Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 19 April 2024 🎣

The warmer water temperatures have spiced up the pelagic action. Tuna to 30kg, cobia and Spanish mackerel have been caught in good numbers, especially around the Sand Patch. A few Spaniards have also been caught close to the cliffs, mainly on trolled deep-diving lures such as Halco Laser Pros. Spanish mackerel and tuna also have been active at Lucky Bay with trolling working nicely but crews have also spotted bust-ups and thrown stickbaits into the feeding frenzy. Bottom fishing off Kalbarri has also been rewarding with plenty of pink snapper out deep in 40-50m depths, while closer in the odd dhufish has been landed along with coral trout and red throat. Early on both mornings this weekend until around midday should see low to moderate easterly winds and swell, so that should be the best windows to duck out. From Monday onwards is looking windy and rough.  

Beach fishing has been quieter than usual but mulloway and salmon were landed at Roses Beach, and big gummy sharks have come from Munglinup. Poison Creek has also held salmon, mulloway and gummy sharks. The Town Jetty was a hotspot for squid, herring and big garfish. Taylor Street Jetty fished well for King George whiting, while more King George whiting and skippy have been caught at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Big sand whiting and skippy have come from Blue Haven Beach, and further along the tourist loop, big flathead were landed at 10-Mile Lagoon. Bream to 40cm have been hitting lures at Woody Lake. Land-based fishing conditions are looking fantastic early on both mornings this weekend with a light northerly wind set to aid your casting and a low swell. Given the swell should be less than one metre, the gutters should be easier to spot. 
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Hats off to the very knowledgeable team at Southern Sports & Tackle for their tips! These guys love their fishing as well, so make sure you swing by their store for the best gear and advice before wetting a line around Esperance. 

The south coast has been thick with herring and it has almost been impossible not to get a feed from the town marina, Emu Point, Frenchman Bay and Whalers Cove. Small King George whiting have also been caught at these locations. At Gull Rock mixed bags have included herring, skippy, garfish and leatherjacket. Squidding has also been good around town with Middleton, the marina, Frenchman Bay, Whalers Cove and Emu Point worth a go. The salmon action has waned a little, but the better spots this week were Cable Beach, Shelley Beach, Sand Patch, Nanarup and Lowlands. A big mulloway was plucked from a salmon school this week and at Cheynes Beach salmon chasers have tangled with Samsonfish. Denmark’s Ocean Beach has also fished well for salmon. In the King and Kalgan rivers, those in the know have been catching bream and the odd mulloway but it pays to move around. It's not often that gentle northerly winds and a low swell arrive perfectly in time with the weekend, so make sure you wet a line off the beach early on Saturday and Sunday! 

Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, you'll also catch just as many fish off the beaches than the rocks and it is always much safer to go with this option on the south coast. 

Only in Western Australia can we experience the incredible duo of a sunset over the water and monster mulloway putting a bend in our rods. Alex Carter @alex_carter_fishingwa ventured up to Wilbinga north of Perth and landed this thumper before taking a quick snap and releasing it to fight another day. It's always a good idea to release larger mulloway like this so the breeding cycle continues. 


Swarms of herring have been at North Mole and there have been a few garfish about too but the herring have beaten them to the bait. In the evenings, chopper tailor have been caught there and the odd bonito has cruised past in the day. The rock walls around South Fremantle have also fished well for garfish, herring and small chopper tailor. Grant Street Reef has been the pick of the spots for big garfish, while in the evenings some nice tailor have been hanging around under the mullet schools there. Tailor catches have been good off the north Metro beaches, including Quinns and Burns Beach, while Floreat Beach and City Beach have held good numbers of sand whiting, herring, skippy and the odd chopper tailor in the mornings, especially when burley was used. In Fremantle Harbour, herring, juvenile pink snapper and smaller Samsonfish have been the main catches. At the Fremantle bridges big tarwhine have been landed. Some good hauls of flathead were taken in the East Fremantle area of the Swan River last weekend, where fishing the drop-offs on a slack tide has produced good results. Flathead also have been a prominent bycatch for bream fishers in the upper reaches. Those chasing chopper tailor have found fish at the Narrows, Canning Bridge, Applecross, East Fremantle, Claremont and around Mt Henry in the Canning River, while reports of school-sized mulloway have come from the Narrows. Soapy mulloway have been caught from the Causeway up river as far as Guildford. The Causeway to the Guildford stretch has also rewarded bream fishers, although the sizes have been nothing special. Better bream around 35-40cm have come from the flats in the Canning River and at Canning Bridge. Early on Saturday and Sunday morning should hold relatively light north-easterly winds so that should provide the best land-based fishing window this week before some stronger easterlies roll through from around Wednesday.