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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 2 December 2022 🎣

| By Seamus on 2/12/2022 3:30:00 AM | Views (92)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

02/12/22

A great underwater tailor shot snapped by talented photographer Marco Fraschetti @oceansdownunder

Our contributors

Sam Russell

John Dempsey

Peter Fullarton

Sedin Hasanovic

G'day <>,

If you've got a cracking fish photo you want to send in remember to keep sending us your catches by tagging #recfishwest in your online posts! You can also follow and private message your catches to our Instagram page @recfishwest and make sure you let us know where and how you caught it!

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For your photos to appear in the weekly fishing report, please make sure they reflect Recfishwest's responsible fish handling practices (fish held horizontally, no blood, hand under the belly, no fingers in gills, etc) just like the images below.

If you're planning to head out this week, stay safe, take plenty of photos and have fun!

Jarrad Lawford

RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT EDITOR

Pic of the Week!

There has been a lot of wading through the shallows for flathead this past week but this takes wading to another level. It got as good as it gets for Anton from @compleatanglernedlands on his first fishing trip up north to the Montebello's, pulling in this great GT. This awesome snap courtesy of @bluelightningcharters.

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Fishing for Science fish of the week - BLACK MARLIN

Check out the Fishing for Science fish of the week, supported by the Fishing for Science team in Dampier and funded by Woodside Energy.

Check in each week for more species-specific facts and stay tuned for exciting news from our Fishing for Science initiative!

Find out more about the Fishing for Science program here!

Broome catches

Creek mission success for @celestemcdonald near Broome recently with this stunning threadfin salmon. The neap tides have seen good numbers caught and this seems to be the best window for threadies at the moment.

Boats

A few good days rolled through this week. The crew from Tackle World Broome said a few boats managed to head out wider and plucked some nice red emperor and crimson sea perch, but the billfish and mackies on the surface have gone very quiet. Plenty of fishers are still catching barra and threadies in the bays but Cable Beach has been quite windy this week and Roebuck Bay or around Dampier Creek are better options. There have also been some impressive mangrove jack popping up throughout Dampier. A lot of boats reported better luck on finding big mud crabs this week closer to the springs but Crab Creek has been the most productive spot. There are some moderate south-westerly winds rolling through but the midday drop off should be nice for the boats.

Shore-based

Roebuck Bay and Telegraphs have once again been productive spots for threadfin, barramundi and blue nose salmon this week via vibe and deeper diving lures but the best window for these species has been during the neap tides. Cable Beach has unfortunately been a little too windy to get a line out, while those who managed to flick around the structure up Dampier Creek reported some great mangrove jack. Crab Creek proved its name this week with a lot of fishers on foot hooking some nice big muddies. The Town Beach jetty has one again been one of the better spots for whiting and also for the occasional queenfish smacking vibes and stickbaits. As always, thanks to the pros from Tackle World Broome for their tips this week.

Exmouth catches

@exmouth_fishing_charters have been producing some great snaps from quality catches recently, with young Kai and his dad Michael jumping on the dolphin fish wagon, arguably one of the most stunning saltwater fish.

Boats

Some great opportunities to get out wide opened up this week. While the conditions were good, the fishing action on the boats has been rather slow. A couple of the charter operators managed to find some solid mahi mahi this week around the Muirons, but the tuna and billfish have gone very quiet. Even the queenies that were quite prolific over the past week or so have been breaking hearts by following lures but mostly tended to avoid attacking them. The lack of action might be due to a decreased amount of bait on the surface this past week. The Muirons have occasionally produced fish with a few mackies caught at the very top of the islands last weekend. A few sailfish have been seen by boats still taking advantage of the great squidding action in the Gulf, but it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time when trolling. The squid numbers and sizes have still been great throughout the Gulf, but this is expected to calm down once the warmer water flows down. The mornings over the next five days or so will all have relatively low south-westerly winds before it spikes from midday.

Shore-based

The beaches and flats around Bundegi have been solid again for queenies on the stickbaits, providing more catches for land-based fishers than the boaties. They have been racing through quite shallow waters and have also been spotted in close off the jetties closer to town. The beaches towards the bottom of the Gulf are starting to fire up nicely for whiting on the surface lures as well, with good sizes rolling through. The western side was quiet again this week, but anglers who put in the time and distance are still coming across Spangos across the inshore shallow reefs. Squid are still firing well off the Learmonth Jetty, while the Town Jetty as always is a great spot for trevally, queenies and larger bream around the structures. No mackies or larger trevally seemed to pop up on the tip and off the eastern side but they should start appearing in good numbers once the warmer water currents start to roll down through the Gulf. The mud crabbing action is really starting to heat up as well and we have seen more fishers cleaning up with some solid bucks caught by hooks this week. There are lighter south-westerly winds forecasts over the next five days or so which means whiting fishers throughout the Gulf should have a good run. Kudos to the Tackle World Exmouth crew for their tips and make sure you pay them a visit if you're heading out!

Kalbarri catches

Boats

There was a lot of tailor plucked by small boats around Oyster Reef and Back Beach again this week. The tailor have been running through the deeper gutters and throughout the whitewash in better numbers and Chinamans has seen the larger catches of greenbacks crossing the 60cm mark. There were still beefy mud crabs caught via nets around the marina jetty, although their numbers dropped off slightly this week. The blue swimmer crabs are also kicking into gear if you don't manage to find the muddies. As for the whiting, Jakes Point is still the place to be as you can find the more sheltered waters. Frustrations is another solid spot for whiting given its position. Trolling around Red Bluff is worth a shot for tuna and mackies as they are still being frequently sighted mostly in the mornings before the breeze swings through. More anglers are dropping pots for crays but it is still a bit too early for swarms of whites. They do occasionally appear, but it's tipped they'll start going nuts in a week or so. The divers have also been cleaning up via looping off the shallow inshore reefs. Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning have lighter southerlies if you're thinking of a boat session.

Shore-based

Tailor are still running wild in impressive numbers and sizes across Frustrations, Lucky Bay, Wittecarra and Chinamans. If you're chasing the larger catches over the 60cm mark, Chinamans was probably the more consistent spot. Even Dean from Kalbarri Sports and Dive managed to get out a couple of days ago and managed three solid greenbacks from the surf. If the conditions are calmer, try targeting whiting in the same areas or around Frustrations as they are appearing in great numbers and sizes through those warmer shallows. Most fishers are going home with a good bag, with some crossing 30cm in length. Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning have lighter southerlies which should make casting easier.

Geraldton catches

Fishing and dogs are the best combo since Ben & Jerry's and @jaadewillis produced the goods with her first ever fish in this solid tailor, caught alongside her furry pal named Jake. Snap courtesy of @northern_addicts.

Boats

Those who managed to get out in the early morning before the wind picked up had some great success chasing bread-and-butter species around town. Finding clear patches of water and seagrass beds is key to finding a few decent squid, especially south of town. Dinghy and kayak fishers have continued to do quite well chasing skippy, herring and pike around the inshore waters between Separation Point and Point Moore. Rock Lobsters are still starting to pop up here and there, however the next few weeks should give a better indication as to how great a season it will be when the ‘whites’ become a little more active. There are some stronger southerly winds rolling through from Saturday through to Wednesday but you should still be able to find a sheltered position for a fish.

Shore-based

The game of finding good ground, dealing with the seaweed and braving the winds has been in true effect this week. North of Dongara, if you’re up for an adventure, Nine Mile beach has been decent with reports of big mulloway and plenty of tailor being landed as well. Flat Rocks has continued to produce good numbers of tailor from the 35-45cm mark. Those who had access to quaddies have also had a solid session north of Flat Rocks and South of Lucy’s beach, where they have managed to land plenty of mulloway with a few cracking the one metre mark. The recent low swell allowed one lucky fisher to send it through to Templars Beach and fish the deeper water, which paid off with tailor and mulloway in good numbers and sizes. Drummonds Cove in the morning saw fishers throwing stickbaits and metals around the reef to catch some tailor on the light gear. Fishing out the front of the Greenough River mouth was also a good idea, with a few whiting in the clearer bits of water along with some fat herring and tailor. Those who soaked baits reported more stingrays or 'car bonnets' than anything! Big thanks to Geraldton Sports Centre and S-Bend Caravan Park for their tips and try to position yourself looking north for the upcoming stronger southerly winds if having a flick.

Lancelin catches

Tailor are running wild from Kalbarri down to Lancelin the past month and Lancelin's talented fishing master Peter Fullarton @tailoredtreksfishing came very close to being photoshopped onto a Harley Davidson wearing a leather jacket or behind Tom Cruise in a cockpit when I saw those aviators.

Boats

The white cray run has not kicked into full swing in earnest and a lot of skippers have noticed many of their pots empty or only just the odd white. Some of the people in the know are suggesting the best part of the run will happen once the water warms up a bit more and the full moon comes into play. Several boats made the most of the trip out while servicing their lobster pots after hitting up the 20m depths for a feed of plump sand whiting. These fish are frequently passing the 30cm mark and respond best to small strips of squid on paternoster rigs. Dinghy fishers inside the bay have also been doing very well on some great squid that are seeking more sheltered waters, while herring have been making a good comeback in numbers and sizes. There are some strong southerly winds rolling through over the next five days or so which might make it rough for boating unless you can find a sheltered spot.

Shore-based

Surf fishers are once again enjoying the thrills of good numbers of tailor, which have been very well-conditioned with some beautiful fat fish fired up during the new moon period. Both bait casting and lures have been working well, although with the stronger southerlies coming through over the next five days or so it might be worth throwing on a heavier lure or twistie to help with casting distance. The town jetty has also produced more tailor in moderate sizes, while the herring have impressed over the past couple of weeks in size and numbers. For the best chances of finding the herring here, they tend to be schooling under the lights at night and have responded well to burley. Some good catches of squid have come from the jetty around the same time, with jigs worked aggressively having the best results. The strong southerly winds are tipped to stick around from Saturday until at least Wednesday, but will hopefully back off by next weekend. Thanks to Peter Fullarton for his report as always!

Scott's Species - sand whiting - easily accessible and great family fun

Easy to catch and a delicious feed, sand whiting are great fun for the whole family and Scott Coghlan's species of the week!

One of the most easily accessible species and always welcome on the plate, sand whiting are always a great species to catch for kids right up to fishing veterans like Scott Coghlan.

Check out Scott Coghlan's article on sand whiting!

Esperance catches

Tyson TNT Tietjens @tnttietjens and a lot of Esperance fishers off boats this past week have been doing very well for nannies off the structures close to the inshore islands. Charley and Cull Island in particular have been great spots.

Boats

It has been a busy week on the water. There are still good King George whiting being plucked at Lovers Cove along with some hefty sand whiting, but the best window to catch them has been very early in the morning. It's the same case for squid being caught within the bay as they are most active when the water is at its coldest at sparrow fart. When they are caught though, they have been in great sizes and numbers. There have been great queen snapper caught around Black Island, with plenty of nannies in really good numbers out everywhere between Mondrain and Figure of Eight Island. A good number of beefy Sambos at 20kg are kicking around throughout a lot of the same areas. For skippers in the smaller boats hugging closer to Charley, Cull and Black Island there are great numbers of breaksea cod, blue groper and harlies in close. If you're chasing black bream via boat, Woody Lake has been the most consistent for catching 40cm+ species. There is a rather calm window opening up on Saturday morning which looks nice for the boats.

Shore-based

Tanker Jetty has been producing solid numbers of squid in the early mornings when the water temperature is at its coldest, along with herring and monster garfish being caught at night time. At the end of the Taylor Street Jetty there is a great sand patch near the rockwall which has been the best spot for producing bigger King George whiting and the odd beast of a flathead too. For the best luck catching flatties, soft plastics seem to be the best approach. Bandy Creek has seen lots of small chopper tailor on the light gear which is always an entertaining way to target them. Nice-sized bream are also popping up off the rockwalls at high tide at Bandy Creek. This spot has also been handy for catching bigger flatties during the drop-offs with the outgoing tide. Roses Beach has easily been the best spot if you prefer the sand between your toes, with mulloway up to one metre, a few smaller gummies around 8kg and more salmon than you can poke a stick at. Saturday morning is looking like the calmest window for a land-based flick and make sure you visit the pros at Southern Sports and Tackle if heading out. Remember to send through your catches in Esperance to our Instagram page @recfishwest.

Great Southern catches

Shabir Vagh @shabeerman catching this stunner on the jig in 300m+ and the thickness of that beard are both applaudable. This is the first Mirror Dory we've seen come through in the snaps for a while from Albany and they are great to catch and quite delicious on the plate.

Boats

Fishing off boats has been a game of finding the right spots and weather being on the friendly side. Pink snapper have been in great numbers with most being caught in the deeper depths from 50m all the way out to the shelf. Dhufish are being caught with an estimated average of one per session and while the numbers have been low, the sizes have been pretty impressive. Nannygai have been a little slow with not many reported catches. Queenfish and breaksea cod are being found on the reefs around the 15-30m mark. Whiting have been on-and-off inside the bay with some people reporting great sessions while others had to really travel around to find them. Skippy have been spotted in solid schools with plenty being caught in close and squid are still around as the water has remained quite cool. Saturday morning is looking great for a boating session with a light easterly forecast so best of luck!

Shore-based

Shore-based fishers have been traveling around to Bornholm and Nanarup to chase tailor, with plenty being quite big and pushing past the 50cm mark. Fishing around tides and sunrise has been quite effective for the bream inside the King and Kalgan river. Mulloway have been caught as well inside the Kalgan, however they have mostly been caught on baits while lure enthusiasts have been struggling due to dirty water from recent rains. Herring are still thick and in good numbers around the rockwalls and jetties close to town in Albany, along with skippy thrown in the mix. Saturday morning is looking ideal for a land-based flick and make sure you pay the crew at Trailblazers in Albany a visit if you decide to wet a line!

South West catches

Sometimes I sit and wonder of the size of the freezer that Trudy Morehouse @squidqueen.wa must need in order to accommodate all of her squid rings accumulated from her trips around the South-West. I'm assuming it's a freezer truck.

Boats

The squid and King George whiting are still firing in the bays and burley has been working a treat. A sand patch closer to weed in the 25-30m depths is always a good place to start for your bigger catches. Most of the squid have featured within Geographe Bay this week and they have mostly been solid in size as Trudy Morehouse discovered in the snap above. The crew from Whitey's Tackle said boats that punched out slightly further have been pulling in some rather impressive yellowfin tuna, but they have been quite hit and miss due to the stretch of warmer days often being cut off by a colder or even rainy day. A few boats also managed to catch some solid yellowtail kingfish off the tip of the Cape and closer to Binningup in about 20m of water. We're expecting a lot of boats to start targeting blue swimmer crabs as the season kicked off yesterday and they have been spotted in huge numbers and sizes patrolling the shallow estuary systems. As for crays, the whites are just around the corner and no action has really come through yet, but if you're into your diving this has been the best way to grab a few big reds and the occasional white. Expect their numbers to become rampant over the coming week or so once the full moon swings into gear around December 8. The next few mornings are looking decent for a send in the boats.

Shore-based

Tailor are still running across most of the beaches in good numbers this week, along with the soapie mulloway. The beaches around Binningup, Busselton and some of the back beaches near Bunbury all saw great numbers and mulies on a gang is still the best method in the mornings and around sunset. The yellowfin whiting are still the most sought after species and are going off the charts thanks to the warmer waters and their numbers have been increasing. If you're planning on pulling out the scoop net for blue swimmer crabs, we guarantee you're going to have a good time as they have been flooding into the shallows of the estuary system in great sizes and numbers just in time for the season opening up yesterday. The Busso jetty is pretty much always a sure spot for bigger squid and the next few mornings should be the best windows.

Freshwater

The crew from @2_oceans_tackle have been catching some great fish and taking amazing snaps on their recent freshwater fishing escapades throughout the South-West. This lovely PB of a rainbow trout was followed by a surprise ninja attack by a big brown trout right at their feet, you can see the footage of this on their Instagram page.

The Warren River continues to produce good numbers of redfin perch for those fishing structure, however, recent ant hatches in the Pemberton region have made the trout fishing tricky for those using hardbody and soft plastic lures. When this occurs, trout focus on the abundance of food available for them and will switch off from feeding on baitfish, making lure imitations less effective. This does however make for some exceptional fly fishing! The Harvey River and Dam have continued to fish well for redfin perch with some sizable fish to 40cm turning up and becoming more common as the weather warms. Trout on the other hand have been quiet from the Dam. The Blackwood has fished well recently with good numbers of trout turning up on soft plastics and minnow style lures. The waters down from Collie Gorge continue to produce good captures of yearling trout. This water also holds redfin perch so using minnow style imitation soft plastics is a good idea as it will target both species. There is not many reports coming from Drakesbrook Weir of recent with the trout playing hard to get, although smaller sized redfin from 20-30cm have been on offer.

Mandurah and surrounds

The Peel Inlet in Mandurah has been a great spot for yellowfin whiting on the surface recently as @flick.west discovered this week. Make sure you give this unique style of fishing a crack!

Mandurah

The crays are still malting according to some skippers and divers and they should start marching when the next full moon swings through around December 8. Divers are having the best luck at pulling in a few big reds and the occasional whites. As we've have a few warm days then one odd colder day roll through it's been messing with the march. Inside the Cut at night has still been great for herring, while tailor and squid are still appearing closer to the mouth. As for offshore adventures, the tuna came back in solid numbers this week, with the drop offs around the contour lines about 19 kilometres off the coast working best, especially when boats could find the 40m depth. Some of these southern bluefin have been up to 6kg in size. The King George whiting are still performing well in close in depths of 20m, with catches of 50cm common. The squid in close are only improving in numbers and sizes and a couple of big breeders have been coming through and launching themselves at jigs cast off the rockwalls and even in the canals. Saturday and Monday morning have decent weather for a flick and thanks to Tim from Tackle World Miami for his tips!

SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY / WARNBRO SOUND

Tailor are performing very well off the beaches around Falcon, Melros, White Hills, Preston and Golden Bay, with fish around 40-50cm common and the occasional mulloway popping up. The squidding action closer to Point Peron was solid once again during those calmer days when the visibility was better. If you're drifting for them, find the sheltered waters closer to Garden Island or Cockburn Sound and throw out a sea anchor if the wind picks up as you want your jigs closer to the weed on the bottom. Coventry Reef has been the best spot for herring, pike and tailor in big numbers, while the yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish turned up around Five Fathom on the structures around the 30-40m depths, with bigger catches reported past 50m. The bigger red crays are still in the 10-20m depths at the moment and the occasional white will pop up, but expect their numbers to really start ramping up around December 8 with the full moon. If you have new cray pots or ones that haven't been used for a long time, try to let them soak for a few days as the bubbles will flow out and crays will start to move in once the bubbles drop off.

Perth catches

The Swan River has come alive with flatties over the sand patches thanks to the weather starting to heat up in the Perth metro this week but plenty of anglers such as @instahung are also coming across a lot of smaller soapie mulloway on the soft plastics.

Boats

There was some nice boating weather this week with some flatter days rolling through, but it wasn't as busy as previous weeks on the water. The attention for crays is really starting to ramp up and there are a lot of pots being dropped in close right up to depths of about 40m. A few crays are popping up, but once the march gets into full swing around the anticipated date of December 8 on the full moon, it will be like someone flicking the crayfish switch up to full blast. The metro region has been having a lot of warmer days, but then a colder or even rainy day will come through and delay the crayfish action slightly. A lot of anglers have been having great sessions for sand whiting and King George whiting in close around the Freo area. Within one kilometre of South Mole and further up towards Cottesloe has produced decent fish. Windmills has been another consistent spot for both whiting species lately, along with Woodman Point and the Cockburn area. A few boats that went trolling this week have reported the odd southern bluefin and yellowfin tuna here and there, but it hasn’t fired up yet as it's still too cold in the water. Parker Point off Rottnest has seen tuna appear in quite shallow waters around the 20m depths, with southern bluefin around the 2-3kg mark. The yellowtail kingfish and Sambos went quiet, but are doing well in the Barges out past the 100m depth past the west end of Rotto. Anchoring up closer to the island with a burley trail has been known to pull in bigger Sambos recently, with one fisher recently landing a 32kg whopper. For river fishing, there are great tailor being caught around the Mosman's area and closer to the Canning Bridge on the troll. Saturday and Monday morning are looking okay for boat sessions but it will be quite windy throughout most of next week.

Shore-based

The river seems to be the best land-based spot this week thanks to the warmer weather starting to stick around for longer. Tailor are picking up in the river and have been popping up with the mulloway off the land around Mosman's and up towards the Canning Bridge. Most of the tailor have been smaller in size but often the larger 40-50cm catches will come through and smash mulies on gang hooks or a shiver stick closer to the surface. The fishers targeting bream in the river have been having better luck towards Burswood and further up around Maylands, East Perth and Ascot. The flathead are only starting to improve in numbers and sizes now that we are finally starting to get days hitting the mid-thirties in temperature. Areas around Point Walter, Niergarup Reserve and around Sorrell Park have been highly productive for flatties on vibes and soft plastics but 90 per cent of them are around 30-35cm. If you're using lures for flathead in the river, you'll be contending with a high amount of blowies so make sure you have a pair of pliers or a rag to release them quickly, which are always handy to have if you manage to pull in your spikey flathead friend anyway. We haven't seen any snaps of bigger flathead or giant herring being caught in the river just yet, but if you do manage to catch one make sure you send us your snaps to our Instagram page @recfishwest. If you prefer to fish the beaches, around Fremantle, Cottesloe and Floreat have been decent for chopper tailor and mulloway, with early morning seeming to be the best window. If you're chasing whiting in the shallows, try heading down to Mandurah and fishing the inlet as the yellowfin whiting on surface lures in the Peel-Harvey inlet is going through the roof. The crabbing season has also kicked off as of yesterday and the waters around Matilda Bay, Crawley and Claremont are good places to scope out with scoops. Thanks to the guys from Anglers Fishing World in Freo for their tips and the mornings over the next few days are looking better for land-based fishing before it becomes quite windy next week. Hopefully those southerlies swing round into easterlies.

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Recfishwest · 3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys · Perth, WA 6025 · Australia

Catch Information

Species:
Barramundi

Black Bream

Black Marlin

Breaksea Cod

Brown Trout

Dhufish

Mulloway

Nannygai

Pike

Queen Snapper

Queenfish

Rainbow Trout

Red Emperor

Redfin Perch

Sailfish

Samson Fish

Threadfin Salmon

Whiting

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin Whiting

This Fishing Report was submitted on 2/12/2022 3:30:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 12/6/2022 11:36:04 AM.

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