoola and Southgate Dunes. Drummond's Cove has also fished well for tailor, while mulloway have been caught at night.

Lancelin catches

Chris Hartanto joined Peter Fullarton, of Tailored Treks, for LAAC's comp last weekend and landed this breaksea cod! Chris also landed a 68cm bluespotted flathead, while Peter scored a solid Sambo.

Boats

Lancelin Angling and Aquatic Club (LAAC) held a competition last weekend, with a strong current and easterly wind making fishing difficult for competitors. Although conditions were tough, most anglers caught quality fish including dhufish to 15kg and an unusually high number of queen snapper. Anglers fishing within the 25m to 28m depths reported plenty of Samson fish on lumpy areas. With water temperatures near 24C, some of the first Spanish mackerel for the season have been landed, while tuna are about in good numbers, however, they have been very fussy and hard to tempt! The bay is still fishing very well for large herring, tailor and pike.

Donning his Crewsaver lifejacket, Murray Stitt caught this dhuie in about 30m of water off Lancelin. 👏

Shore-based

The beaches to the north and south of Lancelin have good numbers of chopper tailor on offer, up to 40cm, in the morning. After the tailor's morning bite has been ending, the herring have been turning up to keep the session going on. Whiting have been relatively absent along the beaches in recent weeks, with beach fishers reporting they've been difficult to find. Pink snapper numbers in the "drone zone" more than 100m from shore have been improving, with the location you're fishing seemingly becoming less important.

Scott’s Species – yellowfin whiting, a flats fishing fascination

Lure fishing for yellowfin whiting has become popular in WA's south in recent years. 📸 Han Yeoh

In case you missed it: There have always been people who like catching yellowfin whiting, writes Western Angler editor Scott Coghlan, but the development of lure fishing for them, and particularly with surface lures, has seen an incredible boost in popularity over the last decade. More and more anglers have discovered the joys of wading the shallows casting tiny lures for what are a surprisingly aggressive fish, and which show up in big numbers in many locations over the warmer months. Read the latest Scott's Species article here!

Esperance catches

Boats

Moderate winds have again prevented most boats from going wide off Esperance this week, meaning most small boat fishers chose to stay relatively close to shore. For those who did fish the bay, King George whiting and herring were among the species on offer. Expect more reports of nannygai, queen snapper and harlequin being caught near the islands once the southerly tapers off.

Shore-based

The Esperance Jetty has remained a great option for those wanting to chase squid this week. A variety of jig colours are delivering results when worked over the seagrass on either side of the structure. However, to avoid the consistent moderate southerly, be sure to go chasing squid early in the morning! Find more squid fishing tips on our I Love Fishing website. Likewise, the Taylor Street Jetty is producing squid in addition to skippy and herring, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has King George whiting on offer.

Great Southern catches

From blue groper to salmon, Rob Goodlich enjoyed an epic few days fishing near Bremer Bay. 👌👌

Boats

Spots relatively close to shore off Two Peoples Bay, Cosy Corner, Michaelmas and Goode Beach are producing good numbers of King George whiting and squid. Reef fishers have had to toil a bit harder for their catch, but are reporting breaksea cod and harlequin fish in about 30m. Samson fish and yellowtail kingfish have been found at many of the reefs across the region, too. For those lucky enough to get out to the Continental Shelf, deep dropping for hapuka has delivered great results. Also, the Albany FADs were redeployed off the Great Southern yesterday, so expect dolphinfish to be found near the devices in the coming weeks!

Shore-based

The Kalgan River is still producing mulloway, with fishers catching and releasing 'silver ghosts' to 1m this week. Along the coast, salmon have been reported at many beaches this week, however, it's too early in the season to suggest they're associated with this year's salmon run. Rob Goodlich, pictured above, was one fisher who came across a salmon school near Bremer Bay. The sand flats located behind the Emu Point floating jetty and the Emu Point marina are offering the occasional flounder and flathead, with whiting also taking surface poppers.

After a quick photo, Courtney Jones released this awesome Kalgan River mulloway. What a catch!

South West catches

Joining skipper Paul Masters off Bunbury last Saturday, Shaun Wieffering landed this 'orse dhufish!

Boats

The Leschenault Estuary, particularly near the entrance of the Bunbury Cut, is continuing to fish well for herring and yellowfin whiting with Jenna Reynolds getting stuck into the action last weekend. For boat fishers going wide off Bunbury, impressive dhufish have been achieved in 45m and beyond on a variety of metal jigs and soft plastics. Farther south, Busselton is producing King George whiting, bluespotted flathead and fun-sized Samson fish relatively close to shore.

Cracking kraken! Young gun Jacob Carlish got stuck into a few solid squid off Busselton this week. 🦑

The seagrass meadows off Busselton are also holding plenty of squid, with many catches reported of hoods exceeding 35cm. The Dunsborough artificial reef has had plenty of skippy on offer, alongside the occasional pink snapper and Sambos. Boat fishers off Cape Naturaliste are reporting dhufish and breaksea cod, while there have been murmurings of yellowtail kingfish catches too.

Trudy Morehouse landed this big bluespotted flathead off Busselton last week. Cracking effort, Trudy!

Shore-based

Unsurprisingly, the Busselton Jetty has been the go-to option for many holidaymakers in the South West this week wanting to go fishing. The iconic land-based fishing structure has produced herring, the occasional skippy and lots of squid. Bread-and-butter species, including whiting and herring, were found between Myalup and Belvedere last weekend, as fishing families made the most of the stellar conditions and wet a line. The stretch of coast near Stratham has also fished well this week for bread-and-butter fish, while drone fishers are reporting pink snapper in the late mornings. There were reports of regular mulloway catches in the gutters along the stretch of coast just south of Bunbury this week, however, photo evidence hasn't been sighted!

Freshwater

Recfishwest's Sam Russell snared a couple of lovely marron from a secret spot last weekend. 🙌

For Recfishwest Operations Officer Sam Russell, the month-long marron fishing season is the best time of the year! The self-confessed “marron madman” is one of the State’s 10,000 marron licence holders who loves chasing the iconic freshwater species endemic to our South West from noon on 8 January to noon on 5 February, inclusive, each year. There’s still time to catch a feed of marron this season, so Sam has shared helpful tips!

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

Yellowtail kingfish have been caught in less than 10m of water in areas featuring plenty of structure off Mandurah this week. Boat fishers are reporting Samson fish, between 8kg and 10kg, in similar areas. Those targeting demersals are reporting dhufish, pink snapper and breaksea cod in a range of depths, with metal jigs, soft plastics and baits enticing the sought-after species. For land-based fishers, Dawesville Cut continues to produce herring, whiting, skippy and tarwhine. They are biting freely during the day, while tailor are turning up after dark. In the Peel-Harvey Estuary, yellowfin whiting and skippy have been biting alongside herring and tailor.

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

Dolphinfish are still being found at the Mangles Bay Fishing Club's FADs off Rockingham. Beach anglers are doing well along the Kwinana, Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour stretch of coast on bread-and-butter species. Big mulloway have also been caught from these beaches, while yellowfin whiting have been found at Shoalwater Bay and Penguin Island. These two locations are also producing plenty of herring, whiting and tarwhine for anglers fishing the drop off into deeper water.

Perth catches

A trip out to the FADs off Perth paid dividends for Matt Oaksford last week, after he speared this dolphinfish. Photos like this show the FAD-tastic fishing the State-wide FADs program produces! 😁

Boats

It seems as if the wahoo are well and truly in metro waters! Murray Jacob landed his PB 'hoo, measuring an impressive 158cm, near West End off Rottnest Island earlier this week. Murray was trolling a Halco Laser Pro, in the Red Head colour, which the wahoo obviously couldn't refuse! Spearfishers have also reportedly landed wahoo behind Rottnest Island this week, while those chasing Spanish mackerel in metro waters have been very coy about whether or not they're locating the sought-after pelagic species. Dolphinfish have been reported in good numbers at the FADs deployed off Perth as part of the State-wide FADs program, alongside various tuna varieties. Want the coordinates? Click here.

Steve Richardson was more than happy with this big queen snapper off Mindarie on Thursday last week!

The 30m to 40m depths off Two Rocks are producing dhufish and the occasional pink snapper, while the dhuies and breaksea cod have also been caught at the reefy areas off Hillarys. Those jigging for Samson fish are still reporting awesome catches, especially at the Perth Fish Towers. Young gun Jayson Spencer, pictured below, achieved what he's dubbed the "Metro Seriola Slam" earlier this week, when he and his crew landed a yellowtail kingfish, an amberjack and a Samson fish all in the same session!

One-third of the "Metro Seriola Slam" ! Jayson Spencer with a solid metro kingie! 👑👑👑👑

Shore-based

Flats fishers in the Swan River are still reporting catches of bartail flathead, with anglers catching-and-releasing flatties to 55cm again this week. Point Walter is one of the more known flattie haunts which is fishing well, with those persisting with soft plastics reporting good catches. The recent run of hot weather has seen the tailor fire throughout the Swan, providing light tackle fishers with a fun option in the morning or at dusk. The end of the Como Jetty is one spot that's fishing particularly well for tailor to about 40cm just before sunset. Along the coast, Cottesloe Groyne, Grant Street Reef, Floreat Drain, Trigg Point and Yanchep Lagoon have tailor to about 45cm on offer. Fishers wanting to achieve a metro land-based Spanish mackerel have been trying their luck from the Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point and North Mole.

SunSmart Fishing Clinics' Catch of the Day

Catch Information

Species:
Australasian Snapper

Blue Marlin

Bluefish

Breaksea Cod

Dusky Flathead

Flathead Catfish

Flounder

Greater Amberjack

Hapuka

Mahi-mahi

Mulloway

Pike

Samson Fish

Spanish Mackerel

Wahoo

Whiting

Yellowfin Tuna

This Fishing Report was submitted on 1/27/2022 8:31:42 PM by Seamus and last updated on 1/29/2022 12:46:46 PM.

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 28 January 2022 🎣

Catch of the Week!

Your fishing photos

Changed your email?

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

FAD-tastic entries into Richter and Madfish FADs photo comp

Boats

Shore-based

Boats

Shore-based

Scott’s Species – yellowfin whiting, a flats fishing fascination

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