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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
24 October, 2025
Pic of the Week goes to @andrew_ward_3 for landing this monster mulloway after a 45 minute battle on 6lb line down south! Took a lot of running up and down the river and Andrew was down to the backing on his reel countless times. A solid fish that will fight another day.
Tag #recfishwest in your posts or send them via DM to our Instagram @recfishwest—don’t forget to include where and how you caught it!
For your photos to be featured, make sure they follow our responsible handling and photography guidelines, which means fish held horizontally and not vertically by the gills, no blood, one hand under the belly and the other holding the tail, preferably water in the background etc). Stay safe, have fun, and keep sharing your awesome catches!
At Monday’s Fishing Futures Forum at the WA Parliament, Recfishwest called on the WA Government to make sure future demersal fisheries management delivers the greatest benefit for all West Australians.
Every fish must count - and that means making sure every one is used wisely to support our lifestyle, wellbeing, tourism, and local communities.
We’re calling for:
Acknowledgement of fishers’ first-hand experiences on the water - many fishers are observing good catches, and we understand how this can seem at odds with the science. These first-hand observations are valuable and help build a fuller picture of what’s happening in our fisheries.
Shared benefits – WA’s fish belong to the West Aussie public, and management should reflect their social, cultural, lifestyle and economic value.
Regional reset - In the productive north of WA, where 10 times more demersal fish are taken than in the south, seafood supply (90% of WA’s demersal fish catch comes from the north) and fishing lifestyle should be the focus. In the south (Kalbarri to Esperance) where 80% of West Aussies live, the focus must be more on recreation, tourism and local communities.
Sustainable use, not shutdowns – we can rebuild stocks and keep people fishing.
Protecting the breeders - practical measures like spawning closures help secure the future of key species and must apply to all sectors.
Recreational fishers have already reduced our catch by 30% in the West Coast Bioregion. Now it’s time for Government to step up with a fair, balanced policy that recognises both the fish and the fishers matter, grounded in both science and community values.
Read more on what we had to say by clicking here.
Samuel Birch @birchys_fishing_tours with a beauty of a barra in the Kimberley this week!
A few weather windows allowed crews to get to the FADs where they did very well on dolphinfish, sailfish, black marlin and mack-tuna. A bit closer in Spanish mackerel and wahoo were landed, while more Spaniards were also seen smashing baitfish schools around the moorings at Gantheaume Point. Bluebone were active on the inshore lumps at James Price Point, Entrance Point and Quandong. The Fingers has been hit or miss for tripletail, barramundi and threadfin salmon, as were Crab and Dampier Creeks. A few mud crabs have been in these systems, but Barred and Willie Creeks have produced more. The moderate westerly winds are sticking around this week which will make it choppy on the water but most of Saturday will thankfully see these winds drop off.
A reminder to all fishers that you can now report foreign and illegal fishing activities through the Recfishwest app, thanks to our first-of-its-kind intiative and partnership with Australian Border Force.
In the past month, two Indonesian vessels were spotted at Augustus Island and Cassini Island in the East Kimberley, with another five vessels intercepted in the NT, so it is important to stay vigilant if you’re out on the water in these areas.
Here is how you can report suspicious vessels directly through the Recfishwest fishing app:
👉 Open ‘My Tools’
👉 Tap 'Report Suspicious Fishing Activities'
👉 Follow the prompts
West Aussie fishers care deeply about protecting our waters and fisheries. Reporting illegal activity is part of our duty to safeguard them for future generations. With thousands of local fishers out there, together, we’re a powerful force in protecting WA’s coast for future generations.
Shore-Based
Flat Rocks at Willie Creek near the pearl farm has been the pick of the shore spots this week, offering queenfish, trevally and small barramundi. The Town Beach Jetty has fished well for trevally and queenfish too, along with a few small barramundi at night. Barramundi fishing in the Fitzroy River continued to be hard work, but around Langi Creek and Telegraph Pool has produced a few good fish at night for those using live bait. Given the Spanish mackerel activity off Gantheaume Point it could be worthwhile sending out a balloon to target them. The rocks there can often also produce bluebone, coral trout and trevally.Big thanks to the crew from Tackle World Broome for their tips! Make sure you pay them a visit for the best gear and advice for your next fishing trip.
A thumper of a bluebone on fly for @connorluff06 in Exmouth this week! The electric blue colours are what every fly fisher loves to see in the Gulf.
Strong southerlies have severely limited options with even the charter boats staying in most days. The odd window has popped up in Exmouth Gulf in the mid-afternoons, leaving a precious few hours of light to target squid close in or blue-lined emperor and coral trout a bit further out. Deeper into the Gulf towards the Bay of Rest has seen the wind ease around lunchtime and tinnie fishers have had more time to target similar species with some good results reported. Unfortunately the southerly winds aren’t going anywhere and will continue this week. Early in the mornings should see the southerlies at their lowest on the west side but if you choose to fish in the Gulf aim for Saturday arvo.
The southern part of Exmouth Gulf has allowed for some early afternoon whiting sessions, while a few bream have been mooching around the pylons at Learmonth Jetty. Squid have also been taken here when conditions have calmed down after lunch. Towards the top of the Gulf is another good option, with some parts of VLF Bay and the Mildura Wreck sheltered enough to target spangled emperor and golden trevally, with bluebone also a chance at the wreck. Small bays on the west side should also offer sheltered conditions. Choppy waves have been in the marina at times, but the stirred-up conditions at the end of the outside wall have lured in a few decent queenfish. Further back on the wall calmer waters have produced a few squid, while the inside saw small queenfish, mangrove jack, bream and trevally caught. Wapet Creek is another sheltered location for these species too and near the creek mouth at Wapet whiting and flathead are a chance. Strong crosswinds have made it hard for those chasing spangled emperor at Tantabiddi.These great tips were courtesy of the friendly team at Tackle World Exmouth. Swing by their store for the best advice and gear ahead of your next trip!
Crayfishing has been the main game this week, but one or two crews have started to head over to Jakes Bay on calm mornings and target squid and whiting to good effect. The reef straight out in front of Frustration also produces good whiting at times, while crews have also fished off Oyster Reef for mulloway. Sunday and Monday morning are looking best at this stage with the southerly winds expected to drop off.
Pink snapper have been picked up from the cliffs and they have been in very good numbers at Wagoe, along with school-sized mulloway. Bigger mulloway to 20kg-plus have been pulled out from the gutters in Lucky Bay, while back in town chopper tailor numbers have improved at Wittecarra and Red Bluff in the mornings. In the Murchison River the flats in front of the IGA store have produced good yellowfin whiting, while bream have been in good numbers at the marina jetty.Shout out to Kalbarri Sports and Dive for their tips! Feel free to venture into the store and ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri.
A rather chunky mulloway for @alex_carter_fishingwa off the beach this week that went 24.5kg, a very impressive weight for a fish of 120cm!
Once again wind and big swells have kept most boats on trailers but a few people with bigger boats found weather windows last weekend and had little trouble getting their limit on crayfish in just a couple of pulls. Thankfully Saturday arvo and Sunday morning should see some reprieve from the southerlies so get out there and make the most of it.
Pink snapper from 60-70cm have been landed regularly in ones and twos at Point Moore, inside of Drummond Cove and up towards Coronation. Droners fishing further north of Coronation have done better on the pinkies numbers-wise. Pike have also been caught at Drummond Cove, where forktail catfish have been proving a nuisance. The Greenough River mouth has offered a few tailor and a lot of pike, and last weekend a dhufish was landed at the first point. Weed has made whiting fishing difficult, but a few small ones have been caught behind the Lives, while squid ink has been noticed on the northern platform of the Batavia Coast Marina. Whiting also have been caught at the mouth of Greenough River and further upstream past the old resort.
Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and the solid advice for your next fishing trip.
There’s been a great run of solid sand whiting, with good catches reported in the 5–6m depths both north and south of the Bay, as well as out wider in 18–22m. The only downside has been the North-West blowies, which have been thick in patches, so it can take a few moves to gather a decent feed. Inside the Bay, fishers have been finding plenty of herring, skippy, and King George whiting. Schools of small pike have been spotted in thick numbers around the weed beds, making trolling small lures a bit frustrating at times as they’ve been hitting almost everything that moves. All of Sunday and early on Monday should provide windows to launch.
Tailor numbers continued to improve along the open beaches, with most fish being solid choppers in the 40–45cm range. The low morning tides have made evening sessions more productive for mulloway, with the best results coming from deeper gutters late in the day and into the night. Schools of hardyheads have been moving steadily along the coast, often creating short-lived workups that are perfect for a quick lure cast. On some mornings they’ve even been seen schooling along the Bay’s shoreline. At the Lancelin Jetty, big schools of hardyheads have been taking refuge under the structure, attracting plenty of attention from predators. Samsonfish have been seen smashing into them in the hours before dawn. The jetty itself has been a great option this week, producing herring, squid, and the odd tailor for those putting in the time.
Big thanks to Peter Fullarton for his tips on what's biting around Lancelin each week! If you want Peter to put you on to the fish directly, make sure you check out his Tailored Treks Tours page. Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand.
Conditions limited the fishing action this week. Squid, herring and the odd King George whiting have been caught in Esperance Bay, while the closer-in islands have offered queen snapper, Samsonfish and nannygai. Out wider, better nannygai in the 45-50cm range have been caught along with big Samsonfish to 30kg. Sunday through to Tuesday should hold more inviting conditions.
Squid have been abundant at the Esperance Jetty along with big herring and garfish after dark. Taylor Street Jetty has held King George whiting and a few squid and herring, while small King George whiting have been taken in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Salmon have continued to be caught on bait and metal slices early in the mornings at Salmon Beach, while herring and salmon have been caught at Fourth Beach. At 10-Mile Lagoon good flathead have been landed, while bream to 40cm have been caught in Woody Lake. Gummy sharks have been caught at night at the beaches around Rossiter and Dunns, while the late afternoons here have also seen salmon and skippy fishing well. The same species have come from Thomas River and Israelite Bay, with soapy mulloway also on the chew at the latter location. Make sure you register for the Esperance Land Based Fishing Club Classic coming up this weekend! Click here to register and you can find more info on the image below!
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.
@thetidaltale crew were back hitting up the South Coast rivers for bream and Dave managed a double up on two solid fish.
Queen snapper have been very thick offshore and this week they dominated catches on the coral ground and also on the inshore lumps. A few nannygai were caught on the coral along with reasonable numbers of pink snapper and the odd breaksea cod, but dhufish were harder to find. Pink snapper were in much better numbers off Cheynes. In King George Sound, King George whiting catches have been going strong and squid fishing has continued to improve as the water clears. In Wilson Inlet, pink snapper and flathead were caught in good numbers. Saturday is looking unfishable, but Sunday and early on Monday should see the conditions quickly turn inviting.
There’s been a good run of pink snapper off Cheynes Beach and herring, skippy and sand whiting have turned up in the bay. Shore fishing in general has been on the improve and locations such as Sand Patch and Gull Rock are worth a try for herring, skippy, tarwhine or even a pink snapper. The water is much clearer now at Emu Point where King George whiting and the odd bream have been caught, while bream have fired up in the King and Kalgan Rivers. The town marina has been going well for squid in the mornings and offered herring, skippy and leatherjacket throughout the day. Squid have been fishing well at Whalers Cove and Frenchman Bay, along with herring and small King George whiting. Land-based fishers in Wilson Inlet have been picking up flathead and the odd pink snapper around 50cm on soft plastics.Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their fishing tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, Trailblazers Albany have loan lifejackets available if you wish to fish off the rocks, but keeping the sand between your toes is always a safer option.
Whiting have been on fire throughout the Leschenault Estuary despite the water not being so warm yet, with scores of fish smashing surface lures for @harry_fowler_fishing and several others this week.
Squid and King George whiting have been the mainstays this week with the 6-14m depths fishing well for squid on both sides of town, while 22-24m has been optimum for KG’s. Crews have also been hitting the lumps and targeting Samsonfish with good results. Those searching for tuna schools have had little success, although this action should improve in the coming weeks. Squid fishing has been steady in Geographe Bay and King George whiting catches have improved. Sunday through to Tuesday are looking like the best days to duck out this week.
Despite less-than-ideal conditions yellowfin whiting have been widespread from the mouth of the Leschenault Estuary and into its lower and mid reaches, where they have been smashing both surface and subsurface lures. Tailor catches have been sparse on beaches either side of town, but the sizes have been impressive. A few herring and sand whiting have turned up also, while drone fishers have done well on pink snapper at Preston and Myalup. Herring catches have been better in areas of structure such as the rock walls at Back Beach and at the Bunbury Cut, where they have been kept company by small King George and sand whiting. In the Collie River, soapy mulloway from 35-70cm have been beating bream to soft plastic lures. Squid catches have been decent from Busselton Jetty and Samsonfish have once again been more active at the deeper end. Kayakers launching from the Dolphin Road boat ramp in the middle of the week found squid in good numbers and noticed they were favouring yellow jigs. Last weekend’s bream fishing comp at Augusta went well despite the miserable weather with plenty of small fish about and a couple of big ones over 40cm landed, including the winning entry of 42cm.
Big cheers to Whitey's Tackle & Camping for their top fishing tips as always! If you're in Australind or Bunbury and are keen to wet a line throughout our South-West make sure you ask their very friendly team who love their fishing for advice and stock up on gear at their store. If you're in Busselton, the 2 Oceans Tackle team are also incredibly helpful.
Some big rainbow and brown trout have been spotted in shallows over the past fortnight and most have been caught closer to faster flowing water or at the back of rapids, where they will lie in wait and ambush insects and small fish that flow through.
Redfin perch in varying sizes have been active around floating weed early in the mornings at Harvey Dam with soft plastics working well on them. Drakesbrook Weir has held a few redfin too and the odd sizeable rainbow trout, while decent rainbows have been caught at Logue Brook. Waroona Dam has produced rainbow trout and redfin perch for kayak fishers first thing in the morning before the ski boats and hover boarders are on the water. Trout have started to fish well in the rivers with the banks of the Preston and Brunswick Rivers producing fish, as well as the Collie River at Potters Gorge and Honeymoon Pool. Make sure you keep an eye out for tiger snakes if fishing these spots as they have been spotted moving around now that there is a bit more sun. Suspended hard-bodied lures with big bibs have been working well on the trout, including the Shimano Brenius Riseshad in 59mm size and the time-honoured RMG Scorpions. At Pemberton, Lefroy Brook has offered a mix of brown and rainbow trout downstream from the hatchery, while Big Brook Dam has held rainbow trout and redfin perch.
The crayfish action off Mandurah is not slowing down and a lot of boaties putting in the time, like @mandurah_fisho, have been bagging out rather easily.
Boats
Crayfish have been thick from the 5m depths back to any limestone rock just off the beach, while skippy and reasonable King George whiting have been caught at the back of Five-Fathom Bank in 20-30m with a few Samsonfish turning up as well. Squid catches have improved on weed banks at the Five and they have been in reasonable numbers inside of the Bouvards. In the Peel-Harvey Estuary dinghy fishers have had mixed success targeting small King George whiting just off the Dawesville Cut. Sunday and Monday are both looking the goods on the forecast.
Come along to the seventh annual Luca’s Legacy Clean Up! This family-friendly community event is dedicated to cleaning up our waterways to help safeguard our local environment and wildlife. The event honours the memory of Luca, a young dolphin whose tragic entanglement in fishing line inspired this important initiative.
INFO:
📅 Sunday, 26 October
🕘 8.45am – 11:30am
📍 Port Bouvard Yacht Club, 1 Thisbe Drive, Dawesville
When you arrive, simply sign in, join a quick briefing, and grab your clean-up gear. Then you’re off to help tidy up beautiful spots like Dawesville Cut Foreshore, Port Bouvard Marina, Avalon Beach, and Pyramids Beach.
At 10:30am, head back to base to enjoy community stalls, kids’ activities, prizes, wildlife presentations, and a free sausage sizzle.
See more details about the Luca’s Legacy Clean-Up here.
Yellowfin whiting fishing has been good in the Peel-Harvey Estuary with the whiting starting to attack surface lures with more gusto, although vibes have been the best performing lure so far. Small King George whiting have been taken from the estuary end of the Dawesville Cut, while the odd juvenile salmon has been caught at the Mandurah bridges. This week’s cold fronts boosted pink snapper catches around White Hills and once the swells were down beaches away from the estuary outlets on both sides of town fished well for chopper tailor and the odd herring. After the new moon mulloway catches could improve off local beaches such as Madora Bay, while mulloway up to 70cm have been caught in the Serpentine and Murray Rivers which have also been fishing better for bream.
Thinking of wetting a line around Mandurah? These great tips were courtesy of the super friendly and helpful team at Tackle World Miami so make sure you swing by their store for the best tips and gear before your next fishing trip!
The first time targeting carp for @instahungfishing and his boys turned into mission success at the Golden Ponds Fish & Marron Farm in Baldivis! Plenty of these hard-fighting specimens were landed and released to fight another day. A very cool fish and challenge if you want to mix it up!
Squid fishing has been quiet, but King George whiting have been in good numbers in 20-30m and a few good ones were taken around Garden Island. The 40m depths out from Safety Bay have produced a nice mix of KG’s and sand whiting, while smaller KG’s and more sandies have been caught in Mangles Bay and on Parmelia Bank. Skippy have been on the broken ground around the Garden Island causeway. A few tuna schools have been sighted, but few fish were landed. The odd Samsonfish has been taken on the offshore lumps. Sunday morning is shaping up to be the best weather window this week.
Pink snapper have been running well since the blow with good fish being landed from Secret Harbour and further south. A few mulloway have been lurking on local beaches south of Warnbro, while good-sized tailor have been on the chew at Port Kennedy and Long Point. Kwinana Beach and areas near the grain terminal have yielded some nice flathead, while the better land-based squidding spots have been Point Peron, the Penguin Island spit and the weed banks near the Henderson cliffs. Palm Beach and Rockingham jetties, the Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point have been quiet due to dirty water and offered just a few herring and the occasional sand whiting.
These great fishing tips were provided by the friendly team at Compleat Angler & Camping World in Rockingham, so make sure you chat to their experienced crew in store and stock up before heading out!
Yellowtail kingfish have been spotted in waters around the back of Rottnest along with the shallower reef systems such as Mewstones and Stragglers this week. Flicking lures or mulies on gangs around is a good tactic to entice a strike and brace your arms and drag for a serious battle if you hook a larger one as these fish often fight dirty and drag you into the reef.
Activity has dwindled since the demersal closure, but tuna schools were seen on Direction Bank and around Rottnest Island, while there was a report of a wahoo landed out very wide. Squid fishing has been very quiet for those targeting them off South Fremantle, but sand whiting have been in reasonable numbers off Cottesloe and City Beach. The Three-Mile Reef has produced a few skippy and the odd King George whiting, while the Windmills has held a mix of sand whiting and KG’s. Now could be a good time to think about trolling for chopper tailor in the Swan River, especially if it is a tad choppy. Sunday is lining up to be quite a pleasant day on the water with a low swell and gentle wind forecast. Make sure you are trolling if moving around as you never know when you’re a chance for a tuna, yellowtail kingfish, wahoo or mackerel.
The Swan River is starting to fish consistently with tailor in good numbers in the middle to lower reaches and bream starting to push up river as far as Bayswater. Bream chasers in the upper reaches have encountered quite a few yellowtail grunter. Flathead catches have improved a lot as well between Burswood and Nedlands along with the Canning River. Giant herring have been sighted and soapy mulloway have been widespread throughout the system, while fly-fishers working the flats have been picking up mullet. The cold front didn’t exactly fire up pink snapper a great deal, but there were whispers of a couple taken from North Mole and droners fishing the northern beaches found a few pinkies as well. King George whiting with a few sand whiting mixed in have been caught off the rocks at Coogee, while North Mole has produced a mix of herring, skippy, tarwhine and small King George whiting but not in great numbers. Tarwhine have also been caught in Fremantle Harbour, the South Fremantle marinas and in the Swan’s lower reaches. Tailor have been biting from Brighton Beach up to North Beach and a few bigger ones have been landed north of Yanchep. Sunday morning looks to be the best land-based fishing window at this stage.
A big thanks to Compleat Angler Nedlands for their great metro tips! These guys are all avid fishers, know the best spots for every particular species and have provided great support to Recfishwest and metro fishers for many years. Make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice at their store just off Stirling Highway and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat!
Our Fishing Report is compiled by West Australian writer and keen angler William Bennett, who contacts tackle stores directly around WA - love your work William!
Recfishwest’s fishing report contributors: Jarrad Lawford (editor and images), Sam Bock, Sedin Hasanovic, Sam Russell, Levi De Boni and Eligh Quigley.
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This Fishing Report was submitted on 10/24/2025 1:54:53 AM by Seamus and last updated on 10/28/2025 1:43:37 AM.
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