Fishing Lure

By Seamus on 9/24/2024 7:03:41 PM • Rank (242) • Views 243
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Recfishwest Newsletter
Recfishwest
Fishing Report
20/09/24
Picture: Talk about a blast from the past! Recfishwest has been involved in stocking programs since the late '90s. These photos from 1998 capture the Bream Survival Revival project, an effort to re-stock the Swan River with black bream after a chemical spill caused a fish kill. Our commitment continues today with recent stocking of yellowtail kingfish and at Troutfest 2024
Our contributors
Sam Bock
Sam Russell
Jarrad Lawford
Sedin Hasanovic 
Want to know the best tips for taking great fish photos and also on how to handle fish out of the water? We've got you covered with our responsible fish handling and photography tips page. The page gives a perfect explanation on the types of images we love to use in our weekly Fishing Report and why. 

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!  

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For your photos to appear in the weekly fishing report, please make sure they reflect our responsible fish handling practices (so 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! 

William Bennett

RECFISHWEST FISHING REPORT WRITER

Pic of the Week!

Not just one pic this week, but a collection of snaps from the Tacklewest crew highlighting the fantastic tailor fishing in the Mid-West. Sight casting for these beauties is one of the best ways to kick off your week. Well done, Austin and Ando!

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Broome catches
A few nice barra are being caught up north as the season heats up. Gracey Colarusso landed two, measuring 88cm and 87cm. Check out one of the pics above!

Boats

Despite windy conditions on the opening day, the Broome Fishing Club’s Marlin Cup went well with 22 fish tagged from among the nine boats that took part. Crews fished mainly inshore and all the fish brought to the boat were black marlin. Tuna and big wahoo were among the by-catch. Strong winds and big tides have limited reef fishing and even fishing in Roebuck Bay has been difficult. A few crews have been trolling in close off Gantheaume Point chasing Spanish mackerel. Crab Creek, Dampier Creek and the Fingers have produced some decent threadfin salmon and a few small barramundi, while mud crabs have been in reasonable numbers at these locations. 

Shore-based

Big tides and strong winds have made fishing the creeks and Quandong difficult with most of the decent catches coming from Town Bach Jetty and Port Jetty, mainly queenfish and trevally. Wading out on low tide at Entrance Point has been a good option for queenfish, trevally and the odd bluebone, while Gantheaume Point has been fishable for trevally, with Spanish mackerel also a chance. Threadfin salmon have been in reasonable numbers at Cable Beach but whiting have been hard to find. In the Fitzroy River the best options for barra chasers have been the freshwater pools deep upstream.

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. 
Exmouth catches
Up at the Monte's, the Blue Lightning Charter crew got Graeme and Westy onto some dogtooth tuna! Definitely a bucket list catch for anyone heading that way.

Boats

Glassy conditions have produced some excellent sailfish catches on the west side with most sails being caught in less than 100m. Black marlin have been harder to find though. Those fishing on the bottom have found plenty of goldband snapper in 80m-plus depths, along with the odd cod and small ruby snapper. Closer in on the west side good Spanish mackerel have been caught on trolled garfish baits, while blue-lined emperor and spangled emperor have shown up for those fishing the close-in lumps. Spanish mackerel catches have been excellent at the Muirons, which have also offered good coral trout, big wahoo, Rankin cod and tuna. The odd sailfish has shown up at the islands and at the top of Exmouth Gulf, along with a few red emperor. In the gulf, there have been coral trout on the shoals and also deeper into the gulf, some over 70cm. The gulf has also fished well for school mackerel, shark mackerel and the odd Spanish mackerel, while cobia have been taken on 5 to 7-inch ZMan Jerk ShadZ soft plastics. On the bottom, blue-lined and spangled emperor have been the main catches. Squid have been plentiful and crews fishing around the 2m mark have also caught lots of garfish and whiting.  

The Exmouth King of the Reef competition wraps up at midnight on September 30th, so time is running out to get your share of the $15,000 in prizes!



The major prize of a Surge Orion fishing kayak worth over $2,000 (pictured above) for the most species caught on King Reef is still right up for grabs, with the current leader on 10 species. Remember, there's no restriction on the type of fish that count for your total species tally in this section, with anything from baitfish to billfish eligible, so get out to King Reef in Exmouth Gulf and rack up as many weird and wonderful species as you can to win! Find more details on the competition and fishing tips for King Reef here! 

Shore-based

Good-sized whiting have been sitting in almost every gutter in Exmouth Gulf and getting a feed has been very easy. Down at Learmonth squid catches have been good and a few bream have been mixed in with the whiting. At Bundegi boat ramp brassy trevally, golden trevally and queenfish have been hitting baitfish balls at dawn and dusk, while whiting have plentiful during the day. Farther south on the flats, giant trevally in the 60-80cm range have been caught. The outside rock wall of the town marina produced a decent tusk fish this week and it also has fished well for squid and the odd queenfish. Inside the marina, small cod, trevally and bream have been caught, while squid have been in reasonable numbers at the light industrial area. Bommies from Oyster Reef all the way around to Lighthouse Bay have fished well for spangled emperor, as has 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! 
 

Scott's Species -  High ranking "Rankin" on the target list

They look cool. They're plentiful. They're good on the chew and great fun to catch.What's not to like about Rankin cod? Check out what Scott Coghlan has to say about Rankins and how to target them in this Scott's Species article.

READ HERE

 
Kalbarri catches
In this episode of Ghost Hunters, Mat Svenson takes to the dark waters on his trusty kayak, wrangling a few silver ghosts.

Boats

The first few days after the demersal ban lifted were pretty blowy but crews managed to get on to plenty of pink snapper, averaging 65cm, either side of town. Surprisingly no dhufish or baldchin groper catches were reported. A recent report came in of a 30kg-plus tuna caught on a metal lure off Jakes Bay. Crayfishing activity has all but stopped in the lead-up to the full moon but earlier on catches were good, although many crays were tar-spotted.

Shore-based

Pink snapper have been caught from the shore too with good fish coming from Red Bluff, Oyster Reef, Eagle Gorge and Pot Alley. Red Bluff has also produced some good tailor in the mornings, along with whiting, squid and 50cm-plus dart. Beach access at Wittecarra has been difficult with the bluff a much safer option. Bigger tailor to 60cm have been caught at Back Beach. Mulloway action has slowed in the Murchison River but the sand spit has been worth a go, especially when clear water has been pushed in with the rising tide, and it could be worth targeting mulloway further up river if clear water can be found on the high tide. The spit has also produced a few whiting when the water has been clear. Chopper tailor around 35cm have been at the town marina in the evenings, while bream and cod catches have been steady throughout the system.

Shout out to Dean from Kalbarri Sports and Dive for his tips! Feel free to venture into his store to ask for advice if you're wetting a line around Kalbarri!
Geraldton catches
Check out this tailor caught using the Dingle Dangle! It shows how raising your bait off the bottom  a bit can land you more fish and fewer rays. Nice catch, Daniel Bell!

​Boats

Reports have been patchy but plenty of quality demersals were landed this week. A boatie who headed 2km almost straight out from town for an early morning session this week caught two dhufish from his first two drops. One fish was 9kg and the other 6kg. Bigger dhufish have been taken in the afternoons but in fewer numbers. Pink snapper have not been in big numbers but north-west of town they have been caught fairly close in and up to 80cm in size. Spanish mackerel have been seen jumping west of town, while 15-20kg tuna have been harassing baitfish south-west of town. Despite clearer water squid fishing has been quiet.  

Shore-based

The spring tailor run looks to have started with fish being caught from south of Greenough all the way up to Bowes River. Flat Rocks has been consistent for 40cm tailor and they have been in good numbers at Wakeford Road, along with school mulloway around the 80cm mark. Tailor have been caught in ones and twos at Greenough River mouth and they should be showing up at West Bank as well. North of town the tailor have been bigger, with quite a few 60cm models landed. Better spots have been Drummond Cove through to Buller River. Mulloway to a metre have been mixed with the tailor at Buller River, while smaller models in the 60-80cm range have been among the tailor catches at Drummond. In town, tailor have been caught at the western end of Then Lives, which was also holding good whiting until the entrance to Fishing Boat Harbour was dredged. Bream have been caught around the rocks in the harbours and marinas but the warmer weather has fired up blowfish, which have been biting the tails of the soft plastic lures meant for bream.

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 catches
John West is spending his holidays travelling around Australia and got a chance to spend the week in Lancelin. Peter Fullarton managed to get him out for a fish and he landed this 120cm mulloway on a fresh whiting!

​Boats

The start of the new demersal season has brought a surge of boats into town, with even more expected over the long weekend. Early reports are already showing some impressive dhufish, with catches around 15kg. The Lancelin Angling Club has a competition lined up, with the weigh-in at the clubroom at 3:30pm on Saturday. If you're in town for the holidays, swing by and check it out. With fresh easterly winds in the forecast, smaller boats might find better luck staying close to shore, targeting inshore pink snapper — especially if you burley up. There's also plenty of tuna action just beyond the white bank and some excellent squid catches inside the bay.

Shore-based

Tailor have arrived in good numbers just in time for the holidays, with plenty of well-conditioned fish around the 50cm mark. Remember, the bag limit allows only two fish over that size. If you find a gutter free of weed, there have been several mulloway catches around the full moon. Although low morning tides won’t be ideal this weekend, conditions should improve for mulloway fishing as next week progresses. The Lancelin jetty is a great spot to keep the kids entertained, with tailor, herring, and the occasional skippy biting on lures flicked through the night. Be cautious on the beaches, as they’ve been very soft and steep—suitable only for experienced drivers with capable 4WDs. Last weekend, many vehicles required rescue, and few managed to get more than a kilometer north of the beach access point. If you’re uncertain, stick to the backtracks to find your perfect spot.

A big Recfishwest 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. Always a great time and Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand. 
 
 
Esperance catches


​Boats

Samsonfish to 40kg have been caught at Sandy Hook, while Black Island has held big queen snapper. Figure of Eight Island has fished well for nannygai and breaksea cod, while Dart Reef has produced mixed reef species. Good pink snapper have been caught at Baynes Reef. Big sand whiting have been biting aggressively at Wylie Bay and Twilight Cove, while thumping King George whiting have been caught in deeper water on the edge of the weed in Observatory Bay. Squid catches have been good at Cook Rocks and in Esperance Bay, while big snook have been abundant at Lovers Cove.

Shore-based

Good numbers of gummy sharks and mulloway have come from Thomas River, while the western end of Dunns Beach has yielded good skippy and salmon have been cruising by there as well. Stockyards has offered tailor, salmon and sand whiting, while 14-Mile and Roses beaches have fished well for gummy sharks and salmon. Tailor and salmon have been caught at the first carpark on Fourth Beach. In town, Taylor Street Jetty has produced garfish at night, while the Town Jetty has fished well for squid. The foreshore has produced King George whiting on the high tide, while Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has held skippy and flathead. Bream chasers have done well at Wheatfield Lake.

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. 

Great Southern catches
After finding a good weather window, Douglas Anderson managed to get out for a fish. Little did he know he'd be putting his skills to the test reeling in this hefty Sambo.

Picture Credit: Alesandro Daniele.


Boats

Despite the good conditions earlier in the week crews had to work hard to get a feed out on the coral ground, with pink snapper dominating the modest catches. King George Sound has fished much better with good catches of squid mainly in the clearer water on the west side of the sound. King George whiting around the 40cm mark and sand whiting have been in the sound as well and the Gull Rock area has produced nice KGs along with the odd flathead as bycatch. Oyster Harbour and the Middleton area have fished well for herring and King George whiting.

Shore-based

Big swells have ruled out a lot of beach fishing with many tracks washed out. But depending on conditions, Cheynes Beach, Two People Bay and further east to Bremer Bay could be worth a try for herring, skippy and resident salmon. Nearer town the water is very murky at Emu Point so better land-based squidding can be had at the town marina, Frenchman Bay and Whalers Cove.  The marina and Princess Royal Harbour have offered family-friendly fishing and herring and the odd skippy and whiting have been caught from among the pickers there this week. As well as squid, Frenchman Bay has produced herring and a few nice whiting. Bream fishing has been slow in the King and Kalgan rivers as the dirty water has been slow to clear but as more fresh water is flushed downstream it can only improve, while late September is usually when mulloway start to stir in these systems. Wilson Inlet has held bream and King George whiting.

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. 

South-West catches
Mitch Cooper has been out and about, and managed to pull in this big ol pink snapper.


Boats

Tuna have been thick in 12-15m out from Bunbury with plenty of bust-ups sighted. Some have been taken on the troll but most tuna have been caught by those throwing metals and stickbaits. Shimano Coltsniper micro jigs in 20g have worked particularly well on them. These jigs cast a mile and their profile often works when the fish are skittish. Fast retrieves have worked best. Samsonfish also have also been caught on the offshore lumped but of course the main game this week has been demersal species with good catches of dhufish and pink snapper coming from out wide, along with sizeable King  George whiting and  a few breaksea cod and baldchin groper. The dhufish have been in the 10-12kg range and good dhufish have also been caught out from Dunsborough and Abbey Beach.  Squid fishing has been very good in Geographe Bay both in numbers and sizes, while King George whiting catches have been good too.  Kayak fishers working Smiths Beach and Gracetown have struggled to find dhufish but a plenty of skippy, small breaksea cod and a few pink snapper have been caught, along with a couple of medium-sized yellowtail kingfish and the odd Samsonfish. Augusta’s inshore waters have yielded nice King George whiting, especially in the late afternoons.

Shore-based

Pink snapper catches have picked up at Preston Beach but they have mainly been taken by drone fishers. Tailor catches there started to improve with fish up to 50cm being caught in twos and threes. Herring and a few whiting have also been about north of town, and also at the Bunbury Cut , Back Beach and south at Dalyellup. Drone fishers have been getting among pink snapper down Dunsborough way and a dhufish was picked up by a drone fisher in the same area. Squid catches have been reasonable at Busselton 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. 

Isabella Tan has been smashing it in the freshwater fishing scene with a fair few rainbow trout caught and couple smaller ones.
Freshwater fishing seems to have taken a back seat this week with catches steady rather than spectacular. Harvey Dam has been reliable for medium-sized redfin perch with soft plastics in natural colours working well around weed clumps and drop-offs. It’s been a similar story at Wellington Dam. The upper Collie River has also held some nice redfin, while bigger models have come from the Pemberton area. Smaller redfin perch have been caught at Drakesbrook Weir. Warmer weather and increased insect activity have started to fire up trout activity with small rainbows caught at Drakesbrook Weir and at Honeymoon Pool and Gelcoat rapids on the Collie River. The mouths of feeder creeks are a good places to target them.

Wanting to know where 66,500 rainbow and brown trout are going to be stocked over the next year? Click here to see the number of trout being stocked in all the dams, rivers and brooks! 
Mandurah and surrounds


Mandurah

Boats: Top-water fishing has been tricky because of dirty water but Samsonfish have been taken on the Five-Fathom Bank, along with some nice skippy and a few pink snapper were also caught there. Demersal chasers have fared far better from the reefs at Bouvard, finding good pink snapper and dhufish in 30-40m with most fish caught on the drift, rather than the typical anchor-and-burley method favoured by many pink snapper chasers. Breaksea cod have been plentiful at Bouvard too, mainly on the lumps in 20-30m, while those targeting King George whiting have caught some kidney-slappers inside Bouvard in 8m, with some big sand whiting mixed in. Big King George whiting have also been caught further out at Bouvard, anywhere from 20-40m. In the estuary, clearer patches of water have produced chopper tailor and herring.
 
Land-based:
Healthy spring tailor either side of 40cm have been caught on both sides of town. Reefy beaches such as Avalon and Falcon and down to Tims Thicket and White Hills have produced good numbers, while San Remo and Halls Head have done likewise north of town. A few pink snapper have been caught at White Hills, mainly by drone fishers, while herring have been in reasonable numbers on most local beaches. At Avalon, stray salmon have been picked up by tailor fishers and one or two salmon have been caught at the northern rock wall of the Dawesville Cut as well. The main part of the cut has offered mostly herring and the odd small chopper tailor. It’s been a similar story at the Mandurah bridges. The water has cleared in the estuary’s marinas and canals, making them a better option for bream chasers than the Serpentine and Murray rivers which are still very dirty.

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! 

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

Boats: Dhufish, pink snapper and quite a few harlequin fish have been landed in 30-40m behind Garden Island and on the back of the Five-Fathom Bank. Closer in on the shallow reefs, Samsonfish have been active, along with solid skippy. Squid fishing has been going really well too with 3-4m a good starting point and Cockburn Sound, Mangles Bay, out from Woodman Point and also off Point Peron, where yak fishers have done well, some of the better spots. These locations have held plenty of sand whiting, as has the Parmelia Bank, while a few tailor have come from the exposed reefs near Garden Island.
 
Land-based: Beach fishing conditions have really improved with chunky 35-45cm tailor being caught mornings and evenings at Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy, Long Point and Warnbro. Herring have been abundant at these locations and a few sand whiting have started to turn up. At Penguin Island sand spit the water has been weed-free and the spit has offered herring and sand whiting and the odd flathead and flounder. The better land-based squid spots this week have been Palm Beach Jetty, the Ammo Jetty, Woodman Point and Point Peron. The Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point have also held plenty of herring, while Rockingham Jetty and Palm Beach Jetty have held herring and small chopper tailor. Fishing the shallows of Safety Bay with squid baited on a small paternoster rig has produced flathead, flounder, sand whiting and herring.

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!
Perth catches
Finn Parr managed to get out for a demersal fish as the season has opened up. The right equipment, the right spot, the right fisher and the right weather lined up and the results show!

Credit: Jayson Spencer

Boats

Many crews have been targeting demersals, launching at the Leeuwin ramp before heading north and fishing out from Dingo Flour Mill silo where they have done well on pink snapper in the afternoons and evenings in 10-15m depths. Berley has worked well on the pinks and skippy, Samsonfish and even the odd bonito has shown up, with strips of bonito working well on the pinks. Dhufish have been caught north and south of Rottnest in 30-40m and between Rottnest and Garden islands. The West End of Rottnest has held heaps of tuna. A decent dhufish was caught close in off Fremantle this week, in 10m, along with a very good harlequin fish. Breaksea cod have been in good numbers in 20-30m, along with a few harlequin fish and also big King George whiting. Dhufish and pink snapper have also been caught out from Two Rocks. Sand whiting have been in 10-15m off Cottesloe and South Fremantle and at the Windmills where they have outnumbered King George whiting, while squid chasers have done well in 5m between South Beach and Coogee. In the Swan River dinghy anglers have picked up small chopper tailor when trolling in the lower reaches, while a couple of metre-plus mulloway were pulled from deeper sections of the river this week.

Shore-based

Bream fishing in the Swan River has picked up with small to medium-sized fish caught between Redcliffe and the Causeway. Baits such as prawns and mulie pieces have worked best, although have few have been taken on small hard-bodied minnows. Surprisingly soft plastics weren’t in favour, however there were plenty of 35-45cm flathead there that were happy to hit them instead. A few bigger flathead have been picked up in the Swan’s lower reaches, while bream have been hitting surface lures on the flats around Claremont. Bream have been caught at the Narrows too and the odd tarwhine has been mixed in. Chopper tailor have been in good numbers in the river although sizes have been small. The Narrows, Canning Bridge, Nedlands and Claremont have been some of the better spots. Fremantle Harbour has offered herring, a few tarwhine and yellowtail at night. North Mole has been quiet but it produced tailor around the 50cm mark this week and herring have been in good numbers. South Mole and the South Fremantle rock walls have held the odd squid, along with small skippy and herring but fishing there has generally been slow. Some nice tailor have been caught at Floreat and Swanbourne beaches in the morning and the northern rock walls have held herring.  A pink snapper was taken at Hillarys this week and inside the rock wall the odd bream has been picked up around pylons. Tailor catches have also been good on the northern beaches and a couple of pink snapper were picked up by drone fishers up that way earlier this week.    

A big thanks to Anglers Fishing World in Fremantle for their great tips! These guys love their fishing just as much as we all do, so make sure you ask their super friendly team for advice and stock up before wetting a line off the land or boat! 
 
 
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