Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report 20 December 2024 🎣

@jesse.smithson tested out his new drone outside of town on sunset and it produced the goods, with this healthy bronzie coming ashore after a solid battle. 

Wind conditions have been very kind for beach fishers so far this summer, leading to some excellent catches. Israelite Bay has produced mulloway to a metre and small gummy sharks, while Thomas River has held lots of gummy sharks, big skippy and mulloway to 80cm. It’s recommended fishers there check their baits often as sand crabs have been thick. Alexander Bay has held good salmon and sizeable skippy, while Stockyards has some good gutters which have yielded flathead, sand whiting and tarwhine. Roses and Warrenup beaches have held gummy sharks and salmon, while at Munglinup there have been plenty of gummy sharks around 5kg. Town Jetty and the Taylor Street Jetty have fished well for big herring and squid, while the town foreshore and Bandy Creek Boat harbour have offered King George whiting in good numbers. At Woody Lake bream to 45cm have been landed. 
    
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 town marina has offered respite from the wind and produced herring, squid and small skippy among the numerous pickers. Frenchman Bay has also been sheltered to some extent and has offered small King George whiting, skippy, herring and squid. Bream have been in the King and Kalgan rivers along with the odd small mulloway. Scoopers often do well on blue swimmer crabs around this time of year.

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. 

The lumps around Rottnest have been rewarding a lot of fishers with yellowtail kingfish recently. This 98cm cracker had @eddiesheppard1"s reel sizzling and they've also been appearing at the inshore reefs such as Mewstones and Stragglers. Make sure you donate the frames and head to DPIRD so we can see if these are the kingies we've been stocking for years! 

North Mole has produced a few good tailor although it has mostly been one or two 50cm models among 35-40cm choppers, but overall they have not been in great numbers. Herring have been plentiful at both North and South moles, while the rock walls around South Fremantle have held heaps of herring. Inside the marinas and Freo Fishing Boat Harbour, bream and tarwhine have been hanging about but many are small, however good tailor have been taken right on dark on mulies fished under floats and glow sticks. Small squid have been taken along Capo D’Orlando Drive. Weed and swells have made tailor fishing from local beaches difficult, but Floreat and City Beach have held some modest sizes along with herring. In the Swan River flathead have continued to fish well from Applecross downstream. Sizes have been down a little, but good fish have been taken at Nedlands, Claremont, Bicton, Freshwater Bay, Mosman Park, Point Walter and East Fremantle. Flounder numbers have fallen but some good ones have been taken around Aquarama in East Fremantle. At Bicton, flathead chasers have been picking up small yellowfin whiting on Eco Gear ZX vibes. Plenty of bigger yellowfin have been ghosting on the flats but they have shown little interest in lures. Tailor have been in good numbers in the river as well with better spots being under the lights at the Narrows, Canning Bridge, Como Jetty, Point Walter Jetty, the flats at Applecross and Claremont, along with the jetties in Mosman and North Fremantle. They have preferred surface lures and Twistys rather than stickbaits. At Applecross the schools harassing baitfish turned out be mostly herring around the 30cm mark rather than tailor, and big yellowtail grunter have been a nuisance there as well. Bream chasers have found fish at Heirisson Island, Optus Stadium, Maylands and Garratt Road Bridge and as far up as Guildford. Soapy mulloway have been swimming with them. Mornings look best over the coming days for a land-based session. Tuesday onwards is looking windy and choppy!