27 March, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to Jules for this absolute belter of a South Coast skippy during a road trip with her partner Ash Ramm! Joining this skippy were loads of hungry salmon and there have been plenty of impressive schools spotted moving along the coastline this week.
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Unsurprisingly with cyclone Narelle tracking down the coast, the Bureau of Meteorology has notified us of hazardous fishing conditions that will extend into next week.
Potentially dangerous, fast-changing and unpredictable conditions are likely to occur across much of the State.
If are thinking about going for a fish, we strongly recommend taking all necessary precautions – forecasts are changing frequently, so it’s even more important to check conditions before you set out.
Ultimately, if you’re not sure – we’d recommend not heading out because no fish is worth risking your life for.
What you need to know:
A Category 4 system is expected to pass near North West Cape, tracking south along the coast.
Damaging winds, large swells and dangerous seas are impacting the Pilbara and are extending south.
Heavy rainfall may lead to reduced visibility, flooding and hazardous conditions near our waterways.
Storm surge and coastal flooding is possible between Onslow and Denham.
Fishing conditions expected to be unpredictable early next week, with large, dangerous swells forecast from Albany to Cape Naturaliste on Tuesday.
How this system tracks will determine impacts, but conditions are expected to be unpredictable right along the coast.
Even areas well away from the cyclone may experience dangerous swell, strong winds, heavy rain and unsafe coastal conditions.
To see the Bureau's Tropical Cyclone Forecast Track Map which is updated regularly, click here.
To see the Bureau's Coastal Waters Forecasts, click here.
Bailey with a beauty of a bluebone with the @reefchiefaustralia crew! These electric colours never get old.
Crews who found a weather window last weekend picked up coral trout, Rankin cod and red emperor wide out west of town, while on the inshore reefs plenty of good bluebone were hooked and quite a few were lost to snags. Dampier and Crab creeks have held just a few small barra and threadfin salmon, along with better numbers of mud crabs. Tripletail have been hanging around the moorings of Roebuck Bay with a 60cm one picked up on a lure this week. Thankfully most of the dodgy weather has passed and it should clear up nicely from this evening through into next week. Expect some dirty water for a while though.
Shore-Based
The standard fare of queenfish and trevally has come from Town Beach Jetty, Entrance Point and Gantheaume Point, while down at 80 Mile Beach reports of threadfin salmon have come in. Northern mulloway have been taken in good numbers at Derby. Most of the barramundi activity has switched to the Derby end of the Fitzroy River and nearby creeks. Given the cyclone it may take a while for the water levels and clarity to return to normal. 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 rather squirmy dolphinfish for @jamesnjacqdriftin this week on the Ningaloo coast before the conditions turned a tad gusty! Anyone who has released a dolphinfish before knows how lively they can be while trying to hold them steady for a snap.
A few crews struggled to find billfish, but overall GAMEX went reasonably well. You can catch our full recap of GAMEX here. Black marlin dominated the catches, along with reasonable numbers of sailfish and a few swordfish. Blue marlin were scarce and the main bycatch was wahoo and dolphinfish, with Spanish mackerel and tuna going relatively quiet. Goldband snapper have been steady for deep droppers in 100m or so on the west side, Rankin cod have been active in 40-70m and coral trout have been plentiful in closer. Spanish mackerel were in good numbers at the back of the reef in Pilgramunna, while in the national park there have been plenty of spangled emperor and the odd small Spanish mackerel inside the reef. South of Tantabiddi squid have been on weedy patches either side of the reef. The Muirons have been quiet and Exmouth Gulf remains dirty with not much happening at the Shoals and King Reef. On the far side of the Gulf coral trout and Rankin cod have been caught, while fly-fishers have had to work hard to find the odd permit and tuskfish. Given the frankly unbelievable looking forecast for today (9m swell with 63 knot winds) it’s safe to say no one will be fishing this weekend amidst cyclone Narelle! Sunday should see the calm conditions return, but hunker down and stay safe for now. Expect some very dirty water next week and we hope your place managed to avoid flooding.
Fishing at Bundegi finally picked up earlier this week with the flats near the ramp being patrolled by schools of trevally and queenfish. The fish have been smashing metal slugs, stickbaits and poppers in the afternoons. Bundegi had been one of the better spots for whiting and squid, but their numbers have tapered off with the industrial area now offering better ground for squid fishers. In the town marina bream, small cod, trevally and queenfish have been going okay, which might be the only option for this weekend on Sunday given the weather. Schoolkids have been flicking small Jackall Squirrel lures and picking up good numbers of 30-40cm mangrove jack. Spangled emperor and giant trevally have been fishing well at the tip of the Cape, while squid and spangled emperor have been the main catches at Tantabiddi. Sunday onwards is looking fishable at this stage but Friday and Saturday are complete write-offs. 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!
Late last week ended with a bang on the pelagic front with wahoo to 20kg, heaps of yellowfin tuna to 30kg and 15-20kg Spanish mackerel caught north and south of town along with smaller macks landed closer in. Reports of good mackerel catches have also come from Lucky Bay and Wagoe. Unfortunately, this week has been quieter due to the weather starting to sour from the impending cyclone. Make sure you stay safe on Friday and Saturday and thankfully it should calm down from Sunday onwards albeit with rain expected.
The river mouth, Red Bluff and Wittecarra have offered small tailor, lots of good herring and dart, which have been a nuisance at times. Nice yellowfin whiting have been taken at the river mouth on Vexed Bottom Worm lures topped up with strips of squid. The cliffs have been a lot quieter this week, but the Murchison River has been going well. Giant herring have returned to the system. Blue swimmer and mud crab numbers have been decent, bream have been abundant, whiting have been at the Sand Spit, the upper reaches have held mulloway nearing a metre and mangrove jack have been in good form. On the southern beaches towards Lucky Bay mulloway have been thick, along with the odd pink snapper, decent tailor and big bronze whaler sharks.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.
A good burst of pelagic activity was the highlight over the weekend with tuna and Spanish mackerel running well between the Leads (marker) and Point Moore. Further out towards Mid Reef bigger Spanish mackerel and tuna were encountered. Dinghy fishers off Separation Point and Point Moore have picked up solid skippy to 45cm in the channels and crayfishers dropping pots have had little trouble getting their Easter seafood sorted. Given the forecast it’s looking unfishable until at least Sunday.
Conditions were very good this week with floating weed only a minor barrier to some good catches. Flat Rocks north has been excellent for tailor of various sizes and mulloway up to a metre. Sharks have been an issue from Flat Rocks right up to Coronation, but those using mulies rather than fillet baits have avoided the worst of it. Around town, Back Beach to Point Moore has held lots of bull herring, some over 30cm. The mornings have been patchy for them, but 2-4pm has been the hot bite time with another spurt just before sunset. The clearer water has also boosted whiting catches with most fish taken around the 20-30cm mark. Separation Point has held skippy, the odd tailor, herring and whiting. In an interesting twist, the Southgates to Drummond Cove stretch has held big numbers of various garfish species up to 50cm, with some right on casting range. They’ve been great fun when caught on light tackle. Small pieces of prawn fished under a blob has been the way to go. A few pike have been caught on the reef at Drummond Cove, while the clean gutters off the northern beach at Glenfield have produced tailor in the mornings and evenings.
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.
This monster guitar shark was a true team effort from Patrick and Caitlin. After a long, hard-fought battle (with Caitlin nearly ending up in the drink), they finally guided it onto the beach before the hook snapped and it swam off. An hour later, the same fish came back for battle #2 and another epic fight! Both hooks were safely removed before a quick snap and a gentle release. Ice those biceps Caitlin!
The eye-watering fuel prices has definitely thinned the fleet, with most crews understandably picking their days carefully and only heading out when it’s worth every drop of fuel. For many, it’s been a quick dash to check the cray pots and head straight back home, with plenty of brimming pots coming up. Offshore action is still ticking along nicely without needing to head too far out. There have been good numbers of bonito and the odd school of tuna popping up not too far out. If the thought of trolling all day and watching the fuel gauge nosedive isn’t appealing, a smarter play has been setting up a burley trail along the White Bank. Suspending a few live baits just under a float (and out of reach of those pesky pinkies) has been producing some quality fish such as yellowtail kingfish, tuna and Samsonfish. The 20m grounds have been reliable for a feed of sand whiting, but keep the drift moving to stay ahead of the Northwest blowies. Inshore reefs have held solid schools of skippy, with some proper thumpers mixed in. Inside the Bay has been the saving grace for many, with consistent sessions on herring, King George whiting, squid, snook, flathead and skippy, providing no shortage of options for a delicious mixed bag. It’s not looking inviting until at least Sunday night or Monday morning on the forecast given the descending cyclone, Wednesday could potentially see glamour conditions.
The beaches have absolutely fired this past week, with plenty of quality fish hitting the sand. A strong run of mullet along the nearshore has likely played a big part in switching the fishing on. School mulloway have been active around reef breaks and deeper gutters, which kept things interesting for those putting in the time. Tailor numbers have improved, with fish around the 50cm mark becoming more common. Gang hooks are definitely the go to avoid bite offs. Bull herring have been turning up along the surf beaches, adding to the action for families. Even better, snapper have pushed in close with fish in the 5–7kg range well within casting distance.
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.
Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish have been caught at Giant Rocks, while nannygai to 3kg have been landed at Figure of Eight Island. Observatory Island has yielded harlequin fish and queen snapper, while tuna and blue groper have been landed behind Cull Island. Pink snapper have been in good numbers at Baynes Reef, while squid have been prolific in 18m behind Cook Rocks. Decent King George whiting have been caught at Lovers Cove, while squid, herring and snook have been plentiful in Esperance Bay. It’s windy and rainy until Monday when the conditions are expected to become more gentle with a touch of rain still expected.
Big schools of salmon have been passing through Israelite Bay, which has also held mulloway to more than a metre and lots of gummy sharks. Tagon Beach has produced salmon and gummy sharks, while Dunns Beach has been going well for salmon and big skippy. Roses and 14-Mile have yielded gummy sharks and salmon, while the 10-Mile Lagoon has been a salmon hotspot. Sand whiting and big flathead have been caught at Wylie Bay, while good numbers of King George whiting and flathead have been landed in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour. Taylor Street jetty has produced big herring, skippy and squid. Town Jetty has offered garfish and squid. Bream fishers have once again 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.
Recfishwest Safe Fishing Ambassador Chris Dixon recently had a great time fishing for salmon off the South Coast beaches near Bremer Bay. You can move along the coast, find the schools and cast at them so much easier off the sand – it’s much easier and safer than trying to land big fish off the rocks. Catch his latest tips from his most recent salmon fishing road trip by clicking here.
Less than favourable conditions made inshore fishing a challenge with most crews staying in close around Griffiths Street and Frenchman Bay but finding it hard to drift for King George whiting, with the KGs a lot smaller over the past week. It’s been a similar story for squid chasers. Two Peoples Bay has been too exposed this week for those after a feed of sand whiting or squid. Bald Head has held the odd tuna and breaksea cod. Drop netters have continued to pick up blue swimmer crabs in the Kalgan River, Oyster and Princess Royal harbours and also in the Nornalup Inlet. It’s looking very windy and rough this weekend, but it could be worse given the unpredictability of the cyclone’s reach down the coast. Wednesday should see calmer conditions.
The King, Kalgan and Hay rivers have held good numbers of small bream for those fishing with bait, while a few bigger fish have been taken on lures. Wilson Inlet has held flounder and small flathead. Blue swimmer crabs have been going strong for those scooping in Princess Royal and Oyster harbours, while squid fishing has improved a lot with big ones being landed at Frenchman Bay, Flat Rock, Emu Point and the town marina. The last two locations have also held herring, bream, small skippy and a few small King George whiting. Salmon action has mainly been east of Albany, with most fish being landed on mulies. The good news is they appear to be migration frontrunners rather than resident fish. Cheynes Back Beach and Bluff Creek all produced good fish as did Salmon Holes. Reports also came from Nanarup, Cable Beach and Shelley Beach. Herring have been in good numbers at most beaches.
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.
You can tell by the smile on @harry_fowler_fishing’s face that the long wait and dedication to land this cracker of a mulloway was well worth it. A lovely croaker that ticked a metre on the dot.
A Spanish mackerel was landed out just north of Bunbury this week on a trolled dead bait, while just out of Koombana Bay small tuna have been plentiful. Those chasing Samsonfish on the inshore lumps have been thwarted by big numbers of hungry skippy. Quite a lot of squid were sighted by inshore fishers in 8-15m, but most of the successful squid activity has been in Geographe Bay which has also held herring, King George whiting and tuna. In the Leschenault Estuary crews have had to stay out a bit longer to get their quota of blue swimmer crabs. Despite the forecast looking wet for the next five days, there could be a very brief window opening up around midday on Sunday and Monday morning.
Drone fishers have continued to pick up pink snapper on both sides of town, with the odd one being taken on the cast. Solid numbers of 40cm chopper tailor have been caught at most beaches and herring have been thick. In the mornings sand whiting have been mixed in with yellowfin whiting. In the Collie River soapy mulloway have been in good numbers and bream have been taken on soft plastics. At Busselton Jetty squid have been in reasonable numbers and Samsonfish have been caught at the deep end. Pink snapper could be a chance there when the weekend cold front hits. People have been dropping nets for blue swimmer crabs near the start of the jetty and were getting a few. Scoopers in the Leschenault Estuary have had to work a lot harder for a feed of blue swimmer crabs this week and yellowfin whiting chasers have found it hard going as well. Salmon have been sighted in the swells at Smiths Beach and further south a few salmon have been landed on baits at Malimup 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.
A few perch have been picked up in Drakesbrook Weir and Harvey and Wellington dams, once again mainly on soft plastics and baits by kayak fishers. Perch have also been among the carp in parts of the Harvey River. The Potters Gorge and Honeymoon Pool areas of the Collie River have held smallish rainbow trout which mostly have been taken on small hard-bodied minnows. Small browns have been present too, along with the odd bigger brown pushing 50cm sighted.
Boats
Pelagics have been hit or miss this week. Tuna have been inconsistent but dolphinfish have thankfully been in good numbers at the FADs. Towards the Rockingham FADs bigger yellowfin tuna have been encountered. Yellowtail kingfish have also been quiet but those inshore burleying up and chasing skippy might have better luck on them. Sizeable King George whiting have been caught in 30m off Dawesville and sand whiting have been active at James Service reef. A mixture of sand whiting and smaller KGs have been caught on the Five-Fathom Bank. With the clean water very good squid have been on the weed banks just behind the surf line at local beaches, while divers have had little trouble picking up crays in 20-30m. The Peel-Harvey Estuary has been very clear as well, with divers doing just as well on blue swimmer crabs as drop nettes. Squid have also been entering the system. Chopper tailor numbers have been steady, herring have been thick and a few skippy have shown up.
Beaches both sides of town have been steady for tailor, school mulloway and herring, with the herring fishing incredibly well. Yellowfin whiting have turned up on the beaches some mornings, often mixed in with sand whiting. The Dawesville Cut has held herring and a few chopper tailor and garfish have shown up some days. The town bridges have produced tailor and a few herring also. Squid have also been in the Cut with brighter coloured jigs working nicely. The canals and marinas in the Peel-Harvey Estuary have held mostly soapy mulloway, which along with bream, have turned up in the Murray and Serpentine rivers. Yellowfin whiting chasers have had good double-digit sessions on topwater lures throughout the estuary flats when the weather has been hot, but on cooler, cloudy days they’ve had to work a lot harder and did better when using vibes. Scoopers have been going okay on blue swimmer crabs.
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!
Most inshore locations have fished well for herring, skippy, sand whiting and small King George whiting. Bigger King George whiting have been caught in 30-35m depths behind Garden Island and towards Five-Fathom Bank. Squid fishing has also improved and those dropping nets in 6-15m have continued to do well on blue swimmer crabs. Solid tailor have been taken from the exposed reefs and sizeable skippy have been caught on the broken ground along with Samsonfish of various sizes. Skittish dolphinfish have been at the FADs along with the odd wahoo. Saturday is looking very windy and wet, but there could be a brief window opening on Sunday arvo albeit with a touch of rain.
When weather windows have allowed the local beaches have continued to go well for chopper tailor with the odd bigger fish to 50cm about. Herring have been thick and Long Point and the Penguin Island spit have been worth a crack for yellowfin and sand whiting on calmer mornings. Mulloway and pink snapper have gone quiet, but with the storm front forecast for the weekend don’t be surprised if big pinks are landed at Secret Harbour, Palm Beach Jetty or the Ammo Jetty. Squid fishing has improved with good catches coming from the local jetties and Woodman Point. Point Peron has held a few as well in the calmer areas. It’s been worthwhile dropping nets for crabs from the local jetties, but better numbers and sizes have been on offer for those who swim out from shore. Most of the local jetties have also held herring, whiting, scaly mackerel at times and the odd small tailor.
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!
It’s been a brilliant season for giant herring in the Swan! Avid young fisher Theo Amson took a trip with his dad Chris to the upper Swan around Bassendean on Saturday and caught this lovely GH, which is always impressive given how often they like to jump and spit the hooks! An incredible fight for its size and safely released back to fight another day. Great stuff Theo!
Before the impending cyclone turned the weather gnarly offshore fishing was steadily ticking along. Spanish mackerel were at the Three-Mile Reef and the West End of Rottnest Island along with small tuna. Big Samsonfish were at the back of Rottnest and a few dolphinfish and yellowfin tuna were at the FADs. Inshore, squid were going well off Fremantle in 9-12m. Tailor were being caught at Mewstones, the Windmills was holding a mix of sand whiting and small King George whiting, while sand whiting were going well out from Cottesloe and City Beach. Most inshore locations have held herring and skippy. In the Swan River crabbing has been steady from Melville Water down to Blackwall Reach, while trolling for chopper tailor has been good around Applecross. It’s looking particularly ugly on the forecast from now until at least Sunday. Monday is looking calmer although rain is still expected.
As well as pink snapper, North Mole could well throw up big tailor, mulloway and Samsonfish during the blow, although it is an unusual storm with offshore winds and low swell, so it will be interesting to see how it fishes for these species. When conditions ease herring and skippy should be there. Before the blow tailor were running well between Cottesloe and Trigg and herring were being caught in the mornings at Floreat, City Beach and North Beach. The weather front will likely change a few things in the Swan River too. Bream fishing had picked up in the upper Swan and throughout the Canning River this week and depending on how much rain we receive, they could start to move down into the middle reaches which have been holding a few solid tarwhine. Giant herring catches also picked up in the Swan between Ardross and Maylands, while tailor action was good in the mornings for those throwing metals in a pencil profile in the middle reaches. A big mulloway was landed at Canning Bridge over the weekend and the Causeway, Narrows and Claremont Jetty could also produce a few. Fremantle Harbour could also be a mulloway hotspot, especially if the scaly mackerel schools are around. Soapy mulloway catches have slowed a little in the Swan’s upper reaches. Good flathead have been taken in twos and threes throughout the Swan, from East Fremantle as far up as Maylands, and a few flounder have been caught in the lower reaches. SnapBaits 6g Bantam micro jigs have accounted for some nice flatfish in recent weeks. Vibes have also been reliable.
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), Sam Bock, Sedin Hasanovic, Sam Russell, Levi De Boni and Mason McHutchison.
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