23 January, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to @wiehann_nel for finally cracking the giant herring code up in the Pilbara after targeting this species for a long time, and what a fish to break the ice!
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!
A major new fishing reef is now live in the Pilbara!
The Dampier Artificial Reef is officially in the water off Rosemary Island, and it’s a big one.
Made up of 48 purpose-built concrete modules, this large-scale reef has been designed to fish well from the surface right down to the seafloor, holding baitfish and attracting predators in prime sailfish country.
Fishers can expect exciting opportunities for sailfish, Spanish mackerel, wahoo and longtail tuna, along with quality bottom fishing for Rankin cod, coral trout and snapper.
Developed through a partnership between Recfishwest, Woodside Energy and the local community, the reef also delivers long-term habitat benefits - turning bare sand into a productive marine ecosystem that will support fish and fishing into the future.
Click on the video above to see the modules being deployed!
📍 Reef coordinates and tips on how to fish it can be found here.
A heads up to all Mid-West, Metro, South-West and South Coast fishers planning to fish over the upcoming long weekend between Kalbarri and Albany 🌊
This Hazardous Fishing Alert is part of our partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology to help notify fishers of dangerous forecasts. With a significant swell and elevated wave heights moving along our coastline during this time, it is important to put your safety first.
INFO:
Swell increasing from late Friday night, with south-westerly swell around 3-3.5m and swell period of 14-15 seconds between Cape Leeuwin and Albany.
The swell peaks just under 3.5m early Saturday morning, before decreasing below 3m Saturday afternoon.
South-westerly swell then increases again from midday Sunday between Cape Naturaliste and Albany, with swell heights around 3.5-4m and swell periods of 12-14 seconds.
Swell heights peak around 4-4.5 m on Sunday evening between Cape Leeuwin and Denmark.
Patchy 3-3.5m swell heights extend north to Kalbarri throughout Sunday into Monday.
Swell heights slowly ease on Monday, returning to below 3m early Tuesday morning.
No fish is worth your life, so put your safety first and if anyone you know is thinking of going fishing in these areas during this time, let them know of this alert.
A cracking Kimberley barra caught by Ashleigh from Way Out West Adventures!
Wind and storms have limited opportunities with Dampier Creek the most popular location this week, mainly for its ease of access. It has been fishing very hot and cold though, with barramundi either on the chew some days or very quiet during other sessions. A few blue salmon have been in there and the odd queenie has been caught at the mouth. Before the rain fronts the creek systems had been producing mud crabs. A few tripletail have been taken from the moorings in Roebuck Bay, while the inshore lumps have produced bluebone. Those low wind days are ending from Saturday with some ugly westerly winds and lightning continuing on the forecast into next week. The creeks are your best bet, but avoid fishing if lightning is around.
Shore-Based
Barramundi fishing has been steady in the Fitzroy River at Telegraph Pool and Langi Crossing, but just be careful at Langi as it has been a hotspot for sharks. Some nice queenfish have been caught at Town Beach Jetty, while structure at Entrance Point has yielded mangrove jack to 50cm at night. Queenfish and trevally have been taken at James Price Point and Quandong, while Willie Creek has held 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.
A lovely yak mack for @mat.svenson on the west side this week!
Unpredictable conditions around Exmouth have thwarted many missions and wiped out a lot of west-side activity, except for a few game-fishing crews who have been raising blue marlin and a few black marlin but haven’t had much luck getting them to strike. Closer in, Spanish mackerel have been hooked between Helby Bank and Tantabiddi, but sharks have been a nuisance. If you hook a fish and it’s getting chased by sharks, try free-spooling your reel and let the fish outpace them because sharks fatigue quite quickly, then try and chase the fish down in your boat if possible. Trolling the lures or baits closer to the back of the boat and holding the rod as you troll means a shorter reaction time as well. Most of the bottom-fishing activity has been in Exmouth Gulf and around Exmouth Reef where coral trout, blue-lined emperor, spangled emperor were caught. Towards the islands the odd giant trevally have been landed. Mack tuna and longtail tuna have been active throughout the Gulf, while the Bay of Rest area has been rewarding fly-fishers with the odd permit. Mud crabs have been taken down that way too. Squid fishers have done best first thing in the morning. Saturday morning looks okay on the forecast with lighter southerly winds and a 2m swell, but the Gulf side should be more sheltered. Make sure you lather up and cover up as it’s going to remain very hot.
Weather windows in the middle of the day have yielded whiting, small golden trevally and queenfish from the Bundegi flats down to Learmonth, while a packet of prawns has often produced mixed bags of flathead, bream, mangrove jack and whiting at Wapet Creek. Small cod, bream, queenfish and mangrove jack have been in the town marina. Spangled emperor chasers at the tip of the Gulf have found it hard going but with stronger southerly winds arriving from Saturday it should assist with your casting.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!
Good catches of Spanish mackerel up to 11kg have been taken both sides of town with one crew trolling tailor and garfish baits hooking 11 in a session. Mackies taste delicious and you get plenty of yield of meat out of one fish, so it pays to have a troll around while the bite is hot. Big yellowfin tuna to 25kg have also popped up in warmer pockets at the Sand Patch, the Three-Mile and out from the cliffs. Both mornings this weekend are looking best on the forecast, but it is expected to still be quite choppy on the water.
Extreme temperatures have kept a lot of fishers inside in air-conditioned comfort. Locally, Wittecarra has been the pick of the shore spots on the coast, but is has been quite sharky and weedy. It has produced a few tailor though, with surface lures working best. At Lucky Bay tailor have been caught from the beach near the lagoon, while the lagoon itself has yielded nice mixed bags of flathead, whiting and flounder. The Murchison River has been a much better bet, especially for mulloway, with several taken this week ranging in size from 70cm to over a metre. Chopper tailor have also been prolific in the river and have been taking micro jigs around the Sand Spit, where a few yellowfin whiting have been caught. More whiting have also been around the river mouth. Very big bream have been taken around structure, while the strong run of mangrove jack has showed no signs of slowing. Many fishers were also being smoked by a couple of thumping mangrove jack around 65cm, with a couple landed at the boat pens. Zman Prawnz Elite and Zman Melletron soft plastics have been doing the damage on the bigger ones. Giant herring have also been active a fair way up river with fish to 60cm landed. A few mud crabs have been caught, but it’s been mostly blue swimmer crabs taken near the river mouth.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.
Entries are now open for the Abrolhos Islands Game Fishing Tournament 2026! This is one of the best comps in WA in one of the most epic places our coastline has to offer, such as this yellowfin tuna landed by Halco’s Curtis Waterman. Head to the link here to check out all the details.
Strong easterlies have ruled out most boating activity, but Geraldton Sports has been selling lots of trolling lures, suggesting crews are eager to target Spanish mackerel and tuna when conditions improve. A few dinghy fishers have been dropping nets for blue swimmer crabs outside of Batavia Coast Marina. Most of Sunday is looking like the best window to duck out this weekend with a slight drop in the wind and swell expected. The next best window after that on the forecast is looking like midday on Thursday.
Beach fishing for tailor has been excellent, especially in the evenings at Flat Rocks, Tarcoola and Coronation with lots of 30-40cm choppers and the odd 50cm fish. Coronation Beach has been producing 30cm-plus herring, while the back of the Lives at the eastern-end rocks has offered a mix of herring, chopper tailor and whiting. Lure casters have caught a few giant herring to 60cm at Sunset Beach and have lost quite a few more, while bull herring and a small dart have been caught at Tarcoola Beach in the mornings. A few prawns have been scooped at night in the Greenough River, while blue swimmer crabs have been pulled up by drop netters in Batavia Coast Marina.
Thanks to the team at Geraldton Sports Centre for their tips! They will happily provide you with great gear and solid advice for your next fishing trip.
Max had a great morning with his father catching a mix of herring, tailor, skippy and snook during one of Peter Fullarton’s Tailored Treks tours in Lancelin!
On the pelagic front, skipjack tuna have been prevalent across a wide range of depths, while dolphinfish have been turning up around the FADs. Sand whiting have been in good sizes along the 20m contour. Closer in, trolling pilchards or small minnow lures 20–30m off the beach has been a reliable way to pick up a few tailor early in the morning. The bay’s sheltered waters continued to produce the goods, with mixed bags of skippy, tailor, snook, herring, King George whiting and squid keeping crews busy. Looking ahead to the long weekend, swell conditions are set to fluctuate, with a significant ground swell forecast by Monday, when the boats are best left on the trailers. Sunday morning looks to be the only manageable window until Thursday morning.
Shore fishing has been excellent, not so much for the bigger models, but for numbers. Plenty of tailor, skippy, tarwhine, flathead and dart have been caught along the beaches. A mid-week swell dislodged a lot of weed from the reefs and shifted plenty of sand, fluffing up the beaches nicely for any ill-prepared beach drivers ahead of the long weekend. On the upside, snapper have really fired up and were actively feeding, with plenty of tailor also in the mix. Morning low tides have made beach access easier and allowed anglers to cast into inshore reefs for snapper and tarwhine. By the afternoon, full gutters have been holding school mulloway and greenback tailor.
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.
Offshore fishing has been going well with nannygai to 60cm, breaksea cod to 3kg and queen snapper up to 9kg being taken in the 50m depths. Samsonfish have been abundant around Mondrain Island, while the 17m depths at Cook Rocks have held lots of squid. Sizeable King George whiting have been landed at Observatory Island, while big skippy and snook have been caught at Flat Rock. Esperance Bay has held good numbers of squid and garfish. Saturday and Sunday morning should be manageable for the boaties.
Israelite Bay has been going well for mulloway and big skippy, while Thomas River has held salmon and plenty of gummy sharks in the shallow gutters. Alexander Bay has fished well for skippy and gummy sharks, while Roses Beach has yielded more gummy sharks and bronze whalers. Lots of salmon have been caught at Fourth and Salmon beaches, while thumping King George whiting have been taken along the town foreshore. Both jetties in town have produced herring and squid, while Bandy Creek Boat harbour has held herring, flathead, King George whiting and sand whiting. Bream fishers have been doing well at Woody 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.
A proper bicep burner of a Sambo from @nicholas.reid9 off the South Coast this week!
Last weekend offered good conditions for those who launched early from Hartmans, Albany and Cheynes with plenty of pink snapper, queen snapper and breaksea cod seen at filleting tables. Crews chasing King George whiting have been doing best in 12m at Michaelmas, Seal Island and Mistaken Island. Squid have been in a wide range of depths, but persistence has been the key. At Two Peoples Bay the good run of sand whiting has continued, while the inlets at Denmark and Walpole have been fishing very well for pink snapper, tarwhine, flathead, flounder, pink snapper, yellowfin whiting and King George whiting. Tuna schools have been active at Bald Head and Eclipse Island. Drop netters have been getting blue swimmer crabs in Oyster and Princess Royal harbours, and a few should be in Wilson Inlet as well. Saturday is looking decent on the forecast with the lower winds, but be wary of the swell.
A bit of burley thrown in at Emu Point has been bringing in herring schools, while salmon trout and chopper tailor have also shown up. The town marina has offered herring, small skippy and bream, while both locations and Frenchman Bay have produced a few squid. The King and Kalgan rivers have fished well for modest-sized bream, with whiting and herring also being caught near the entrances. Beach fishing has improved with resident salmon being taken at Salmon Holes, Sand Patch, Nanarup and Bluff Creek, along with skippy herring and flathead. Ocean Beach has been thick with tarwhine, while Gull Rock and Ledge Beach have yielded juvenile salmon and herring. Decent tailor have been caught at Bornholm Beach, while blue groper have been taken from the stones when the swell has been down. Scoop netters have been doing all right on blue swimmer crabs in Princess Royal and Oyster Harbour, while those wading the flats at Wilson Inlet have been catching yellowfin whiting and flathead, with some nice flathead taken by fly-fishers.
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.
Persistence paid off for @antsimper who pulled a nice local mulloway from the surf with the kids. His youngest, Harry, was pretty stoked to finally see this great species in person!
Solid King George whiting have been taken in 30m straight out from Bunbury, while the lumps have been holding Samsonfish. Crews keeping an eye for working birds have been having fun catching tuna on Halco Twistys. Drop netters have been going well on blue swimmer crabs, mainly on the Bunbury Cut side of the Leschenault Estuary. Also in the estuary, chopper tailor have been smashing 15g Halco Twistys and 17g Ocean’s Legacy Sling Shots. A few squid and smallish King George whiting have been caught in Geographe Bay. Early on Saturday morning looks best on the forecast but be cautious with the swell.
Tailor around the 40cm mark have been consistent on beaches either side of Bunbury, with a few herring, soapy mulloway, sand whiting and yellowfin whiting showing up as well. Drone fishers have been doing well on pink snapper at Mindalong, while Dallyellup and Back Beach have held herring and a few chopper tailor. Land-based squidding has been going well at Dalyellup. Yellowfin whiting have been widespread in the estuary and scooping for blue swimmer crabs has been going well. Drop netters have been picking up crabs at the Pipeline Jetty. Busselton Jetty has held a few squid and herring, while nice yellowfin whiting were taken at Siesta Park and Abbey Beach along with the flats at Elmore Road in Quindalup.
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.
Gotta love marron season. The crew from @bushrats are well experienced in this fine craft of snaring these critters in our freshwater systems and took home a nice feed.
With the marron season in full swing good catches have been reported from Harvey Dam and Wellington Dam. It pays to go to more remote areas if possible and chook pellets placed in very shallow water is enough to bring them in close. The best tactic is to wait at least 30 minutes between snare runs. Marroners have had to work harder at Logue Brook Dam, where access is a problem, and at Waroona Dam. Marron fishers been filling their down time targeting redfin perch around the causeway at Harvey Dam and have taken some good hauls with TT Switch Minnows working well. The odd small rainbow trout has been caught too. The Collie townsite has been going well for redfin perch, while Potters Gorge and Honeymoon Pool have offered a few small rainbow trout. Further south, the Pemberton region has produced marron in reasonable numbers. Near Big Brook Dam and Lefroy Brook have produced rainbow and brown trout. After an initial burst in the Great Southern it’s become a lot quieter on the marron front, so aim to travel to more remote areas to boost your luck.
Regan won a $50 Tackle World Miami Voucher thanks to this beauty of a yellowtail kingfish landed this week. This species have been fishing very well around the Mandurah artificial reef (coordinates can be found here).
How to win $50 Tackle World Miami voucher each week ⤵
Option 1: Tag them on instagram @tackle_world_miami.
Option 2: Email your photo directly to them at info@tackleworldmiami.com.au
Boats
There was an influx of small tuna in 25-40m depths along with yellowtail kingfish headed south towards the Bouvards, which have often been mixed in with chopper tailor. The odd Samsonfish has turned up as well. King George whiting catches have slowed, but sand whiting have been in good numbers inside the Five-Fathom Bank. Squid have been going well in the Dawesville Cut and into the Peel-Harvey Estuary and also inshore at Falcon and Seascapes. Blue swimmer crab numbers have been good with drop netters doing well at Point Grey and near the science platform. There’s plenty of good tailor in the system too and hordes of herring with the Dawesville Cut on the incoming tide, the Sticks, South Yunderup and Point Grey producing good numbers of both species. Both days this weekend look manageable on the forecast for the boaties.
Tailor fishing has been quiet with the better catches coming from San Remo. The town rock walls have yielded a few pink snapper at night, but most of the beaches have offered a few herring, sand whiting and the odd yellowfin whiting. The estuary has certainly been going well with tailor and herring active in the afternoons at the Dawesville Cut. Squid catches were good from the old Jolly Frog jetty after dark. Tailor have been around the bridges after dark. Bream have been in the canals and marinas, along with tarwhine, skippy, herring and the odd chopper tailor. Yellowfin whiting chasers have had to work a bit harder, but those fishing near Boundary Island have found schools active in the middle of the day. Scooping for blue swimmer crabs has improved and those dropping nets off the banks and jetties in South Yunderup have been catching a few 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!
Henry Neville took his rellies from Brisbane and the UK to the Rockingham FADs on Wednesday and it turned into an epic session! Alex Kiltie landed her first ever dolly on a live bait and this has been the best tactic over the past couple of weeks for enticing a strike from this fast-growing and delicious-eating species. Cheers for sending in the pics Henry!
Solid King George whiting have come from the deeper depths behind Garden Island and towards the Five-Fathom Bank. Smaller KG’s, sand whiting and the odd squid have been on Parmelia Bank, inside of Garden Island, behind Penguin Island and off Woodman Point. The Rockingham FADs have been firing for dolphinfish (as pictured above) and live baits have worked best. Tailor have been worth targeting from the exposed reefs behind Garden and Penguin islands, while skippy have been on the inshore lumps and herring have been easy to burley up. Tuna catches have been sporadic and Samsonfish have been active in a lot of areas. Cockburn Sound crabbers have been working hard to get a feed but first light will give you the best odds. Early on Saturday until midday looks best on the forecast at this stage for the boaties.
The summer tailor run is still going strong with 35-45cm fish being taken from Warnbro down to Secret Harbour. Mulloway ranging from soapies to metre-plus models have also turned up along with sand whiting and herring. Pink snapper have been landed by drone fishers and casters from Secret Harbour south, while the Penguin Island spit, Safety Bay, and the grain terminal beach have produced flathead, yellowfin whiting and herring. Rockingham and Palm Beach jetties, along with the Ammo Jetty have offered herring, sand whiting and chopper tailor and there have been unsuccessful late-night mulloway hook-ups at all these locations. Squid fishing has been best at high tide under the lights at the local jetties. Scooping for blues swimmer crabs has been hard work but those swimming out from shore have picked up a few.
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!
There have been some solid blue manna crabs landed in the Swan River this week as seen on the Perth Blue Manna Crabbing Facebook page! The deeper pockets are still fishing best.
Trollers have started to have more success on tuna along the north metro coast and around the West End of Rottnest Island, where the island’s deeper waters have offered Samsonfish and some sizeable yellowtail kingfish. Small dolphinfish have been caught and the odd wahoo were sighted at the FADs. The artificial Fish Towers have produced solid yellowtail kingfish along with the northern reefs. The north metro coast has thrown up a few shark mackerel, while more Spanish mackerel have been sighted than caught. Inshore waters at Rottnest and Carnac islands have held big King George whiting and a few skippy. Tailor numbers have dwindled at Stragglers, but Mewstones has fished a little better. Waters of Hillarys, City Beach and South Fremantle have offered mainly herring and sand whiting. In the Swan River trolling for chopper tailor has seen decent results and crabbing has been steady rather than spectacular, with blue swimmer crabs as far up as Perth Water and at Mt Henry Bridge in the Canning River. Early to midday on Saturday currently looks best on the forecast with ugly winds and a higher swell expected outside of that. Both Wednesday and Thursday around midday are looking calmer on the forecast at this stage.
Our last public kids’ fishing clinic booked out almost immediately - so we’ve put on a few more for this summer holiday! ☀️
These clinics – proudly supported by Healthway and SHIMANO Australia Fishing – are designed to get kids outdoors, teach them new skills, make friends and help them discover the joys of fishing in a safe and sustainable way. This makes our clinics perfect for beginner fishers.
We have multiple sessions and locations this time:
Hillarys, AQWA Jetty – 27th January and 1st February - CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Mosman Park, Chidley Beach – 30th January - CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Shelley Foreshore – 25th January - CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Coogee, Ammo Jetty – 31st January - CLICK HERE TO BOOK
The clinics include a demo by our instructors on fishing basics safety and sustainability, 90 mins of guided fishing with all gear and bait supplied before a wrap-up, Q&A and prizes for all kids!
Cost: $15 per participant.
What’s included? All fishing gear (rods and reels loaned), bait and prizes.
Capacity: Up to 30 participants per session.
Who can attend? Recommended for kids aged 7–12. Parents are responsible for their children throughout the session.
Come down and wet a line with us! 🎣
Tailor fishing has been a little quieter from the northern beaches this week with numbers and sizes down. A few sand whiting have shown up in the day and drone fishers and casters have been getting pink snapper at night. Small chopper tailor, sand whiting, the odd skippy and better numbers of herring have been taken at Cottesloe and Floreat in the mornings. Down at Coogee trumpeter whiting have been mixed in with sand whiting. In the Swan River tailor have been quieter from the jetties and drop-offs, but the warmer weather in the middle of the week produced a couple of big flathead in the lower reaches. The heat also produced some 30cm-plus yellowfin whiting that were excited enough to smash topwater lures and vibes. Yellowfin whiting have also been active on the outgoing tide in the early hours around East Fremantle, where fresh baits such as scooped river prawns or bloodworms have been getting the job done. The flats in the Swan River have also produced giant herring from Alfred Cove to as far up as Maylands, but the sizes remained around the 30cm mark. Bream have been fairly quiet and sizes have been average, but they have pushed as far up as Guildford, while school-sized mulloway have been taken at the Narrows, Canning Bridge, Mt Henry Bridge, Bayswater and Bassendean. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is continuing to monitor a bloom of the harmful alga Karlodinium in the Swan River’s mid-upper reaches, so avoid going for crabs in these areas until they give the all clear.
Compleat Angler Nedlands has launched the Summer Classic, a competition that highlights the quality of smaller species available in the river and estuary systems between Moore River and Mandurah. There are significant prizes of high-end tackle for junior and senior anglers with a large range of species in the mix including tailor, blue swimmer crabs, bream, yellowfin whiting, flathead, flounder, mulloway, herring, tarwhine and yellowtail grunter, as well as weekly raffles and mystery prizes. The competition runs until February 8. For details, visit the Compleat Angler Nedlands Facebook page.
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 Mason McHutchison.
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