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Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 9 December 2022 🎣

| By Seamus on 9/12/2022 3:49:00 AM | Views (111)

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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

09/12/22

A great underwater Spanish mackie shot snapped by talented photographer Marco Fraschetti @oceansdownunder. This guy has loads of cracking underwater sportfish snaps on his Instagram page, make sure you check it out and give him a follow.

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!

Keep up to date with events, clinics, news and amazing catches across WA by following our Instagram page @recfishwest and give our Recfishwest Facebook page a like!

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!

Ethan Wong @ethan_wong09_ is a very talented golfer and fisher, with this fat 50cm King George whiting putting a smile on his face recently off Rottnest. There are a lot of these slippery specimens doing the rounds at Windmills, around Rotto and out from the Freo moles.

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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 jarrad@recfishwest.org.au to potentially be featured.

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Fishing for Science fish of the week - SPANISH MACKEREL

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

One of the biggest diamond trevally's we've seen for a while! This lovely catch by Ash topped off an awesome session in glassy conditions, photo courtesy of the @reefchiefaustralia crew, make sure you check out their apparel range on the Reef Chief Australia website.

Boats

Some solid barra rolled through this week. The crew from Tackle World Broome said a few boats managed to catch some specimens over one metre in length down Dampier Creek. There was also some very nice northern mulloway found around Roebuck Bay, along with the regular catches of threadfin salmon and smaller barramundi. There wasn't too much reported from the boats that headed out wide but the red emperor, crimson snapper and coral trout are still popping up for boats that have a quick drop on the structure before moving to avoid the sharks. There have also still been some impressive mangrove jack popping up throughout Dampier Creek and it's a matter of whipping your lures or soft plastics right into the shadows or structure to entice the strike. Crab Creek produced decent muddies once again and their numbers seem to be slowly improving. There are some lighter winds forecast over the next few mornings which should make it pleasant on the water if you decide to launch.

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 for your larger barra, the best spot to go is up Dampier Creek where there have been great numbers of one metre beasts steaming through. Those who managed to flick around the structure in the same river system reported some decent mangrove jack but their numbers have dropped off since last week. Crab Creek was another good spot for land-based mud-crabs via hooking. During the drops in the wind there are still good numbers of whiting popping up at the The Town Beach jetty. Queenfish are still turning up on occasions so it's always a good idea to bring along one lighter rod for the whiting and another set up with stronger line with vibes or stickbaits for the queenies. As always, thanks to the pros from Tackle World Broome for their tips this week.

Exmouth catches

The crew from @northern_addicts have made recent trips up to beautiful Exmouth for a fish and the western side has been a great location for bigger Spangled emperor this week.

Boats

The billfish action this week has improved significantly which was great to see. Out wide a lot of skippers have been rewarded with some big blue marlin that have pushed down with the warmer water. Many skippers also saw great numbers of yellowfin tuna and dolphin fish close to the surface, with bait balls and diving birds quite prolific throughout this week. The Spanish mackerel also came back in solid numbers around the Muirons, with boats having good luck on the troll in depths of 10-25m. Queenfish were also running well across the shallow sand bars closer to the Muirons and attacked stickbaits on the surface. The squid within the Gulf are slowly starting to decrease in numbers due to the warmer water flowing down, but they are still popping up throughout the sheltered waters with better clarity. The red emperor, trout and bluebone on the structures are best to target on the drift as anchoring is increasing the odds of the sharks closing in. Some moderate southerly winds should make it quite pleasant on the water over the coming days and this will only improve from Wednesday and Thursday morning with the southerlies tipped to drop right off.

Shore-based

The Spangled emperor have finished spawning and there were plenty of larger fish caught off the land on the western side (as seen above). Bluebone are also being plucked from the beaches around the lighthouse and casting right next to the reef ledges is the best bet. Towards the bottom of the Gulf the yellowfin whiting are only improving in numbers due to the water starting to spice up and this will only get better over the coming weeks. Closer to town, the mangrove jack are starting to fire up around the marina, with the odd trevally and queenfish also rolling through on the stickbaits. There are lighter south-westerly winds forecasts over the next five days or so and it will only drop off from Wednesday and Thursday morning, so expect some good fishing windows this week. Kudos to the Tackle World Exmouth crew for their tips and make sure you pay them a visit if you're heading out.

Government's six-month west coast demersal ban an unreasonable, unnecessary overreach

Shutting out more than 700,000 West Australians from being able to catch demersal species such as pink snapper for six months of the year is completely unnecessary.

Recfishwest is deeply disappointed by the Fisheries Minister’s decision to impose a six-month ban on west coast demersal fishing.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Our sector has a strong-track record in putting the fish first and we agree there needs to be some changes to help stocks continue to rebuild.

“We presented clear, science-backed alternative proposals to Government which would have reduced recfishers’ catches by 50 per cent, met sustainability targets and allowed people the freedom to spend more time fishing with families and friends.

“Yet, the Minister has decided on extended bans for the recreational fishing sector and has put commercial profit over the public good with the lion’s share of this fishery given to a small number of commercial operators.

Click here for our full response to the Government's six-month west coast demersal ban

Kalbarri catches

Boats

Not many boats decided to venture out this week but those that did are reporting more numbers of crays. Most skippers are opting to pull their pots every second day and a few whites are starting to turn up, but this is expected to skyrocket over the coming week or so. There are however sporadic numbers of crays turning up with some skippers having no luck, others with about 6-7 and others reporting up to 14 in one pot. Red Bluff has been a common spot for pots and most of the whites coming in have been small. Trolling was relatively quiet, although some good bust ups have been sighted, it just needs to line up with better weather. A large majority of boats staying in close have reported great numbers of tailor and mulloway. Red Bluff saw a monster 90cm tailor pulled in this week and most of the mulloway in this area have measured over one metre. Other good tailor and mulloway spots have been Frustrations and the river mouth, with garfish on gang hooks working well for both species and poppers seeing plenty of great tailor catches. The next few mornings should see the lower winds but it's looking very windy from around 9am onwards for most of this week.

Shore-based

Tailor are still running wild especially in the mornings. The crew from Kalbarri Sports and Dive reported a lot of anglers have had great success at areas such as Wittecarra and Red Bluff off the rocks, where there was a monster tailor over 90cm caught earlier this week. The evenings around the same areas have also seen a very nice spike in the number and sizes of mulloway being caught, with beasts over one metre common. Frustrations and the river mouth is another consistent spot for nice tailor, with the occasional mulloway popping up. If targeting tailor at Frustrations, a garfish on gang hooks or a popper whipped through the surface aggressively has worked well. The squid, whiting and mud crabs in close have gone rather quiet this week most likely due to the undulating weather, but the tailor and mulloway remain great alternatives if you're thinking of a land-based flick. Some strong southerlies will be rolling through from about 9-10am most days so try to position yourself in the sheltered areas. Big thanks to Dean from Kalbarri Sports & Dive for his tips as always.

Geraldton catches

Boats

It was rather quiet this week for the boaties, although the crayfish action started to pick up. They have been quite patchy however as the heavy ground swell hasn’t been great and caused a lot of surge and dirty water. The whites are popping up from depths of 8m and are starting to turn up in deeper waters. Most experts are tipping the full moon that has just done the rounds to kick them into gear. Boats opting to stay in closer are doing very well on the tailor and mulloway, which were in great numbers and sizes this week. Around 6am seems to be the best time for these species and spots around Drummonds and Coronations is great as you're quite protected from the wind. Around Greenough River has been very productive for larger mulloway but the biggest catch this week (and probably across WA for a number of years) went to one fisher at Cape Burney who pulled in a monster mulloway measuring over 1.7m and weighing well upwards of 30kg. Whiting have been hard to find due to the surge of water making it dirty and this should only get worse unfortunately as there is some very strong winds and swell pumping through from Saturday afternoon until at least Wednesday. Maybe go land-based until then!

Shore-based

Tailor are very hot and cold but have been very widespread from the groynes at Dongara further north to 7 Mile, West Bank and the Greenough River bank. The weed and wind has unfortunately made it difficult. For your best chances, mornings have been preferred as the wind is lower around 6am. Even as far up from Drummonds to Coronations is great as you get some protection from the wind. The species of the week stretching north to south has been mulloway and the size has generally been very impressive at a metre or bigger. Some jumbo catches were reported at Lucy’s Beach and Greenough River. One catch that had jaws hitting the floor this week was an absolute monster caught at Cape Birney, which was 1.7m long and easily weighed over 30kg. The best time to catch mulloway at the moment is in the evenings and they have all been very fat and healthy, so it should be a great summer for catching silver ghosts. Other than the tailor and mulloway going wild, the whiting have been hard to find due to the surge of water, so it would be best to target mulloway and tailor during the next week as some very heinous southerly winds will perk up from Saturday arvo. Tomorrow morning is looking the calmest until at least Wednesday arvo. Big thanks to Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips!

Lancelin catches

Lancelin's tailor master Peter Fullarton @tailoredtreksfishing spent a great morning with Jinnry (pictured) who has joined Peter for many @tailoredtreksfishing expeditions over the years. This week once again produced the goods for nice choppers.

Boats

The lobster to date have been very patchy. The pots dropped closer to the beach have been best, while the middle grounds have generally seen a few per pot. These numbers are slowly starting to ramp up though and over the past couple of days most skippers have gone home with at least six. So far, not many crays have made it to the outer reefs but they are tipped to perk up now that the full moon has come through. Early next week the moon will be rising much later in the evening and they should start to move in good numbers. The weather windows have been small to wet a line before the sea breeze kicks in, but depths of about 20-22m have been reliably producing some good-sized sand whiting and flathead, while within the bay herring and skippy have been taking baits and small lures. The squid in close have slowed up a little as the water has been quite turbid. There are some pretty strong southerly winds rolling through from Saturday arvo so it might be a rough expedition until at least Thursday.

Shore-based

The afternoons have been very windy and there are some very strong southerly winds steaming through from Saturday afternoon until at least Thursday. The mornings have proved to be the best option for summer chopper tailor to 45cm, with a few larger winter fish still lingering among them. Skippy and tarwhine have been caught fishing near reef structure, while sand whiting and herring have been in stable numbers when small baits are cast. Some spots have been plagued with small pink snapper along the beaches, which is great for the future but best to move on if they are a problem. The jetty has seen plenty of herring each evening, though at times they can be finicky to bite. It might be worth throwing some burley in the water to spice up their interest and numbers. Prepare yourselves for those strong winds coming through but there are plenty of sheltered spots that should still produce fish. Thanks to Peter Fullarton as always for his report!

Esperance catches

Tyson TNT Tietjens @tnttietjens had a great session on the black bream this week, with the biggest going 40cm all caught on soft plastics.

Boats

The weather was pretty average this week, but the action offshore has been decent. Some boats managed to catch good nannies up to 60cm on the bombies in the deeper structures, with some good schools located in depths between 40-80m. Some anglers have been bringing up three at a time which just shows how thick they have been. Mid-morning seems to be the best window for targeting them. Breaksea cod have been mixed in there as well over the same ground, with the larger catches closer to 2.5kg on the bombies. There are also plenty of Sambos around to play with too, just make sure you're prepared with the gear in case a monster comes along! Some thumping blue groper have been common around Black Island. Flathead up to 60cm have also been in great numbers around Wylie Bay from the smaller boats, along with some fat King George whiting up to 50cm in the same spot. The KG numbers have been low though and it's a matter of patience. If you are targeting KG's and flathead around here, make sure you don't use burley or coloured beads on the line as the herring will take over in plague proportions. There are moderate southerly winds for most of this weekend but it's looking very nice for the boats on Monday morning as this should drop off.

Shore-based

The Tanker Jetty produced good numbers of squid this week, with the biggest one having a 35cm hood. Many fishers targeting squid have been catching up to seven in the arvo and many are jumping on the action. The bream fishing has also been great around town, with catches up to 40cm. Tyson (pictured above) caught most of his bream this week by slow rolling his soft plastics under the surface. Bandy Creek in the afternoons has seen good King George whiting up to 35cm, with plenty of flathead also caught by casting into the drop off near the weir on the outgoing tide. A lot of salmon are being caught off the beach out the front of Bandy Creek as well. Fourth Beach is the place to be for salmon though as there is still a big school that cruises up the beach every arvo. There were also good numbers of tailor behind the reef at the first carpark at Fourth Beach too. Gummy sharks have been appearing at Alexander Bay, but for really good numbers in the 6-8kg range, Fanny Cove has been the most reliable spot. This weekend and Monday morning is looking like the calmest windows 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

Boats

The consistent summer easteries have started to roll in, preventing most boats from getting out wide this week. Fishers who were soaking baits along the reefy ground closer to shore have managed to land some solid queen snapper. Most boat fishers spent time targeting King George whiting and squid within the bays’ sheltered waters. Princess Royal Harbour is fishing the best for King George whiting, silver bream and the odd flathead. Keeping the baits along the weed lines where there are patches of sand has been the go-to technique for the best results. If you’re looking for some extra tip and tricks on how to target them, click here!

Shore-based

Fishing around the 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 with the water quality, bait has been preferred over the lure techniques. Herring have been nice and thick along the rockwalls and jetties close to town in Albany when burley has been used, along with skippy thrown in the mix. Although southerlies will be an issue, the forecast shows that they aren’t that strong and a potential beach fish around Bornholm is on the cards for a few locals. Make sure you pay the crew at Trailblazers in Albany a visit if you decide to wet a line!

South West catches

Trudy Morehouse @squidqueen.wa stumbled across a few nice whites and caught her first by hand this week off of Bunbury. They are starting to increase in numbers now, so definitely start getting your pots or loops ready.

Boats

It's been blowing a gale this week, but the fishing has been decent. The King George whiting are still around in good numbers for those dropping paternosters in depths of 10-20m near the weed patches. As always, most of the squid are being caught towards Busselton. If you're targeting crays, the whites are still increasing in numbers and many skippers have been going home with a few, so now is a good time to start soaking the pots or having a dive for them before it really kicks into gear. Those that have been diving for crays are reporting some absolute monsters that are putting up a serious fight and often require two people to control them. For boats staying in very close, the yellowfin whiting action has been fantastic in the warmer shallows. If you're chasing blue swimmer crabs, your best option is via scooping as those on the land have had much better luck with the scoops as opposed to the boats dropping nets. Most of the boating weather over the next week should be quite nice in the mornings and around midday so good luck!

Shore-based

The yellowfin whiting have been in plague proportions this week which has been great news for those fishing the shallows. It doesn't matter where you tend to be casting as they seem to be everywhere at the moment on the surface. The experts at Whitey's Tackle have said most of the big blue swimmer crabs this week were also caught via scooping and they have been just as prolific as the whiting, so make sure you give this a go as it's a very relaxing style of fishing (until you step on one and feel it squirming under your feet, boots are recommended!). There weren't too many tailor caught over the past week but the mulloway have been in good numbers around areas such as Buffalo Beach and Myalup. It should be great land-based fishing over the next week as there are some stronger easterlies rolling through and thanks again to Whitey's Tackle for their tips!

Freshwater

@dready_kruger landed this beautiful rainbow trout this week on the good old spinner lure bought from a servo on the way down south. Spinners are always a great option for both trout and redfin perch.

Fishing in the dams, rivers and streams across the board has seen an increase in captures this week. The trout have definitely become more active of recent, with this year’s stocking of well-conditioned fish providing a great adrenaline rush for anglers. Logue Brook Dam has had consistent captures of yearling trout, with the occasional larger fish to 40cm coming in for both rainbow and brown trout. Deeper diving lures cast from the bank during the mornings have been the most successful. Recent reports of Drakesbrook Weir are that it’s fishing well, with multiple trout being captured including a sizeable rainbow trout to 45cm and redfin perch to 36cm being caught by one bank angler. Dwellingup saw some better captures, with some solid 30-40cm redfin perch and the occasional trout. Rivers and streams of Pemberton are all fishing well currently, with some larger trout picked up from Lefroy brook over the week. These larger fish are difficult to tempt on lure and you often only get one shot before they will shy away.

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

The crays are slowly starting to increase in numbers with a few whites popping up. Most are being caught slightly deeper in 20m+. The tuna have been rather quiet but this is mostly due to less boats punching out wider and preferring to drop pots. A few King George whiting are still doing the rounds in the grounds near the reef or weed ledges where the pots are being dropped. In close, the yellowfin whiting have been performing very well in the shallows when the temperature and water clarity have been aligning. There are still 35cm fish amongst the catches which is exciting for anglers flicking surface lures in the calmer, stagnant water. The squid in close near the rockwalls and groynes are still in consistent numbers. For the best luck catching blue swimmer crabs, try dropping your nets around the entrance to the ocean as the full moon combined with the back of a strong tide on Thursday night should have brought many more into the shallower waters of the estuary. The next few mornings are looking okay for the boats so good luck and thanks to Ash Ramm from Tackle World Miami for his tips!

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

The beaches around Falcon, Melros, White Hills, Preston and Golden Bay are still performing well for tailor up to about 45cm although their numbers dropped a bit this week. The mulloway action has improved across the board at all of these spots however, with some bigger catches up to one metre common. The squidding action closer to Point Peron and off the Woodman Point jetty was solid once again during those calmer days when the visibility was better and the morning tends to be the best time before the breeze comes in and messes with the clarity. Coventry Reef has been the best spot for herring and pike and burley is recommended for catching scores of herring. The yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish turned up around Five Fathom but once again the bigger catches were reported past 50m and around Rottnest Island. Most of the whites caught in the pots this week were caught slightly deeper in depths of 20m+, but they are starting to ramp up in numbers and most skippers are reporting a few in most of their pots. 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 before checking them as the bubbles will flow out and crays will start to move in once the bubbles drop off. Oily bait is working best and divers are still reporting the best luck for finding the jumbo sizes in the 10-25m depths.

Perth catches

The flatties in the river are realy perking up, with a lot of fishers catching more than 10 in the space of a couple of hours when flicking soft plastics and vibes over the shallows. Kholeon Smith Ratana @kholeon_outdoors managed a few nice specimens. If you catch any flatties over 60cm, we'd love to see them so make sure you send them to our Instagram page @recfishwest.

Boats

There was some nice boating weather this week and while a few whites have been popping up over the past couple of days, we haven't heard of anyone pulling in brimming pots just yet. Right now would be the best time to drop your pots with oily bait and letting them soak for a couple of days if they are relatively new or haven't been dropped in a while. For those catching crays, most of the whites have been appearing in depths of 20m+ as they seem to be moving further out. The King George whiting have been caught in the usual spots around Windmills and over the sand patches near weed in depths of about 10m off the Fremantle moles and Rockingham. A few skippers trolling out from Two Rocks also reported some decent southern bluefin tuna and yellowfin tuna after sighting some diving birds out in depths of 30-40m. Around Rottnest has been rather quiet this week for yellowtail kingfish and Samson fish, but they have been appearing in big sizes for those jigging around the 30m depths closer to the island mostly on the southern and western sides. The smaller catches of yellowtail kingfish are still popping up on the troll in the shallower reefs around Mewstones and Stragglers. For river fishers, there have been some very nice mulloway caught around the Mosmans area in the evening, along with some decent chopper tailor on the troll. There were also a lot of bream caught up river closer to Ascot, Maylands and East Perth for those who could avoid the blowies. The blue swimmer crabs have been in low numbers throughout the Swan river, with areas from South Freo right up to the city centre producing mostly smaller sizes. This won't start to improve until we have more consistency of the hotter days with calmer conditions. There are some stronger easterlies coming through over the next few days which should see some nice boating windows in the mornings before the wind starts to howl by midday.

Shore-based

Thanks to the warmer weather finally starting to stick around for a bit longer, we're seeing more flathead in better sizes come through in the river. A few bigger catches over 60cm in length are starting to pop up across all of the shallower sand bars (always worth sussing these out on Google Earth) and hopefully we will see some hotter days with minimal wind that brings them out in full force. Soft plastics and vibes is the way to go, just brace yourself for the blowies as they can be a nuisance on the smaller lures and plastics. Mulloway turned up in very good sizes and numbers around the usual spots such as the Canning Bridge and closer to Mosman's this week. Most of the tailor have been smaller in size closer to 30cm 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, but the blowies have been in high numbers making it frustrating. 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. While the crabbing action has been a bit slow due to the cooler water conditions, scooping around Matilda Bay, Crawley and Claremont are good places to start and the bigger crabs are still being caught. 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 with the easterly winds picking up.

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

Catch Information

Species:
Barramundi

Black Bream

Blue Marlin

Bluefin Tuna

Breaksea Cod

Brown Trout

Coral Trout

Crimson Snapper

Gummy Shark

Mulloway

Pike

Queen Snapper

Queenfish

Rainbow Trout

Spangled Emperor

Spanish Mackerel

Threadfin Salmon

Whiting

Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin Whiting

This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/12/2022 3:49:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 12/11/2022 11:50:54 AM.

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Hillarys, WA AU

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