From chunky ruby snapper off Exmouth to 48cm black bream at Albany there's plenty to read in Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 16 April 2021 🎣

Reef fishers who travelled to the 30m to 40m depths scored coral trout to 70cm, blue lined emperor, saddletail seaperch and red emperor. There have been some nice Spanish mackerel caught offshore, especially in waters off Barn Hill and Barred Creek. Gino Chambers, pictured above, landed a superb 140cm mackerel off Port Smith last Tuesday. Sailfish have been encountered offshore and there are lots of mack tuna around. Threadfin and bluenose salmon can be targeted within Roebuck Bay. Fingermark bream, bluebone and northern mulloway have also been caught in the bay.


Chris Cole had an epic five-night adventure at Buccaneer Archipelago! Fantastic barra, Chris - the smile on your face shows why the area's fishing experience is valued highly by Broome and Derby fishers!

Entrance Point has been fishing well for queenfish, golden trevally and bluebone to 6kg. Bluenose salmon have been picked up along Cable Beach while the creek mouths, and adjacent beaches, have been producing lots of threadfin salmon. Mangrove jack and estuary cod have been caught in the local creeks together with the occasional barramundi. Gantheaume Point is worth trying for bluebone, mackerel and trevally.

Billfish enthusiasts are still encountering a few blue and striped marlin out wide as well as black marlin and sailfish in waters closer to the reef line. There are plenty of dolphinfish offshore and schools of longtail and striped tuna in many areas. Spanish mackerel can be targeted on rigged garfish and trolled minnows along the western edge of the reef line. Reef fishers have been finding red emperor and Rankin cod in about 60m, while goldband jobfish and ruby snapper are out deeper. Spangled emperor have been caught inside and outside the reef. Golden trevally seem to be just about everywhere, including the waters near the Muiron Islands and within Exmouth Gulf.

Nice spangled emperor have been caught between Tantabiddi and the lighthouse, while the accesses along Mildura Wreck Road have been producing bluebone. Golden trevally have been appearing in good numbers along both sides of the cape, together with some nice queenfish and small GTs. The beaches close to Exmouth are fishing well for yellowfin whiting, bream and flathead. Exmouth Marina has been producing a variety of species including mangrove jack, trevally, queenfish and squid.

Before ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja’s devastating impact on the popular fishing town, there were plenty of Spanish mackerel being caught in waters north and south of the river mouth. Reef fishers were doing well on dhufish, pink snapper and spangled emperor in 30m to 50m offshore. Coral trout and bluebone were also being caught not too far out from the cliffs south of Kalbarri. While the community continues its big clean-up operation on land, it will also take some time for waters to settle and marine infrastructure to be declared safe. With Kalbarri Sea Search and Rescue Group badly hit by the wild weather event, boat fishers should be aware that the Department of Transport is strongly advising against boating in the Murchison River and Kalbarri vicinity for the time-being. 

There were lots of mulloway caught in the lower and middle reaches of the Murchison River before the destructive ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit. Mulloway are ordinarily caught in very good numbers at the river mouth following a big deluge, however, Cyclone Seroja was no ordinary event. Tailor were appearing along most of the beaches early morning and evening last week along with a few dart, threadfin salmon and the odd bonefish. Balloon fishers also managed to land several Spanish mackerel from the beach at Wagoe.

Reef fishers who managed to head offshore before ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja crossed the coast managed to pick up mixed catches of reef fish. African Reef and South West Bank produced dhufish, baldchin groper and sweetlip. Schools of mixed size snapper were found near the shipping channel and along the lumps off Coronation and Horrocks. Baldchin groper and coral trout were among the species caught along Pensioners Bank. Spanish mackerel were mostly found in waters north and south of Geraldton, while schools of bonito and small tuna were encountered in a range of depths and areas. Dinghy and kayak fishers caught a variety of bread-and-butter species including herring, skippy, snook and squid along the seagrass beds inshore.

It may take some time before large amounts of seaweed clear from the beaches following the cyclone. Before Seroja hit, there were lots of mulloway caught at many of the beaches including Flat Rocks, the Greenough River mouth, Southgates and Drummond's Cove. Tailor were being caught some mornings south of Greenough, as well as along the stretches north of Drummond's. Herring were also about in very good numbers while yellowfin whiting were reliable at Pages and St Georges. Conditions may need to settle, and the murky waters clear, before squid, which were being caught in good numbers and sizes at the Batavia Marina, return to the structure.

Chris Hartanto joined Tailored Treks' Peter Fullarton to chase mulloway near Lancelin on Saturday night and he wasn't dissapointed, landing this awesome silver ghost! Fantastic fishing, Chris!

Rough weather limited Lancelin's offshore boating opportunities this week. However, boats that capitalised on windows in the weather caught baldchin groper, while pink snapper and large skippy have been found along the inshore inshore reefs. Lobster potters have been getting some good catches of red crays. Small boats fishing within the bay have done very well chasing squid, skippy, herring and snook.

North of Perth but south of Lancelin, Graeme Doodson has been getting among nice mulloway this week.

With many kids fishing during this current school holidays, Lancelin's jetty has been producing herring, whiting, skippy, snook, tailor and squid this week. Lancelin's beach fishing has been dynamite over the new moon period, with many tailor actively feeding through the day. Great mulloway, in the 15kg to 20kg range, have been caught right along the coast both north and south of town at night. Sharks have been a problem, taking baits intended for mulloway. Also, exercise caution when driving along the beach because the swell has been up after the passing of ex-Tropical Cyclone Seroja, leaving much of the beach steep and soft.

Conditions out wide off Esperance have been harsh for most of this week, keeping most boat anglers at home. However, herring, King George whiting and squid were on offer to dinghy and small boat fishers who went out and stayed relatively close to shore. Bonito and snook have been caught on trolled minnows. Those who managed to head to the islands, and beyond, scored nannygai, queenfish, breaksea cod and Samson fish.

The recently re-opened Esperance Tanker Jetty continued to produce lots of herring, squid and snook this week. The Taylor Street Jetty also had snook, herring, skippy and squid on offer. Flathead to 50cm have been picked up at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour along with sand whiting and black bream. A 35kg mulloway landed at a beach east of Esperance was among dozens of smaller fish in the 5kg to 15kg category caught this week. A 22kg gummy shark was landed at Poison Creek last week, while small schools of salmon are sometimes passing along the local beaches.

This delightful dhufish put a smile on Greg Puchert's face while he was fishing off Walpole. Well done!

Albany's fish aggregating devices (FADs) still have dolphinfish available to fishers who are venturing wide when conditions suit. Reef fishers have generally had to work hard for their catches of snapper, breaksea cod and dhufish in waters south of town. The ground off Two Peoples Bay, Cheynes Beach, West Cape Howe and Denmark have once again been more productive on the commonly sought after reef species. Many fishers have been doing well on King George whiting inshore.


Bream angling fanatic Callum Dowell was rapt with this 48cm black bream from the Great Southern!

Salmon have continued to be appear along the southern coast in good numbers, with a massive school appearing at Sand Patch this week. Bluff Creek and Cheynes Beach each had their fair share of schools, while there were lots of fish turning up at Lowlands, Bornholm and Cables. Herring are about in very good numbers and sizes, also. Sand Patch has been a hotspot for big skippy, while Ocean Beach is reported to be plagued with tarwhine. Small black bream are difficult to avoid in the King and Kalgan rivers. Those seeking bigger bream are being advised to try the rivers west of Albany. The lower reaches of the two local systems have sometimes been producing herring and juvenile salmon.


Experienced rock fisher and Recfishwest Safety Ambassador Gideon Mettam with ANOTHER harlequin!

Surf fishers caught salmon at Hamelin Bay, Injidup, Smiths, Yallingup and Bunker Bay this week. There are tonnes of herring along the west coast of Cape Naturaliste and Geographe Bay beaches. Rock fishers have been landing yellowtail kingfish and pink snapper from some of the west coast platforms. Blue swimmer crabs can be caught by scoop net between Quindalup and Busselton. The beaches to the north and south of Bunbury have herring, whiting and the occasional skippy available. Mulloway have also been caught along this stretch of coastline at night, including at Myalup.

Along the beaches to the north of Mandurah, there have been good catches of herring, whiting and tarwhine. Salmon have also reportedly been caught, however, the catches have not been constant. There are regular reports of mulloway being caught just after dusk along the region's beaches. Dawesville Cut still has herring, tarwhine and chopper tailor on offer. Black bream and small mulloway have been reported in both the Murray and Serpentine rivers

All fisher Adrian Richards could do was sit back and relax after landing this metro Spanish mackerel!

The Hillarys Harbour Classic Fishing Competition, hosted by Hillarys Yacht Club, gets underway tomorrow from 6.30am. Click here for more information or to register. The metro fish aggregating devices (FADs) are still holding lots of dolphinfish. The awesome-looking sportfish are ordinarily caught in bigger sizes in late April and May each year. There are still big schools of striped tuna near the FADs and schools of other tuna varieties seem to be increasing in waters south of Rottnest Island. Spanish mackerel can be targeted near West End and along the back of Three Mile Reef. Reef fishers have been doing well on pink snapper, dhufish and baldchin groper in 40m to 60m of water north and south Rottnest. King George whiting can be targeted near the Windmills and off City Beach. There are still plenty doing well on rock lobster in the shallows near Rottnest. Squid catches are improving off Fremantle and within Cockburn Sound. If you're fishing for demersals and get snagged on lobster pots or rope, remember to alert rock fishers with a Snag It, Tag It caution tag. Read more about the Snag It, Tag It safety initiative, a program Recfishwest coordinates in partnership with Western Rock Lobster, here.


Mad-keen spearo Jack Gillis was more than happy with this Spaniard off Two Rocks recently.

Recfishwest Operations Officer Mike Minutillo helped many Exmouth youngsters catch various fish during a clinic at the Exmouth Marina last month!