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Recfishwest
Fishing Report

06/12/24

They may look other-worldly (especially with eyes only on one side of their head and a face like Beaker from the Muppets), but flounder are always a welcome catch and you'll pay top dollar for a plate of this fish in a fine dining restaurant.

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!

Keep up to date with events, clinics, news and amazing catches across WA by following our Instagram page @recfishwest and give our Recfishwest Facebook page a like!

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!

This stonker of a coronation trout landed by @dan.coughlan up north is making a strong claim as the most striking-looking fish in the sea. Easily up there as one of the tastiest as well.

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Broome catches

Good lord. This 94cm donkey of a coral trout landed by @max_out_fishing aboard @reelteaserfishingadventures on the surface has to be one of the biggest we've seen in recent memory. How's the chompers on it!

Boats

With the bigger tides most locals have been concentrating on Roebuck Bay where Crab Creek and the Fingers have offered barramundi and threadfin salmon. These species have also been active further down at Thangoo and near Eco Beach, where boats have been moving into the creeks on the rising tides. Around Broome, Dampier Creek has offered the odd barramundi but it was blue-nosed salmon doing the rounds in better numbers. With the big tides recently tripletail have been harder to spot around the moorings but keeping an eye out for floating debris in the current has produced better catches. Flick your soft plastic or lure next to weed or anything on the surface and this will increase your odds of a hookup. The water will be calm over the coming days but the skies are looking grumpy. Be wary of lightning strikes this weekend.

Shore-based

As his proud dad @matt__maguire accurately put it: ✅ First solo barra ✅ Land-based ✅ Lure caught ✅ Legend.

In the Fitzroy River Langi Crossing has been populated by bull sharks but it has been fishing well for barramundi along with Telegraph Pool. The river is starting to flow more, making it muddier and murkier. Town Beach Jetty has been quiet, but the odd trevally and queenfish have been caught there while bigger models of both species have come from Entrance Point. Willie Creek has offered javelinfish and the odd small barramundi.

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

@lukeryanfishing and his pals cruised up to Exmouth recently for a week of fun on the water and the billfishing was on fire. There is plenty of marlin and sailfish around in this chop and wind, so start trolling!

Boats

The westerly wind has been blowing pretty hard, making Exmouth Gulf the best option for many. Crews that targeted the shoals north of Exmouth Reef last weekend returned with nice mixed bags of stripey seaperch, Rankin cod, coral trout and blue-lined emperor. The local shoals have been much quieter, producing mainly bluebone. The odd cobia has been in the Gulf but Spanish mackerel have been scarce. On the bright side school mackerel have been prolific, especially on the eastern side of the Gulf. Squid chasers in the Gulf have worked a lot harder for a feed this week, while deep in the Gulf fly-fishers targeting the offshore flats encountered permit and golden trevally. There has been excellent visibility at the Muirons and spearfishers have done well on bluebone and coral trout, while line fishers have found spangled emperor and a few Spanish mackerel. On the west side inshore billfishing activity has been quiet with most boats heading to 300m-plus depths to target blue marlin in rehearsal for the Exmouth Heavy Tackle Tournament this weekend. With the tournament taking place the boat ramps are expected to be extremely busy at first and last light, so those not competing might find it less stressful launching mid-morning and returning mid-afternoon. As well as blue marlin in the deeper waters, crews have encountered wahoo and some big yellowfin tuna. Crews having a deep drop after billfishing have picked up some nice ruby snapper in 200-250m. On the west side’s fringe reefs the odd Spanish mackerel has been taken and the edges of the lagoons have produced Chinaman cod and a few spangled emperor. The southerlies and higher swell are sticking around until Wednesday but there are still plenty of great fish being caught so get out there.

Shore-based

@shallowwatersafaris recently had Ned from Tasmania join them for a day of fly fishing while on vacation in Exmouth. The weather was glamour and the shallows were loaded with all sorts of rays and sharks getting about with a few fly munching cobia following in hot pursuit.

Some decent queenfish have been feasting on the hardyhead schools at Bundegi, with the hot bite being right on first light. A few giant trevally have been sighted in the area as well, while the sandflats all along the Gulf have held heaps of whiting. At Learmonth, whiting have been kept company by golden trevally to 50cm, queenfish and a few mangrove jack. The town marina has fished well for bream and mangrove jack have been taken from the refuelling jetty. Bluebone and parrot fish have been cruising along the marina’s ocean-side rock walls. Windy conditions and dirty water have made targeting spangled emperor from VLF Bay around to the Lighthouse difficult, but when it hasn’t been too stirred up and there’s been a bit of water movement some nice fish have been landed. On the west side, Winderbandi has produced some decent spangled emperor when the wind has eased.

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

Shimano ambassador @nickihuntfishing threw a few lures into prime tailor territory this week and came up trumps with some nice greenbacks. The whitewash right next to reef breaks is where this popular species loves to smash your lure.

Boats

There’s been quite a few bust-ups reported in Lucky Bay which could suggest Spanish mackerel or tuna. Local surfers are also reporting much warmer water temperatures than usual for this time of year but so far the crayfishing crews towing lures behind their boats to and from pulling their pots have had no interest yet. As for the crays, there have been plenty caught (especially around Horrocks) but many have been tar-spots, so make sure they go back. Locals are saying the whites are yet to run, but this is expected to happen over the coming weeks. Other than a brief window on Saturday morning to duck out it's looking quite rough and choppy again this week so it's likely to be larger boats heading out further.

Shore-based

Early in the week decent tailor were being caught at Red Bluff and Wittecarra. They were turning up with dart up to 70cm and some big herring. Before the swell picked up around Wednesday, Red Bluff was producing yellowfin whiting. The odd pink snapper has also been landed at Red Bluff and the coastal gorges have also produced a few, along with big tailor. Pot Alley has fished well for both species. North of the Murchison River quad-bike fishers have found plenty of tailor and mulloway action. Down at Wagoe, school mulloway, pink snapper and big tailor have been landed. In the Murchison River a 17kg mulloway was landed way up near Gregory Rock by a tourist staying at The Homestead. Young fishers have caught some big bream up that way too. Mud crabs have been very active in the system with a solid 200mm buck pulled up from the marina jetty, which has also produced a few cod. The Sand Spit has produced yellowfin whiting during the day and chopper tailor in the evenings.

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

@getaway_outdoors_geraldton have been selling a lot of ENSO IKIGAI sinking stickbaits which have worked wonders on tailor. This lure is best to use over deeper gutters with whitewash and sand as they can be cast a mile, but if you are casting this over water that's 1-2m deep above reef make sure you have a quicker retrieve to prevent snags and profanities.

Boats

The rougher weather has made it tough but crayfish have started to move and pot pullers have been doing much better over the past week. Squid activity has picked up a little around Point Moore and St Georges but catches have been inconsistent and often a lone big squid has been mixed in with much smaller models. It's not looking pleasant this week on the forecast with strong southerlies staying put until at least Wednesday and 2-3m swell. If you get seasick you won't be in for a good time!

Shore-based

The big news this week was a couple of excellent baldchin groper (one more than 70cm) caught from the shore around West Bank and Lucys. Generally the big swells have made shore fishing difficult though. Herring have been taken from the reef at Drummond Cove when the swells have been down, while the second point at the Greenough River mouth has offered herring, pike and chopper tailor. Better tailor have been taken from the reef at Flat Rocks when the swell has been low.

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

Boats

Lobster continues to be the main target for the boaties but unfortunately the weather has been up and down with swell and wind. Caution is always the best policy when deciding to pull or not to pull on the day and a lobster is certainly not worth your life, so check the weather forecast before you duck out. Also take note of your stability when pulling up large pots (we strongly recommend not pulling a 40kg+ pot up by yourself if you value a good back and keeping your feet on the boat, so have a friend help you out). Fishers have been getting mixed crayfish results depending on locations with reds, whites, undersized and jumbo’s scattered across some areas, while others have had pots full with good-sized whites. Word is the 13 Fathom edge is where to have the pots now, but be courteous to other pots already there by distancing yours if you decide to have a drop. The fishing has been red hot inside the bay with plenty of herring, skippy, and King George whiting. The 2m+ swell and strong southerlies will make it tough to launch. Hopefully next weekend will produce better conditions.

Shore-based

Tailor have been all fired up, feeding very well at sunset and sunrise each day. Beaches north and south of town and the jetty all produced some very well-conditioned fish. Small whaler sharks have been quite prevalent after sunset. The weekend is looking very windy, mornings will have some easterly assistance, but otherwise howling southerlies will have fishers seeking refuge behind some of the points along the coast. Fence Reef, North Point, Virgin Reef, Didie Point and Narrow Neck will be the best spots to cope with the afternoon breeze.

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.

Esperance catches

Boats

Tinnie fishers in Esperance Bay have found heaps of squid, some good sand whiting and loads of herring, while at the closer-in islands small nannygai, queen snapper and smallish Samsonfish have been taken. Out wide, bigger nannygai to 2.5kg have been caught along with breaksea cod, queen snapper, yellowtail kingfish to 12kg and often-unstoppable 30kg-plus Samsonfish. The deeper depths have also yielded quite a few big cuttlefish. Try use the mainland or one of the islands as shelter from these pesky summer easterlies this week.

Shore-based

The Town Jetty has produced heaps of squid and herring, while garfish have been active at night. Taylor Street near the Yacht Club has offered King George whiting, herring and the occasional squid. At Bandy Creek Boat Harbour, small King George whiting, flathead and herring have been the order of the day. Salmon and Fourth beaches have yielded a few salmon plucked from smaller schools passing through, along with lots of herring and small skippy, while 14-Mile Beach has held small salmon, gummy sharks and skippy around 1kg. Wylie Bay has offered half-kilo skippy, big herring and small mulloway. Alexander Bay has fished well for salmon, sharks, skippy to a kilo and herring, while gummy sharks have been plentiful at Israelite Bay along with flathead to 75cm. In the Bream Lakes quite a few fish over 40cm have been taken.

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

Boats

During an excellent weather window crews in bigger boats got out as far as the shelf to land hapuka and nannygai, while others found nannygai, dhufish, queen snapper, breaksea cod and pink snapper on the coral ground offshore from Albany and Two People Bay. Since then the weather has been less favourable, but King George Sound has been reliable for squid and King George whiting. There could be a good window early on Saturday if you wish to send it out before the stronger easterly winds return this week.

Shore-based

Emu Point has offered family-friendly fishing for a variety of species including yellowfin and King George whiting, herring and squid, while the town marina jetty has produced herring and skippy amid the many pickers. The same spot at night has also seen squid caught under the lights. Frenchman Bay was producing herring, King George whiting and squid but wind conditions this week weren’t favourable. In the King and Kalgan rivers bream activity was steady. Beach fishers found herring, skippy and resident salmon at Cheynes, while a few resident salmon and some tarwhine were caught at Sand Patch.

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

When the temperature increases so does the yellowfin whiting action on the surface and @harry_fowler_fishing made the most of it in our South-West.

Boats

This week’s cold fronts ended an excellent run of King George whiting out of Bunbury and put the promising start to the cray season on hold for divers and pot pullers. Good opening-day blue swimmer crabs were taken last Sunday before the weather set in, but conditions look good this weekend and whiting chasers wading the flats reported seeing plenty of sizeable crabs in the lead-up to opening day. Geographe Bay has been difficult to fish as well, but by the weekend conditions should have improved and as soon as the water clears squid should be firing again, with King George whiting catches also expected to improve. A couple of late-week kayak sessions off Dolphin Road boat ramp yielded 30-36cm King George whiting in 5m depths but squid were hard to find. Dinghy fishers trolling the Leschenault Estuary have been picking up chopper tailor in better sizes along with a few juvenile salmon. Both mornings this weekend should be decent with flat water expected but aim to return to shore before the wind picks up from midday.

Shore-based

The poor weather also put a stop to the excellent yellowfin whiting fishing in the Leschenault Estuary, but with better weather and warmer temperatures by the weekend conditions should be much better. Last weekend whiting were hitting topwater lures and vibes with gusto and were also taking a new style of lure - the 3g Ocean’s Legacy Roven micro jigs fished with a trailing assist hook. At the Bunbury Cut and along the drop-offs chopper tailor, herring and juvenile salmon have been caught. In the Collie River there have been a few bream and school-sized mulloway turning up. Before the blow tailor fishing had been good at Dallyellup, Back Beach and Buffalo Beach. With the unsettled weather it could be worthwhile for droners or casters to soak bigger baits for pink snapper at places like Preston Beach, Forrest Beach or even Busselton Jetty. Yellowfin whiting had been in good numbers on the flats around Dunsborough, while Busselton Jetty had yielded heaps of squid, along with herring and a few sand whiting.

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.

@freshwest_ once again has been catching and releasing some mighty brown broody's over the past week in our South-West. Give his page a follow to see the trout master at work.

Trout catches have been good this week and at Wellington Dam brown trout have been more active than redfin perch with mostly yearling-sized trout caught on both flies and hard-bodied lures. Staff at Whitey’s Tackle in Australind reported that the mayfly imitations in mosquito colour they have recently stocked have been met with rave reviews from local fly-fishers who have done very well using them at Wellington and Harvey Dam. Good brown trout have also been caught at Logue Brook Dam and Drakesbrook Weir. Small redfin have come from Harvey Dam, along with a few rainbow trout, while kayak fishers have still been getting bigger models of redfin at Wellington Dam, mainly on soft plastics. Rainfall has made most of the local rivers murky and slowed a lot of redfin activity.

Mandurah and surrounds

Mandurah

Boats: Crayfish have been the main game for boaties in the Peel region this week, with crews doing much better north of Dawesville. Divers have struggled with water visibility though. King George whiting have been hard to find in local waters with sand whiting dominating catches, especially inside the Five-Fathom Bank and also inshore near the Bouvards. Tuna have been hanging around the 30 and 40m lines but sizes have been quite small. On a brighter note, bonito showed up at the artificial reef this week. The estuary has been a flurry of activity with early-season crabbers out and about, but for most people it was very hard work to catch mostly empty, just-sized blue swimmers so maybe give it another few weeks to let them malt. Most locals seem content to wait until at least after Christmas to target them, although a few people snared good hauls with one or two sizeable ones among them and said most of them were full. Tailor have been in good numbers in the estuary with herring and juvenile salmon keeping them company. It's mostly southerly winds over the coming days but Saturday morning until midday looks best at this stage.

Land-based: There’s no doubt the yellowfin whiting season is in full swing. Fish are widespread in the system with Len Howard Reserve, South Yunderup, Coodanup, Erskine and Island Point (on the high tide) among the hotspots. Estuary waders on the flats are also picking up herring, chopper tailor, flounder, King George whiting and juvenile salmon as by-catch. Local wisdom suggests whiting become a little warier once crabbing season starts when scoop netters join whiting fishers on the flats. It's also a good reminder for all fishers to be courteous to others, so give other anglers their space and don't plough through the middle of feeding schools. In the Murray and Serpentine rivers bream have been fishing well, but tailor catches on local beaches have tapered off. Herring have been plentiful though and small sand whiting have been in big numbers for many beach fishers. Fishing at the Dawesville Cut has picked up with the rock wall offering herring, smallish squid, juvenile salmon and chopper tailor in the afternoons. Most of these species have been active at the Mandurah bridges as well.

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: The big news for locals this weekend was the reopening of Cockburn Sound to blue swimmer crab fishing on Sunday. Expectations were high and maybe a few were disappointed, but the weather was mild on opening day and being early in the season numbers should only get better. On the positive side, most of the crabs were big and full. The cold fronts shut down a lot of inshore whiting and squid activity and few boats went out towards the Five-Fathom Bank or behind Garden Island. If they did they were probably targeting crays which have been in excellent numbers for pot-pullers in as little as 4m, but apparently it was quite chaotic with the number of pots west of Garden Island. Make sure you are courteous to others and don't put your pots right next to theirs and use caution when navigating over the ropes. With warmer weather and clearer water expected on the weekend, King George whiting, sand whiting and squid catches should improve at the usual haunts, including Mangles Bay, Parmelia Bank, inside of Garden Island and behind Penguin Island. Over the last day or two nice mixed bags of King George whiting, herring, skippy and tarwhine came from Shoalwater Bay. Saturday and Sunday morning look best for the boats this week.

Land-based: Rockingham Jetty has produced some excellent mulloway catches this past week, including a metre-long model and several just under. Live baits have worked well. Rockingham Jetty along with Palm Beach Jetty have also fished well for herring and chopper tailor. Woodman Point and the Ammo Jetty have held mainly herring and the odd chopper tailor. The pick of the land-based squidding locations has been Point Peron, which has also offered plenty of herring. The consistent tailor run on local beaches has been going strong with Port Kennedy, Secret Harbour and Long Point among the better spots. Good numbers of school mulloway have been mixed in with the tailor. More sheltered beaches such as Kwinana near the grain terminal and the Penguin Island spit have offered yellowfin whiting and sand whiting on warmer days. The Penguin Island spit and other quieter beaches also produced flounder and flathead when the temperature was up and many fishers have done well targeting them on lures.

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

There has been a solid bump in cray catches recently with whites popping up throughout the metro region as @one_drop_cartel discovered off Two Rocks. Just be wary to put safety first at all times and that includes being vigilante about your stability on the boat (we do not recommend trying to pull up a 40kg cray pot on your own, have a friend help you out) and also consider the weather conditions when checking pots. Make sure you also wear a lifejacket and be courteous to others on where you drop pots, so don't drop yours down right next to someone else's as it can create issues with ropes and also hinder your catches.

Boats

The pesky showers slowed most boating activity this weekend but sand whiting, King George whiting and squid dominated catches last weekend. Mixed bags of sand whiting and King George whiting have come from inshore at Hillarys, off South Beach and Cottesloe, inshore at Rottnest Island and at the Windmills. Squid catches had been decent inshore at Rottnest and off South Fremantle and Coogee. Rottnest’s West End has offered tuna and the odd yellowtail kingfish, while tailor and skippy have been caught at Stragglers. Trolling for tailor has been very good in the Swan River, basically anywhere upstream from the Narrows. Favoured lures have included the ever-reliable Halco Twisty, as well as Halco Laser Pros, RMGs, CID Shiversticks and Nomad Madscads. Mulloway have been spawning in the Swan’s deeper sections and they have been heard croaking at night around the barges in Mosman Bay. Crabbers reported finding blue swimmer crabs in 8-13m depths in the lower reaches and also some good ones near the old Swan Brewery. Those southerly winds have been rather grumpy over the past few weeks and the only windows that avoid it this weekend are early in the mornings when the swell is at its lowest with an easterly wind. Aim to get back before 10am so you don't cop that southerly wind spike.

Summer crabbing is here! This big male landed by @saltyfishos was a welcome sight aboard the yak in the Swan River.

Shore-based

Metro beaches have started to fish a lot more consistently for tailor, although the onshore winds earlier this week put things on hold. Halco Twistys accounted for a lot of fish around Floreat, while big-tailor chasers at Cottesloe and Trigg have been finding fish in ones and twos. Medium-sized tailor have come from Brighton Beach, Quinns and Two Rocks. At North Mole one or two pink snapper were landed this week between the rain fronts, otherwise North and South moles have offered mainly herring, chopper tailor, skippy and sand whiting. The same species have come from the rock walls in South Fremantle, along with a few flathead. Tailor fishing in the Swan River has been magnificent with fish over 60cm being landed. Better spots have included Como, Canning Bridge, Point Walter, Applecross, Alfred Cove, Claremont, Nedlands, jetties around East and North Fremantle and at the Narrows. Prized giant herring often swim with tailor schools but at present they have been more active up river, with a couple of small ones hooked near the ponds at Burswood and reports of them from Maylands. Tailor fishers have encountered a few at Alfred Cove also. Soapy mulloway have been in good numbers especially around structure at the Causeway and behind Optus Stadium. Bream fishing in the Swan has been excellent too with better spots including the Causeway, Redcliffe, Canning Bridge and way up the Canning past Riverton. They have been taking a range of lures and have been hanging around bait schools, Strips of fresh mullet have worked well on them. Flathead are another species widespread in the Swan, they have been plentiful in the lower reaches and were still in good numbers up past the Causeway. Better flathead spots have been Claremont, East Fremantle, Point Walter, Nedlands, Mosman, Alfred Cove, Point Resolution, the Causeway, Redcliffe and Maylands. Flounder have been in good numbers at these lower reaches locations and fishers reported a few squid following their lures in. Yellowfin whiting have been seen flashing in the lower reaches of the Swan and a few diehards have been getting them on late-night tide changes using small live baits. The easterly winds in the mornings across this weekend should help with beach casting.

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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