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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

22/11/24

King George whiting have been in great sizes and numbers recently between Lancelin and Busselton, with small strips of fresh squid tentacles working best for bait. Easy to fillet and five-star eating quality. One man who catches plenty of this great species is Dom from @FishTuckerMan, check his channel out!

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 r esponsible 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!

We love snaps that show off the serious chompers of a Spanish mackie. This brute of a Spaniard was one of many solid fish landed aboard @onstrikecharters this week off Exmouth.

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DONATE TO OUR RECFISHWEST MOVEMBER TEAM TO RAISE MONEY FOR MEN'S HEALTH!

Help eight of the most manly men at Recfishwest raise money for a great cause by donating to our Movember team - The Brown Lip Abalonely's!

We're growing some almighty slugs, some look like we've been growing them since puberty, but we are dedicated to the cause.

Every dollar helps, and you will be helping us make a difference to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.

We've raised more than $3,000 - help us double that and make us feel more masculine, even if some of our mo's don't look it.

DONATE TO THE BROWN LIP ABALONELY'S HERE!

Broome catches

Reeling in two monster barra at 1.10m and 1.06m is a pretty memorable session for @gino3chambers and @boochface in the Kimberley!

Boats

With the bigger tides this week Crab and Dampier Creek have been a bit quiet for barramundi, but Crab Creek and the Fingers have offered decent threadfin salmon and both creeks have produced some thumping blue-nosed salmon near their entrances. In Roebuck Bay solid tuna and the odd Spanish mackerel have been taken around the moorings near the pearl farm. Good tripletail have been caught around the moorings as well, with prawn baits proving effective. The mornings look calmest over the weekend for the boaties and there should be a bit of reprieve from the rain if you wish to duck out.

Shore-based

The Derby and Broome Fishing Clubs’ Interclub Barramundi Competition held in the Fitzroy River last weekend was a big success, with quite a few fish over the magical metre mark landed. The competition was based at Willare, but the better catches came from Snake Creek and Telegraph Pool, with bragging rights going to the Derby Fishing Club in what was a great weekend of fishing. Along with its usual fare of bream, small trevally and queenfish, Broome’s Town Beach Jetty produced barramundi in the 60-70cm range this week. At Entrance Point, fishers wading out at low tide have caught queenfish and trevally, while a group of young anglers walked to Dampier Creek and landed a 90cm barramundi and a couple of cracking threadfin salmon. Willie Creek produced mangrove jack and barramundi, while whiting chasers have been finding a few at Town Beach. A couple of nice threadfin salmon have been caught at Eighty Mile Beach.

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

While they didn't convert any blue marlin out in the depths off Exmouth, @claterz still managed to rustle in this cracker of a yellowfin this week!

Boats

Weather conditions haven’t been ideal, but productive half-day sessions have rewarded crews heading out on the western side. The bigger boats have persevered for a few blue marlin in 400m-plus depths, but inshore billfishing activity has been quiet. Those who found lumps in the 70m-plus depths have caught goldband snapper, while the 30-70m range has yielded spangled emperor, Rankin cod and red emperor. One spearfisher had a very good day at the FADs, getting a wahoo, a couple of dolphinfish and even a tripletail. Closer in near the tip of the Cape saw crews doing well on bluebone and spangled emperor. There have been good numbers of Spanish mackerel all around the Muirons and lots of spangled emperor were on the rubbly ground closer in to the islands. Out a bit deeper, Rankin cod and red emperor have been landed, while a crew that overnighted at Long Island did well on golden trevally and saddletail snapper. A few cobia have been in Exmouth Gulf, along with the odd Spanish mackerel and school mackerel, but sailfish captures have declined. South of Exmouth Reef, blue-line emperor and spangled emperor catches have been considerable. Squid numbers have dipped slightly, but good feeds have been taken from the Bundegi to the prawn farm stretch and out from Learmonth. Fly-fishers who targeted the far side of the Gulf have encountered queenfish and trevally. Mud crabs were holding deep in the Gulf and in the creeks on the far side. The mornings look best over the coming days and the southerly winds will slowly swing around into south-westerlies from Sunday onwards, which should make the Gulf a little more sheltered and comfortable to fish.

Shore-based

Exmouth Gulf has been holding heaps of whiting, especially out from Bundegi where they have been mixed in with garfish. Bundegi also held small trevally and queenfish, while Learmonth Jetty produced bream and squid. In the town marina, big cod have been engulfing hooked bream and queenfish. The marina’s outside wall has been reasonable for squid, with the odd flathead in the marina as well. For those prepared to put in a bit of walking, Oyster Reef and the nearby Mildura Wreck have fished well for spangled emperor with the odd sizeable queenfish and golden trevally landed as well. Wapet Creek (a great spot to get out of the wind) has been worth a crack for mangrove jack, which have shown a liking for a range of lures and plastics. At Tantabiddi, spangled emperor have been caught in the late afternoons on the high tides.

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!

Kalbarri catches

@hanyeoh13 has been cruising the flats north of town in Shark Bay this week and the skilled fisher has rustled in plenty of top species, including some lovely yellowfin whiting and bream along with some plump Spangos.

Boats

The weather hasn’t given boaties much to smile about! Because of that, crayfishing continues to be the main game with some good catches rolling in. A few crews have been trolling lures for pelagics on the way out to their pots and on the way back but unfortunately have had no success yet. The early mornings have lined up nicely this week and both Saturday and Sunday look inviting for a send out. Aim to get back in before getting slapped by that southerly wind around 11am though.

Shore-based

Big mulloway have been caught at Frustrations, while a crew that battled the wind at Lucky Bay were also rewarded with good mulloway, along with pink snapper. On the way back they fished the cliffs close to town and caught more pink snapper and some big tailor. Some more thumping tailor and decent mulloway also came from Oyster Reef, while tailor nudging 50cm were landed at Back Beach. Tailor fishing has been much quieter at Wittecarra and Red Bluff, but the latter location has produced decent yellowfin whiting and shore divers there have been getting a few crayfish. With quite a lot of midweek rain it could also be worth targeting mulloway in the Murchison River. The Sand Spit would also be a good spot to try. Elsewhere in the river, mud crabs have been caught at the marina jetty and bream have been in reasonable numbers. The fishing up north in Shark Bay has been productive if you can use the winds to your advantage as well or find sheltered pockets.

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

Another bicep buster for @mat.svenson this week off Geraldton in the yak!

Boats

Most boat fishing activity this week has revolved around crayfish and it has been divers who have done well, finding plenty on the ledges with quite a few whites reported. Those dropping pots have had to work much harder for a lobster lunch, whether fishing locally or out from Dongara. The title of 'windiest town in the world' is on full display again this week with constant southerlies ruining it for the boaties. Land-based would be best but try and find sheltered areas that have minimal weed.

Shore-based

Those getting up early to beat the wind have found smallish tailor at Tarcoola Beach, while in the afternoons, the first and second points at the Greenough River mouth have offered a few. Tailor up to 60cm have been caught from the reef at Drummond Cove on the morning low tides, but not in huge numbers. The northern reefs have held herring in various sizes and big garfish have been about, but conditions haven’t been ideal for targeting them. An angler enjoyed an excellent mid-afternoon session north of the boat ramp at Horrocks this week, landing a school mulloway, a couple of good tailor and a pink snapper. At Bowes River, mulloway to a metre, a few tailor and the odd pink snapper have been landed. Back in town the Chapman River has produced decent 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

Daniel Howe and has dad Clinton enjoyed a red hot session with Peter Fullarton on Sunday morning, which saw this solid pinkie via a drone drop and Clinton christening his new Assassin rod with a cracker of a mulloway.

Boats

The whites run of crayfish has everyone heading out to set pots in anticipation. To date, the crays are yet to make an appearance. Tuna schools have been plentiful and there hasn't been a need to head far out to find a few schools. The 20m depth line is always reliable for a feed of sand whiting, but the North-West blowfish have been in plague proportions. Try keep things quiet on the water as they will be attracted to any commotion and love ruining hooks. Inside the bay there’s been plenty of herring, skippy, flathead and some good catches of King George whiting. Those southerly winds and 2m swell are sticking around which will make it tough for the boats, land-based looks like the better option at the moment.

Shore-based

The weather has been sensational for the beach casters in the mornings and the fish have certainly come to the party with some great sessions on chopper tailor. Larger baits have resulted in some perfect-sized sharks for the pan at around a metre, along with the odd mulloway. Drone drops around 200m offshore has seen some good snapper from nearshore reefs.

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. Always a great time and Peter knows the best spots around Lancelin like the back of his hand.

INTRODUCING THE NEW CLEAN-UP TOOL FOR FISHERS - THE 'TACKLE BACK'

New clean-up tool for fishers!

There is now an easy way to safely collect and recycle fishing waste like line, hooks, plastic, lures or any other rubbish you see on fishing trips thanks to the new 'Tackle Back' personal disposal bin from Tangaroa Blue.

This device is a handy solution for when you need a bin at arm's length on trips and Recfishwest hopes to see this simple, yet clever initiative become a standard piece of fishing gear for West Aussie fishers.

Get your hands on a Tackle Back for FREE if you're in Mandurah at Tackle World Miami, thanks to support by the City of Mandurah, Coastal Waste Warriors, Estuary Guardians Mandurah, Western Australian Seabird Rescue and Recfishwest

Esperance catches

Boats

Nannygai to 3kg have been taken at Mondrain Island with bicep-burning Samsonfish to 20kg mixed in as well. Breaksea cod and pink snapper have been abundant at Figure of Eight and Boxer Island, while queen snapper and harlequin fish have been landed at Black Island. Fourth Beach and Wylie Bay have produced lots of sand whiting in 12m depths, while Lovers Cove has been a hotspot for King George whiting. There have been lots of squid in Esperance Bay and in Wylie Bay. It's looking manageable for the boaties this weekend although both mornings look more comfortable. There are some stronger easterlies roaring through early next week.

Shore-based

Israelite Bay has produced gummy sharks, while soapy mulloway have been caught at Thomas River. Big skippy have been landed at Dunns Beach, while skippy, gummy sharks and salmon have come from 14-Mile and Roses beaches. Good King George whiting have been caught from the town foreshore. As per usual, the end of the Town Jetty has been a good spot for squid, with the deeper end producing the best results. Bandy Creek Boat Harbour has offered skippy, King George whiting and flathead, while Woody Lake has once again held bream to 40cm. Saturday’s southerlies are thankfully pretty mild, before stronger easterlies kick in from Sunday onwards – try find spots with some protection to the east if you value not getting sandblasted in the afternoons!

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

The @outback_breamer_baits crew once again found some thumper inland bream with four fish in total crossing the magical 40cm mark. The mussel lures once again reigning supreme.

Boats

The weather gods have done boaties no favours this week, with even King George Sound off limits for all but the diehards. The Sound had been offering reasonable King George whiting when conditions were good. Squid could be an option when conditions improve, but with the recent rain making the water dirty finding clear patches may be a challenge. The weather is currently lining up well for the boaties this weekend with a nice drop in the wind and swell. Saturday morning looks best at this stage.

Shore-based

Strong southerly winds have ruled out a lot of land-based fishing with the sheltered King and Kalgan rivers the most reliable spots this week. Both rivers have been holding bream, mostly in modest sizes, and the odd small mulloway. Squidding around town is likely to be difficult because of the water clarity, but the town marina could be worth a go for herring and small skippy. If shelter can be found at Emu Point herring and King George whiting could be worth targeting. Before the weather turned nasty, the most consistent beach fishing locations were Sand Patch for herring and tarwhine and Cheynes Beach for herring, skippy and the odd resident salmon. Sand Patch has been known to produce good tailor around this time of year.

Cheers to the Trailblazers Albany crew for their tips this week! Swing by their store if you're after some top gear and advice ahead of your next fishing trip. Remember, you'll also catch just as many fish off the beaches than the rocks and it is always much safer to go with this option on the south coast.

South-West catches

It's not often you see mako sharks turning up but when they do they are a very cool sight. This pup was a nice surprise for Dylan Picken @pickos90 off Busselton this week and at this size would have been born very recently.

Boats

The 15-35m depths either side of Bunbury have fished well for King George whiting in the 50cm-plus range. Smaller KG's but in better numbers have shown up in Geographe Bay where squidding has also been rewarding. The squidding has been a lot slower off Bunbury where the water was a little more murky. Where clearer water could be found divers have been getting among the crayfish out from Bunbury, but pot-pullers seem to be playing a waiting game. In the Leschenault Estuary trollers have picked up 30-35cm tailor. The best weather for the boats will be early on both mornings this weekend when the wind is calmest. Early next week will see the return of windy and choppy conditions.

Shore-based

Grant James hadn't caught a fish this size before and was pretty chuffed with this mulloway landed at sunset, best way to send a day off!

Consistent catches of chunky 35-40cm tailor have rewarded beach fishers from Preston all the way down to Dalyellup. Beaches north of Bunbury have also held whiting and herring, but mulloway have been few and far between. The rock walls at Back Beach and the Bunbury Cut have fished well for herring, skippy, small whiting and tarwhine, while at Dalyellup herring and whiting chasers have encountered lots of juvenile salmon, some up to 45cm. These fish have mainly been taking baits but have also been hitting small metal slices with gusto. On the warmer days, yellowfin whiting have been abundant on the flats in the Leschenault Estuary, while the Blackwood River has been fishing well for bream. In the Dunsborough area drone fishers targeting reef bommies a few hundred metres offshore have hooked pink snapper and the odd dhufish. Drone fishers have caught one or two smallish pink snapper at Preston Beach.

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.

That's what you call a stunner of a wild trout. Note the full tail and anal fins on this trout landed by the @westyboys crew this week which indicates it was born and raised in our beautiful South-West waterways.

Big redfin perch continue to be taken at Wellington Dam, again mainly by kayak fishers. Smaller models have been active at Harvey Dam, which has also fished well for rainbow trout. Drakesbrook Weir has held a nice mix of browns and rainbows, with both species mainly taking flies and small vibe lures. Waroona Dam has held mainly redfin perch, with the average size being around 25-30cm. Trout around Honeymoon Pool on the Collie River have been very cagey and were reluctant to bite. Systems in the Pemberton area have held a nice mix of brown and rainbow trout near faster flowing water, with old-school hard-bodied lures such as small RMG Scorpions working well. The water levels have declined, making more areas accessible and insect hatches have been firing fish up at times. Better spots have included Lefroy Brook, Big Brook Dam and at Thompsons Flats near the hatchery.

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

Boats: Tailor have been thick in the estuary if you can get past the herring, but the key has been to fish when there has been more water movement. A few juvenile salmon have turned up as well. King George whiting chasers have hit the jackpot inside the Bouvards with some big models being caught out from White Hills on the inshore lumps in 10-15m depths. Reports of good sand whiting catches have come from inside the Five-Fathom Bank, while on the Five those fishing for skippy have encountered a few yellowtail kingfish and Samsonfish in their burley trail. Squid chasers have done nicely on the weed beds at Avalon and Falcon. The weather has lined up nicely for a majority of this weekend but the mornings look best.

Land-based: Yellowfin whiting seemed to shut down when the barometer fell over the past week in the estuary, but on warmer days without the cloud cover they have been very active around Erskine and Boundary Island. One of the best lures to target them on has been the 70mm Bassday Sugapen. Herring have saved the day for many unsuccessful whiting chasers on the flats. The Dawesville and Mandurah bridges have started to fish well for herring and small tailor, while squid have been taken on the incoming tides an hour before dark. A younger crew has been doing very well this week at the Jolly Frog jetty on herring, tailor and juvenile salmon up to 50cm. Bream fishing has been steady in the Serpentine and Murray rivers. On the beaches, herring and sand whiting have been in good numbers on both sides of town and tailor fishing should pick up over the weekend as the moon wanes.

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: Squid, King George whiting and sand whiting have been in good numbers in Cockburn Sound, Mangles Bay, off Woodman Point, inside of Garden Island, along the Causeway and behind Penguin Island. Skippy catches on the lumps seem to have waned and there has been no tuna activity reported, but that could change this weekend with better conditions and warmer temperatures. Tailor chasers at Mewstones have been having difficulty getting past hordes of herring. Enjoy those great conditions on both mornings this weekend!

Land-based: Tailor have again been a consistent catch from the beach at Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy and Long Point and nice school mulloway have been among them in better numbers. Herring and sand whiting have also been about. There’s been a few sand whiting from the Penguin Island spit and when the weather gets warmer expect flathead catches to improve there as well. Point Peron has offered plenty of herring and has been reasonable for squid. Woodman Point and the Ammo Jetty have produced heaps of yellowtail scad, along with herring and a few squid. Yellowtail scad have also been at Rockingham and Palm Beach jetties along with herring and the odd squid as well.

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

A very unexpected Swan River bycatch for @lewy_tutt this week! This 90cm horse of a pink snapper smashed a soft plastic intended for a mulloway. The fish was quickly snapped then released safely back into the water to fight another day. The demersal season kicks off again on December 15, so make sure all demersal species go back before then.

Boats

Squid have been a bit hit or miss in local inshore waters. Sizes have been very good, but numbers have been down, especially in shallower depths. Whiting catches have made up for it though with Hillarys, Cottesloe, the Windmills, the back of Stragglers, Success Bank and inshore at Rottnest Island all producing good bags of King George whiting as well as chunky sand whiting to 30cm. When conditions have allowed it, Rottnest’s West End has produced small tuna along with yellowtail kingfish in the 70-80cm range, along with a few Samsonfish being taken by anglers drifting lightly weighted mulies and scalies. Samsonfish have also been caught on live baits and surface lures off Ocean Reef. Chunky tailor have been active at Stragglers and tailor to 50cm have been caught on trolled stickbaits in the lower reaches of the Swan River. Early on Saturday and Sunday morning are looking ideal for the boaties this week all up and down the coast, so make the most of it before the Fremantle Doctor blows through before midday.

Shore-based

A proper kraken of a squid landed by six-year old Joshua Ellis this week off Hillarys! Great catch mate!

The Swan River has continued to fish well for a host of species. At Applecross and Como tailor chasers on the flats have hooked and lost several giant herring and smaller models have been landed around Maylands. Tailor have also been caught on the flats around Claremont and they have been taken under the lights at the Narrows and at Canning Bridge. Several big mulloway have been landed in the lower reaches from jetties around Mosman Bay. The jetty near the old Swan Brewery could also be worth a try for those prepared to put in the hours. Soapy mulloway have been widespread from the Causeway up river. Bream have been active around the Causeway and Optus Stadium, with some decent flathead among the bycatch. Maylands and Garratt Road Bridge have also fished well for both species and bream catches have become more consistent around Guildford. Flathead have been plentiful in the lower Swan too with Bicton, East Fremantle, Claremont, Point Walter, the Narrows, Nedlands and Mosman Bay producing, with many anglers enjoying hot midweek sessions between the cold fronts. Flounder catchers have dipped slightly, but there have been plenty of good ones around the same downstream areas as the flathead. Fremantle Harbour has been full of herring and juvenile pink snapper, with a couple of fishers broken off by what were believed to have been bigger pink snapper. Surprisingly, North Mole is still producing a few pink snapper and it has offered some kraken-sized squid, but not in big numbers. Herring and garfish have also been about, while South Mole and the Fremantle rock walls have offered mostly herring and the odd squid. One angler fishing the end of South Mole using squid strips as bait picked up King George whiting to 40cm this week. Weed has made tailor fishing difficult around Cottesloe, but Brighton Road, Trigg, Ocean Reef and Yanchep Lagoon have produced tailor for those baitcasting on the morning easterlies. The northern beaches have been producing reasonable numbers of herring along with a few sand whiting and drone fishers have picked up a few pink snapper there as well. Both Saturday and Sunday morning look best for a metro land-based fish.

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!

Recfishwest

3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys

Perth, WA 6025

Australia

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Recfishwest · 3/45 Northside Drive Hillarys · Perth, WA 6025 · Australia

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