Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 27 September 2024 🎣

All around WA and particularly heading north of Geraldton, a lot of fishers know the frustration of losing prized hooked fish to sharks. 

While sharks might have 400 million years on us regarding perfecting hunting fish in the ocean, losing high volumes of high value species to shark bite-off is avoidable.  

Recfishwest has reached out to many experienced fishing experts, charter operators and top sportfishers who have great tips below on how to best limit if not avoid shark bite-off – and profanity-riddled fishing trips. 

Click the link here to find out more!

Thomas River has produced gummy sharks and mulloway, while big skippy and salmon have come from Alexander Bay. Dunns Beach has held big herring and salmon, while in Wylie Bay big flathead have been caught along with sand whiting and, in the corner, King George whiting. At Lucky Bay squid and skippy have been caught from the rock, while herring, salmon and flathead have been taken at 10-Mile Lagoon during the day. Warrenup Beach has held good salmon and gummy sharks at night. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has fished well for King George whiting and skippy, while both jetties in town have produced squid and garfish. Woody Lake has fished well for bream.
    
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. 

Resident salmon have been landed at Bremer Bay, while closer to town herring have been the main species caught with the odd tarwhine thrown in. The rocks at Emu Point have fished well for small King George whiting but the water has been too dirty for decent squid catches. Squid catches have been much better at Frenchman Bay and Whalers Cove, and also at the town marina, which has offered herring, small skippy and whiting as has Princess Royal Harbour. Frenchman Bay has also produced small King George whiting, though KG numbers have waned at Middleton Beach.  The King River Bridge has produced bream, while the Kalgan has yielded bream as well, along with one or two mulloway.

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. 

North Mole has fished well for smaller species including herring, whiting, skippy and chopper tailor, while these species have been caught at South Mole along with garfish. South Mole has been the better mole for squid fishing and the South Fremantle rock walls have produced squid along with herring and skippy. Fremantle Harbour has held herring and yellowtail and it could be worth soaking a bait for mulloway there as they are now widespread in the Swan River. A 50cm-plus tailor was taken on a Halco Twisty at Swanbourne Beach, which has also held herring. Herring, sand whiting and trumpeter whiting have been caught from the Coogee rock walls. Good tailor have also been taken from the flat reef just south of the Cottesloe Groyne while the northern beaches have produced solid tailor. Big tailor have been caught at Wilbinga. The northern beaches have yielded the odd pink snapper for drone fishers as well, while sand whiting have been in good numbers from Alkimos down to Hillarys. Things have started to hot up in the Swan River with a range of species starting to be caught in better numbers. Excellent mulloway around the metre mark have been taken in the middle reaches, including one on a bream outfit that snaffled a soft plastic, while some nice soapy mulloway have been in the upper reaches. Juvenile Samsonfish have been caught in the lower reaches, while the East Fremantle yacht clubs have produced by some big early-season flathead and the odd flounder. Flathead have also been caught from the Narrows up to Burswood, while tailor chasers have found choppers at the Narrows, Claremont, Canning Bridge and Point Walter Jetty, which has been holding a lot of bluebait. Bream are widespread and have been caught in deep holes near Blackwall Reach and at the yacht clubs and around structure at Canning Bridge, the Causeway, East Perth and Maylands. Most of the captures have been during the day.