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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
31 October, 2025
Pic of the Week goes to @bryce.pulss for landing one of the most striking-looking (and delicious) fish in the sea, with this stunning John Dory off the South Coast.
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!
Protecting WA’s iconic fish and ensuring great fishing for future generations is something all West Aussies can get behind.
Following the release of the latest stock assessments for WA’s key demersal species – including dhufish, pink snapper, red emperor and nannygai – the State Government is reviewing how these fisheries are managed across WA.
Recfishwest has now put forward a four-point plan showing how we can rebuild fish stocks without locking people out of the water. Fishing connects families, supports mental health, drives regional economies and is part of our way of life, and that must be protected alongside the fish themselves.
Here’s how our plan works:
1) Strengthen science and transparency – Build trust in decisions through better data, independent sampling and by including fishers’ on-water knowledge.
2) Protect spawning fish – Focus protection where and when fish are most vulnerable, with consistent rules for all sectors.
3) Reduce catches and protect key fish habitat to rebuild biomass – Smarter, fairer limits across all sectors, improved bag limits (including lower for dhufish), and better demersal habitat protection will help lift the overall amount of fish in the water.
4) Manage regionally for community benefit – Recognise regional differences so fisheries are managed for what each area does best – from strong recreational and tourism value in the south, to sustainable seafood supply in the north.
Rebuilding demersal stocks is achievable, and it doesn’t mean shutting down fishing. With better science, fairer rules and smarter management, we can protect both the fish and the way of life they support for generations to come.
The interclub barra competition between the @broome.fishing.club and @maryislandfishingclub kicks off this weekend in the Kimberley! Keep an eye on their Instagram pages to keep up to date with all the action!
Strong winds have kept crews close to town with Crab and Dampier Creeks producing a few barramundi and threadfin salmon, with a couple of big barramundi either side of a metre coming from Dampier Creek. Trolled hard-bodied lures have been producing the goods. Crab Creek has held mud crabs, as did Willie Creek. Thankfully those easterly winds are quite gentle across the weekend so it shouldn’t be too bad on the water.
Shore-Based
James Price Point and Gantheaume Point have offered queenfish, trevally and the odd mangrove jack and bluebone, while Entrance Point has yielded trevally and queenfish. Small trevally and queenfish, along with bream, small barramundi and threadfin salmon have come from Town Beach Jetty, while small barramundi and queenfish have been caught in Willie Creek. In the Fitzroy River, the stretch between Langi Crossing and Telegraph Pool has held barramundi in the 70-80cm range, while the saltier sections such as Milli Milli Pool, the Cuttings and Snags have offered barramundi and threadfin salmon.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.
Sailfish are expected to make a late appearance into Exmouth Gulf in big numbers soon, but a few have been plucked from the northern regions already aboard @onstrikecharters.
There’s been little relief from the strong winds with most boats concentrating on Exmouth Gulf and making the most of the midday lulls. Closer in there have been good hauls of squid, while further down the Gulf mud crabs have been targeted. Cooper Shoal has produced blue-lined emperor and coral trout. Cobia have been swimming with the sharks and manta rays in the Gulf. Bundegi has yielded Spanish mackerel and school mackerel, while on the far side of the Gulf and further south fly-fishers have tangled with giant herring, trevally and queenfish, which have also been taking hard-bodied lures. On some days fly-fishers also encountered bluebone and permit. When fishable, the lagoons at Tantabiddi and Winderabandi offered spangled emperor, mangrove jack and various trevally species for those using soft plastics. The conditions aren’t looking pretty over the next week with a swell hovering around 2m along with mostly moderate south-westerly winds. Midday in the Gulf on both days this weekend should be your best bet.
Shore fishers have been limited to Exmouth Gulf where Learmonth Jetty has produced a couple of good cobia, along with a few squid. Whiting have been smashing top-water lures from the rocks there and a few bream have been around the pylons. Wapet Creek has produced a few flathead near the mouth and small trevally and queenfish further up, while the town marina has offered bream, mangrove jack and small trevally and cod with the rock wall also worth a crack for squid. Sheltered areas of VLF Bay and Oysters have held cod and spangled emperor.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!
Once again boating activity has been very quiet except for crews targeting mulloway and big tailor off Oyster Reef with some good results reported, along with the regulars putting in their craypots. Early on Sunday morning should hold the best window this weekend to duck out.
Shore fishers who paddled yaks and surf skis across the Murchison River to Oyster Reef found good mulloway, with several landed and a few more lost, while at Frustrations sizeable tailor were caught. On the town side, Wittecarra and Red Bluff fished well for tailor with quite a few 40-50cm models caught along with big herring, while the rocks at Red Bluff also threw up a decent yellowtail kingfish and several good pink snapper. More pink snapper have also been caught along the cliffs with Pot Alley being one of the better spots. The Murchison River has offered a nice mix of mud crabs and blue swimmer crabs, while small mulloway were throughout the system. Bream up to 30cm have been caught further up river. Yellowfin whiting have fished well from the Sand Spit and along the town foreshore.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.
Most boaties have been pulling pots and were doing well, but with the lull leading into the next full moon and with much clearer water, more crews have been targeting squid at Point Moore, Pages Beach and Separation Point with good results. A few crews have also picked up skippy, whiting and tailor in these areas. The weather is looking quite nasty across this weekend with some big swell and wind expected. Land-based is looking like the only option.
Good numbers of tailor to 70cm with 60-80cm soapy mulloway mixed in have been landed from the S-Bend up towards Greenough, while whiting and nice herring have been caught south of Flat Rocks. Greenough’s first and second points have been patchy for tailor, but pike and herring have turned up at times. Southgates has produced tailor mainly in the mornings along with herring and pike, but weed has often been a problem. Tarcoola Beach has had its weed issues as well, but has also yielded good mid-morning tailor as well as herring and pike, while the Lives has offered the odd tailor, a few herring and school whiting. Tailor, good herring and a few skippy have been caught from the rocks at the Sail Inn, while the jetty at Town Beach has yielded hard-to-stop skippy for anglers using light gear and micro jigs. Clear water in the Batavia Coast Marina has been conducive for squid and a few tailor have been about also. Sunset Beach has been thick with weed, but herring have been caught there. Drummond Cove has produced tailor and pink snapper to 65cm, especially on the north side, but forktail catfish have been in plague proportions after dark. Coronation Beach has offered the odd school mulloway, a few pink snapper and the odd tailor. Yellowfin whiting have been caught at the mouth of the Greenough River and bream have been active further up, while reasonable bream have been caught on soft plastics in the Chapman River.
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.
Lancelin’s tailor master Peter Fullarton enjoyed a great session this week during a nice weather window.
Not too many boats ventured offshore this past week, but those that did reported good tuna activity in around 25m of water. Inside the Bay, there’s been the usual mix of snook, skippy, King George whiting and herring keeping anglers busy. Squid have been a popular target lately, and the Lancelin Angling & Aquatic Club is planning to hold its Squid Shootout this Saturday morning. Club boats plan to head out in search of the tasty cephalopods, returning in time to see who’s landed the biggest catch of the day before a well-earned lunchtime cook-up. A fresh westerly and near 4m swell are on the cards for Saturday, which could force a reschedule, but a final decision will be made early that morning over a hearty breakfast at the clubrooms. Land-based fishing looks to be a more comfortable option.
Low swells and very low morning tides have provided ideal conditions to fish the open beaches, with some solid tailor in the mid-40 cm range being reported along with the occasional small shark. The afternoon and evening high tides have produced the best windows to work the gutters for greenback tailor and school mulloway. Once the breeze drops away, a quiet walk along the shoreline at night has rewarded those with hand spears with a few good cobbler, a very Lancelin way end to an evening!
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.
Day four of @gidos_fishing_adventures latest trip saw some mouth-watering harlequin cooked over the coals under the stars, you can check out Gido’s latest YouTube video here.
Plenty of nannygai have been caught at Figure of Eight and Boxer Islands, while good mixed bags of breaksea cod, nannygai and harlequin fish have come from Leg of Lamb. Big Samsonfish to 35kg have been thick at Cull, Black and Charley Islands, while squid have been active in 21m behind Cook Rocks. Esperance Bay has fished well for squid, snook and King George whiting. Very early on Monday might hold a better window to duck out, but this weekend is looking choppy and windy.
Towards Israelite Bay saw big gummy sharks, bronze whalers and small mulloway landed, while Thomas River has held skippy to 4kg and gummy sharks. Skippy, salmon and gummy sharks have also been active at 14-Mile and Roses Beaches, while the strong run of early morning salmon at Fourth and Salmon beaches has continued. Fat sand whiting were plentiful near Blue Haven, while Taylor Street and the Town jetties have fished well in the afternoons for herring, garfish and squid. The corner of the port has held sizeable King George whiting, while smaller KG’s and bream have been caught in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour.
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.
Both @ethan_grobbler and @andrew_ward_3 had a belter of a day out off the South Coast, landing some solid AJ’s, breaksea cod, queen snapper, yellowtail kingfish and nannygai.
Squid and King George whiting have been firing off Frenchman Bay and Whaleworld and the improved water clarity off Emu Point has produced good squid too. Bigger King George whiting have been caught at Mistaken, Eclipse, Seal and Michaelmas Islands. A few boats battled the easterly winds and reached the coral ground over the weekend where they found good numbers of breaksea cod to 65cm, along with queen snapper, pink snapper and the odd dhufish. Crews who launched from Hartmans got some very good hauls of the same species. Sunday afternoon and early on Monday may hold windows to duck out.
Salmon have been kicking around with resident fish being picked up at Sand Patch and Salmon Holes, while small stray schools were active at Bluff Creek and Bremer Bay. Squid fishing has been good with the town marina, Frenchman Bay and Whaleworld producing them in decent sizes and reasonable numbers. The marina has also produced herring and small skippy, while herring and small King George whiting are always a chance at Frenchman Bay. Big Samsonfish have been hooked and at least one landed at Emu Point, which has also held a few herring, while 25-30cm bream have been plentiful in the Hay River.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.
The @ngsfc.busselton crew have had a ball with the youngsters this week on healthy King George whiting and squid in shallow depths this week, with both species turning up in great numbers.
Tuna schools have been encountered off Bunbury and in Geographe Bay, where a few small yellowtail kingfish have been about as well. Samsonfish have been in good numbers from around the lumps and at Bunbury’s artificial reef, while the 15-20m depths either side of Bunbury have fished well for King George whiting. The better squid catches have come from Geographe Bay with kayak fishers doing well in the mornings around Busselton. Early on Sunday and Monday should be nice and flat on the water.
On warmer days yellowfin whiting have been firing in the estuary with top-water lures and small vibes working equally well now. Small tailor and herring have been the whiting bycatch, but not in great numbers. At the Bunbury Cut and Back Beach chopper tailor and herring catches have started to improve and Dallyellup has been going well for these species too. Buffalo, Binningup and Preston beaches have produced herring, tailor, soapy mulloway and a few sand whiting. Bream catches have slowed in the Collie River, while Busselton Jetty saw Samsonfish cruising by at the deep end. Squid fishing has been steady, so keep an eye out for fresh ink marks on the jetty.
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.
Freshwater fishing master Simon Holland from @_sffac_ with a broodstock beauty of a brown trout at Big Brook Dam, which were fired up from a massive termite hatch this week. There were hundreds of healthy rainbow and brown trout released into this picturesque waterway at the fourth annual Southern Forests Trout Festival only a few weeks ago and those fish have helped see a big spike in catches. You can check out the highlights from the trout stocking here!
A lack of insect activity at South-West dams has made it harder for trout chasers at Drakesbrook Weir along with both Waroona and Harvey Dams, with only a few fish rising. Kayak fishers trolling lures have landed most of the better fish, although at Logue Brook Dam a few big rainbows were caught from the shore. The Preston and Brunswick Rivers have produced a few small rainbow trout, as did the Collie River around Potters Gorge. The waterways around the Pemberton region have produced bigger models. Redfin perch have been easier to find with Wellington and Harvey Dams both fishing well for them along with the Collie townsite around the suspension bridges. One of the better soft plastics lures for redfin this year has been the Ambush Lures yabby imitation.
Boats
Prominent offshore lumps have yielded good Samsonfish. Tuna schools have been active towards the Bouvards, but catches have been modest. King Geroge whiting have been firing at the back of the Five-Fathom Bank, while sand whiting were abundant on the inside. The 28m depths towards the Bouvards have thrown up big KG’s, while skippy have been widespread over broken ground. Crayfish have continued to be active on the Five and inside of Melros. Squid chasers have been mainly concentrating on Falcon and Seascapes, but squid have turned up in the Peel-Harvey Estuary too. Small King George whiting have been taken from the estuary end of the Dawesville Cut and they have started to push deeper into the system. Boat fishers targeting the hard-to-get-to flats have enjoyed good days on yellowfin whiting and also picked up juvenile salmon around 45cm from the drop-offs along with plenty of herring. Random locations in the estuary have yielded skippy and tailor, but the better known spots for them haven’t been producing with any consistency yet. Most boaties are expected to duck out early on Sunday and Monday when the winds are calmer.
Yellowfin whiting have been prolific, but not super aggressive. Coco Drive, the Len Howard Reserve and Point Grey have all produced tings with small vibes generally out-fishing top-water lures. Good catches of tailor have come from the traffic bridges, while herring have been caught along the Dawesville Cut along with small King George whiting at the estuary end. Tailor catches should become more consistent at the Cut too. Some decent mulloway have been landed from the Silver Sands to Golden Bay stretch of beach, while south of town tailor catches have been good at Tims Thicket. Most beaches have held sand whiting and a few herring. Bream have been active in the Serpentine and Murray Rivers.
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!
Squid fishing has been going well with good catches coming from Mangles Bay, Parmelia Bank, the inside of Garden Island, out from Woodman Point and behind Penguin Island. King George whiting have been at these locations with plenty of sand whiting and some skippy mixed in, while behind Garden Island and at the D9 saw Samsonfish being quite active. Early on Sunday and Monday currently look best on the forecast.
Tailor to 60cm have been caught along the beaches in the mornings and evenings with Long Point, Port Kennedy, Secret Harbour and Warnbro among the better spots. Soapy mulloway were mixed in with the tailor, while at Port Kennedy decent King George whiting have shown up. Skippy, small tailor, herring and a few squid have been the main fare from Woodman Point and the Ammo, Palm Beach and Rockingham jetties, while better squid have been caught when clear water can be found at Point Peron.
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!
Once the metro waters have warmed up a tad over the coming weeks, yellowfin tuna numbers should increase. Trolling at 4-6 knots with deeper diving lures like Halco Laser Pro’s through slicks on the water surface (or where weed is visible) indicates current lines, which this species tends to follow. Keeping an eye out for bait balls on the sounder and diving birds is also a sign that these predators could be rounding up fish, so a Halco Twisty flicked around these areas can also produce the goods. Photo: @halcotackle.
Sand whiting catches have been good in the northern suburbs and out from Cottesloe and City Beach. King George whiting have been found on the Three-Mile and in the bays at Rottnest Island, while the Windmills has held a mix of both species. Skippy catches have slowed and squid have fished best out from South Fremantle. Plenty of Samsonfish have been on the offshore lumps, while tuna schools have been sighted at the West End of Rottnest. Try trolling around this area with deeper diving lures such as Halco Laser Pro’s at 4-5 knots and keep an eye out for bust ups on the surface. Sunday morning until around midday is looking like the best window this weekend, although Monday morning is expected to be quite flat out on the water.
Bream catches have been good in the Swan River from the Narrows up past Ascot, while the Narrows itself has produced a few tailor and mulloway to a metre. River2Sea Baby Vibes have been a good lure for the bream. Catches of bigger tailor in the Swan’s lower reaches have declined, but just sized choppers have been caught at Canning Bridge, Point Walter, Point Resolution and Chidley Point. Flathead catches went very quiet over the weekend and even Wednesday’s hot weather did little to fire them up. They had been fishing well between the Narrows and Nedlands, from the Causeway up to Belmont and also in the Canning River. In the lower sections of the Swan a few flounder have started to show up, while unsuccessful flathead chasers in the lower reaches also picked up a few yellowfin whiting and tarwhine. On the beaches, Swanbourne and Floreat produced a few midweek tailor in the mornings, while beaches north of Quinns yielded bigger tailor. Herring have been the main catches at North Mole, although early in the week a decent pink snapper was landed at night. Warmer weather should bring on more consistent tailor catches from the Moles. Rock walls and marinas from South Fremantle to Coogee have offered mainly herring, tarwhine and the odd squid. Early on Sunday and Monday is looking like the best land-based windows.
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 10/31/2025 5:15:00 AM by Seamus and last updated on 11/5/2025 5:33:36 AM.
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