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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
07 November, 2025
Pic of the Week goes to Em from @un_professional_travellers with this absolute weapon of a coral trout landed off Karratha. Arguably one of the best eating fish in WA’s waters.
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!
Calls for mandatory catch reporting in WA’s recreational fishing sector continue to surface, largely driven by commercial interests and some media commentary. Let’s be clear: this is a solution looking for a problem.
Recfishwest does not support mandatory catch reporting for recreational fishers, and neither does the WA Government, whose current policy rightly reflects the strong evidence base and supports our position.
Recfishwest is not opposed to new tools or approaches if they can genuinely improve fisheries management. We would support mandatory catch reporting if there was any evidence that it worked. But despite years of discussion and examples from around the world, no one has presented a workable model that delivers better outcomes than the system WA already uses.
There has never been a proposal in WA that outlines how mandatory recreational catch reporting would actually work, no detail on compliance, enforcement, user experience, privacy, or cost. Just vague ideas with no plan.
Where mandatory catch reporting has been tried overseas and interstate, it’s failed due to:
– Poor compliance and unreliable data
– Privacy concerns and community mistrust
– Lack of user-friendly reporting platforms
– High costs with little return
– No way to validate or verify what’s reported
Click on the link below for our full breakdown of why we do not support this.
One rather large black marlin estimated at around 600lb (272kg) hooked at the Rowley Shoals this week before a safe release to fight another day. Awesome work from the @westcoastfishingco crew.
Crews did well at the outer FADs on days they were able to get offshore, finding blue marlin and sailfish. There’s been little bottom fishing activity, but Spanish mackerel have been taken on the troll closer in along the peninsula. Crab Creek has held threadfin salmon and barramundi, while the Fingers has offered mainly blue salmon and a few barramundi. Dampier Creek fished well for barramundi late last week, while mud crabs have been active in most of the creek systems. The westerly winds will continue throughout this week but thankfully there will be midday and early afternoon lulls.
Shore-Based
The Broome and Derby fishing clubs held their annual barramundi competition in the Fitzroy River last weekend with Broome prevailing by the length of a decent fish. Fishing was widespread and catches overall were good, with most of the Broome Fishing Club’s fish landed around Langi Crossing and Telegraph Pool. Town Beach Jetty has held small queenfish and trevally along with a few whiting on the sand, while Entrance Point has produced bluebone along with queenfish and trevally. Small barramundi and threadfin salmon have been caught in Barred and Willie Creeks.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.
Mark Sankovich was very happy with his first permit aboard @ningalooflyfishing, with this lovely fish sight cast on fly on the Exmouth Gulf flats.
There’s been very little action at the islands and on the west side as the lousy weather continues to confine boats mainly to the Exmouth Gulf, though a few coral trout have been pulled out of the lagoons down at Tantabiddi and several Spanish mackerel were taken on the troll at the back of the reef. The Gulf has fared better, with plenty of squid about close in, while the Shoals have yielded blue-lined emperor and the odd coral trout. Coral trout have been in better numbers and sizes at the bottom of the Gulf. A sailfish was seen free swimming in the Gulf earlier this week but apart from one reported catch last week there has been no action. The weather isn’t looking ideal across this weekend with moderate southerly winds hanging around, but Monday onwards should see the wind drop off into gentle westerlies. The Gulf should be your best bet once that arrives.
In Exmouth Gulf Learmonth Jetty has continued to fish well for whiting and squid, while Bundegi has held whiting on the flats along with small trevally and queenfish when bait schools are present. Squid have once again been taken from the ever reliable outside wall at the town marina, while the inside saw bream, small cod, trevally and queenfish caught. At the top of the Gulf, Mildura Wreck has produced spangled emperor and the odd bluebone and golden trevally, while golden trevally and queenfish were reported in VLF Bay. Back on the west side spangled emperor chasers have found lean pickings 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!
Once again activity has been quiet apart from the regulars dropping craypots and kayakers who have paddled across the Murchison River and caught school mulloway at Frustrations and tailor to 60cm at Oyster Reef. Early on Saturday and Sunday morning should hold decent windows to duck out and check the pots but given the conditions it may also be worth a troll around for larger pelagics.
A few big tailor have been caught at Chinamans and Back Beach, while Red Bluff has offered chopper tailor in the mornings. Pink snapper to 60cm and decent tailor have been caught from the cliffs. In the Murchison River cod have been taken from the banks up stream, while 30cm bream have been among them and also at the town marina. Crabbing has been decent with bags of both mud crabs and blue swimmers taken, but the muddies are starting to dominate the catches. Down at Lucky Bay the gutters have yielded a few tailor and the odd school mulloway. 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.
Strong winds and swells have again limited activity and when windows were found it was mostly fishers dropping craypots. The wind and swell are still looking rather ugly, but very early in the mornings is your best bet if you’re on larger boats. Early on Tuesday is currently looking nice on the forecast.
There have been a few weather windows for beach fishers with good pink snapper being caught north of Glenfield right up to Coronation. Tailor have been about, but avoiding the weed has been a challenge. Good catches have come from north of Drummond Cove, while the reef at Drummond Cove has produced good herring catches in the mornings. Sizeable tailor have been caught at the Greenough River mouth with the first point producing bigger fish, but not in great numbers. The first point recently rewarded a morning tailor fisher with a 60cm dhufish. Pike have been at the first point, but they have been in much better numbers at the second point with sizes up to 45cm. At West Bank a 15-20kg mulloway was landed by a quad-bike fisher one morning. Netters have been finding good-sized whiting in clear water around Drummond Cove and Coronation, but anglers are yet to cash in. Bream have been in the Greenough River between the rowing club and Devlin Pool. Bream fishers have been more successful when moving around.
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.
Only a few boats have been heading out wide while the demersal species are off limits. Small boats and kayaks fishing the Bay have been catching some decent King George whiting, herring and squid. Casting soft plastics or vibes to broken ground has resulted in some very good flathead crossing the 50cm mark. Activity in the cray pots has been good, although make the most of it while it lasts as it’s likely to slow soon as the crays get ready for the whites run at the end of the month. There might be an opportunity to launch on either Saturday or Sunday morning although expect a bit of chop with the 2m swell and moderate easterly winds.
The beaches at the south of Lancelin Bay have been rewarding anglers with lots of action. A good number of species have been taking the baits including herring, King George whiting, flathead and chopper tailor to name a few. The jetty has been rewarding too, with some good catches of King George whiting and herring and tailor at sunset. The surf beaches have been a challenge to drive after a swell and big tide earlier in the week and even on a modest tide the waves can be reaching the back dunes of steep soft sand. Tailor have been in good numbers along with the odd school shark, while some awesome big blue spotted flathead have been a bycatch. Both mornings this weekend are looking decent for land-based fishers in town.
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.
Figure of Eight and Boxer Islands have offered yellowtail kingfish, nannygai and breaksea cod, while queen snapper and harlequin fish have been landed at Observatory Island. Samsonfish have been at Black Island and bigger models have been caught around the Cape. Squid catches have been good in 20-22m at Cook Rocks, while sand whiting have been thick in 10m at Observatory Beach and Twilight Cove. King George whiting have been biting at Lovers Cove, while squid, herring and snook have been plentiful in Esperance Bay. Early on Sunday and Monday morning could hold a decent window with a bit of a drop off in the easterly winds expected.
Israelite Bay has held gummy sharks, mulloway and big sand whiting, while Thomas River and Cape Arid have fished well for gummy sharks and big skippy. Alexander Bay and Dunn Beach have been going well for salmon and gummy sharks, while 14-Mile Beach has yielded salmon, gummy sharks and big skippy. Wylie Bay has fished well for sand whiting, flathead and tarwhine, while good King George whiting have been taken at the port viewing area. The Taylor Street and Town jetties have offered lots of squid, herring and garfish in the afternoons and evenings, while King George whiting and flathead have been active at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Woody Lake has fished best for bream.
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.
Just one of many Rambo Sambo’s landed by @davidrobertson_1990 and his brother during a recent fishing trip off the South Coast!
Poor weather has ended a nice run of catches in King George Sound, the islands and on the coral ground. The Sound had been fishing well for King George whiting and sizeable squid, while queen snapper, pink snapper and breaksea cod were in good numbers on the coral. The only absentees were tuna and yellowtail kingfish. There might be a chance to duck out early on Saturday or Sunday but expect a bit of chop with the moderate easterly winds.
Most of the beaches on the east side have been too windy to fish, but the Denmark area should be productive for herring, skippy, pink snapper or Samsonfish. Around Albany, Gull Rock is a good bet for herring, skippy and silver bream, while Sand Patch offered herring, skippy, tarwhine, flathead and at times pink snapper. Sizeable tailor show up there from time to time also. Bream fishers have been having a good run in the King and Kalgan Rivers with the upper reaches fishing well at night, although the recent rain may have moved them downstream. Small soapy mulloway have been among the bream catches. In the town marina decent squid have been landed and herring and small skippy have been pulled from among the many pickers. A few bream have been about as well. The water is clear at Emu Point, which is starting to fish more consistently for bream, herring, whiting, squid and the occasional Samsonfish.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.
A couple of early season mulloway for @jxza_fshn and his crew on the Collie River earlier this week, with two fish going 55cm and 75cm respectively before going back in the drink.
With the weather hit or miss this week, most of the action has been in Geographe Bay where King George whiting have been active in 8-14m while squid were mostly in a bit closer. Kayak anglers fishing out from Busselton and Siesta Park have been doing well on smaller KG’s and squid in around 5m. Bright green and yellow jigs have been catching a lot of the squid. The mornings should see pleasant conditions over the coming days.
Yellowfin whiting have been abundant on the Bunbury Cut side of the estuary with vibes and topwater lures working equally well. Quite a few fish over 30cm have been landed. In the Collie River bream numbers have dwindled, but small soapy mulloway have been around. Herring have been hard to find, but they have been in good numbers at Dalyellup. A few soapy mulloway have been taken from beaches either side of Bunbury, while decent tailor have been caught at Buffalo, Myalup and Preston Beaches usually in ones and twos. Squid have been the main catch at Busselton Jetty. Samsonfish have been cruising past here, but have been reluctant to bite.
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.
Fishing for big redfin perch and trout among the Karri trees in our South-West is one of the most peaceful fishing experiences you can enjoy, with @river__king_ having a great session on the reddies using the Irukandji 3 inch Megaprawn and the Razor Edge 75mm Bruce.
Redfin perch have been cannibalising redfin fry in the reeds at Harvey Dam and a few rainbow trout have turned up for an easy feed as well. Celta spinners have worked well on both species. Decent redfin have also been caught in the Pemberton area, at Wellington Dam and in the Collie townsite, as well as on the northside of the wall at Waroona Dam where they have been patrolling the drop-offs. Nice rainbow trout have been caught in the Collie River around Potters Gorge although they have been fussy. Corn baits or Berkley Trout Nuggets fished under a bubble float have out-fished conventional lures.
Yellowfin whiting have been going bonkers quite early this year on the flats, with a great season expected ahead given we haven’t dived into the warmer weather just yet. Around Coco Drive, the Len Howard Reserve and Point Grey have all produced good catches with both vibes and surface lures working well. Photo: Tackle World Miami.
Boats
A few crews tried their luck trolling for tuna behind the Five-Fathom Bank without success, likely due to dirty water. Visibility has been much clearer in 25m-plus. The dirty water on the Five had no effect on King George whiting catches though, while sand whiting were abundant in 15-20m in line with Mandurah’s Mary Street Lagoon boat ramp. Crayfishers are expecting a few more good days before everything shuts down ahead of the whites run around 24th November based on DPIRD’s predictions. The mornings between Saturday and Tuesday should be nice and flat for the boaties.
Mulloway activity has picked up from the beaches either side of town, while tailor have become much less finnicky and were in better numbers south of town. Herring have been the main bycatch, but sand whiting catches should continue to improve. The late afternoons have been the best time to fish the Dawesville Cut which has yielded herring and chopper tailor. The town’s bridges have held the odd herring and tarwhine along with big numbers of chopper tailor, which have been smashing lures under the lights. Unfortunately, many of the choppers have been undersized. Also in the Peel Harvey Estuary, bream, soapy mulloway and small pink snapper have ben caught in the marinas, while the Murray and Serpentine Rivers have held bream and soapy mulloway as well. A decent-sized tarwhine was caught by a bream chaser in the Murray this week. Yellowfin whiting chasers have been sighting plenty of fish on the estuary flats but often they’ve been reluctant to bite before suddenly firing up in short bursts, so patience is needed.
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!
A few crews have done very well on squid, but many have struggled. It seems to be a case of finding clear water in 4m-plus rather than just rocking up to known spots. Sand and King George whiting catches have been more consistent, with the Garden Island causeway, Mangles Bay and Parmelia Bank offering both species in good numbers. Skippy have been among the bycatch. Early in the mornings will be the best boating weather over the coming days.
Beach fishing is starting to get interesting. King George whiting to 35cm have been caught at Warnbro and Port Kennedy beaches along with a few tailor, while at Long Point a tailor chaser had his mulie snaffled by a stonker 60cm skippy. Tailor fishing has been good in the mornings with lures working well on fish to 60cm around Secret Harbour. The weighty Yakamito SOS Pencil hard body has been doing a lot of the catching. Tailor have been caught on bait in the evenings, but sizes have generally been smaller. Herring and sand whiting should be in the mix on local beaches as well. The Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point have held mainly small chopper tailor, small skippy and a few herring. Palm Beach and Rockingham jetties have offered the same species along with a few soapy mulloway. Land-based squid fishing has been quiet but should improve with the easterly winds.
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!
The crayfishing action around Rottnest has been top notch lately, with a lot of boats and divers taking advantage of the abundance of reds, including @britt_c_stewart who enjoyed her first dive of the season.
Come and have a yarn with the Recfishwest crew at the upcoming Perth 4WD Show kicking off from today until Sunday! We’ll be there across the three days to chat with new and experienced fishers alike about current fishing issues and to hear your thoughts or concerns.
Squid have been hard to track down but some sizeable models have been landed out from South Fremantle. King George whiting have been in good numbers inshore off South Fremantle, the Windmills and out at the Three-Mile Reef, while some bigger ones have been holding in much deeper water off Mindarie and around Rottnest Island. Sand whiting catches have been consistent off City Beach and Cottesloe. Tailor have been caught on mulies at Mewstones, but fishers using lures have missed out there. Tuna and the odd yellowtail kingfish have been caught off Rottnest’s West End, while it has been worth trolling for chopper tailor in the Swan River’s lower reaches. In this moon phase, soaking a live bait at Blackwall Reach or in Mosman Bay for mulloway is a wise tactic. Early on both mornings this weekend should see moderate easterlies and relatively flat water along with some warmer conditions, so make sure you are trolling if moving around for a chance at tuna, mackerel and yellowtail kingfish.
The Swan River has offered plenty of good tailor from the drop-offs in Melville Water and further downstream. Canning Bridge, Como, Pelican Point and Point Resolution are locations worth targeting. Flathead catches have started to improve from the Narrows down to Stirling Bridge in East Fremantle. Apart from the odd big model landed last Saturday it had been quiet, but they fired up a little from Sunday afternoon and throughout the week. Flounder catches have been quite good too, especially around East Fremantle and Point Walter, but big-number flathead sessions have yet to eventuate. Flathead have also been holding around Burswood and in the Canning River at Mt Henry, which has been very consistent for flathead this season and has also held plenty of baitfish schools which chopper tailor have been feasting on. Quite a few of the flatties caught in ones and twos have been in the high 50cm range though, but make sure these fish go back quickly as they are the big breeders. Flounder country has also produced a few yellowfin whiting and small Samsonfish have been caught near the Fremantle bridges. Mulloway have been active in the Swan too, with fish to a metre in the lower reaches and school-sized croakers caught as far up as Maylands. Bream fishing has improved with fish becoming more active from the Causeway up as far as Guildford, even on the flats as well. Fremantle Harbour’s E-Shed has fired up for a mix of species including scaly mackerel, herring and tailor, and mulloway are a good chance while the moon is near full. The local metro beaches have been quiet. The odd tailor and a few herring have been caught at Swanbourne and Floreat in the mornings when there has been no weed. Two Rocks has produced tailor in better numbers, but the sizes have been modest. North Mole has been a consistent spot for skippy, but little else. The mornings are looking best for a land-based flick around Perth over the next four days.
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 11/6/2025 11:02:40 PM by Seamus and last updated on 11/13/2025 10:23:45 AM.
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