3 April, 2026
Pic of the Week goes to @wadefennell_ because it doesn’t get much better than peachy conditions and a sunset slab of a mulloway to top it off! A cracking fish from the sand in a week that saw plenty of great mulloway captures up and down the coast.
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!
Looking to get the kids off their devices and outside doing a healthy and fun activity these school holidays? Recfishwest's fishing clinics are hitting the road again across six Mid-West locations!
In partnership with Healthway and Shimano, there are 10 FREE fishing clinics on offer in Geraldton, Dongara, Leeman, Green Head, Jurien Bay and Lancelin between 15-19 April, all providing a fantastic opportunity to introduce your kids to fishing basics, estuary and marine environments, and leading healthier lifestyles through fishing.
Run by our friendly expert fishing instructors with free loan fishing gear provided, there are 30 spots available across each of the 10 fishing clinics.
The spots will fill up quickly, so don’t delay and book your place on the links below:
Click here to book your place in Geraldton.
Click here to book your place in Dongara.
Click here to book your place in Leeman.
Click here to book your place in Green Head.
Click here to book your place in Jurien Bay.
Click here to book your place in Lancelin.
Come wet a line with us!
Just Recfishwest’s Cast of Thousands ambassador Katlyn Yeeda proving why she’s the Derby Jetty Queen! A lovely northern mulloway caught via handline this week, which provided a great feed for plenty of locals. Just one of many great fish she’s landed recently and this was probably the smallest of the lot!
Fishing has continued to be a challenge with plenty of stirred-up water and steady drizzle. Both Crab and Dampier Creek have produced small barramundi and the odd threadfin salmon on some days, but overall it’s been quiet with even mud crab activity slow. A few crews found a weather window over the weekend and headed straight out very wide to pick up red emperor and Rankin cod, while the inshore lumps produced a few bluebone. The weather isn’t looking too bad for the boaties with mostly light south-westerly winds expected this week.
Shore-Based
Town Beach Jetty has been the main land-based option once again with trevally and queenfish being caught along with the odd bream mixed in. A few mangrove jack have been landed in Willie Creek, with some decent-sized fish hitting the sand. Barramundi chasers have been cooling their heels waiting for the Fitzroy River’s raging currents to subside, although good barramundi and northern mulloway catches have been reported out east in Derby off the jetty and surrounding areas. 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.
Our thoughts go out to the locals in Exmouth as the full fury of cyclone Narelle has caused major disruption and damage to the town, with roads into the region cut off. Beaches are covered in debris and the town marina is flooded, so fishing has unfortunately been out of the question in the tannin-stained water. Most businesses and accommodation providers are closed in the short term, but hopefully with a bit of support will be back in action soon. On the bright side, Exmouth Tackle & Camping are open again, although Tackleworld Exmouth has sustained damage to its premises and hopes to reopen in the last week of the school holidays. We hope to see both of these stores back on their feet soon along with all locals. 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!
A bit of last-minute ballooning off the coast right before the cyclone arrived paid off beautifully for @max_out_fishing, who landed this lovely Spanish mackie before hastily getting ahead of the bad weather.
Pelagics have been firing on both sides of town with yellowfin tuna to 15kg, Spanish mackerel in a wide range of sizes and wahoo being caught, mainly on trolled garfish baits. Trolling at around 5-6 knots seems to be the sweet spot and looking for steep drop offs or moving along the back of reef systems worked well, with bait balls on the sounder also a good sign. Both mornings this weekend should hold better windows to duck out.
Most fishers were in lockdown as cyclone Narelle threatened, so catch reports were a little more scarce this week. Red Bluff and Wittecarra produced a few chopper tailor and some golden trevally, while pink snapper were landed from the cliffs late last week. Down at Lucky Bay a few tailor and lots of soapy mulloway hit the sand. Decent sand and yellowfin whiting have been hanging around the mouth of the Murchison River, which has also been fishing well for bream. Schoolkids have landed a few mangrove jack around the marina and blue swimmer and mud crab catches have been steady. If dirty water starts to flow down the Murchison expect mulloway to become active.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.
Spanish mackerel and yellowfin tuna have been active towards Mid Reef but sharks have often been a problem. Closer in, both mackerel and tuna species have been picked up on trolled baits off Coronation Beach. Also north of town a sailfish was seen cruising in 20m, with its sail up hunting baitfish. This evening and tomorrow morning are looking manageable for a duck out and Sunday morning also looks possible albeit with a bit of chop expected in the moderate southerly winds.
Separation Point, Explosives, Point Moore and the bay at Drummond Cove have produced good herring and whiting in the clear water behind the weed banks. A few whiting have been at Southgates as well, but the weed has been worse there. Mulloway in smaller sizes have been turning up at beaches either side of town along with lots of juvenile sharks and some bigger ones to 2m. Tailor have been in good numbers from just on legal-sized to 50cm between Greenough and Dongara. In town, the Esplanade rock wall has been fishing well, at times offering pink snapper to 60cm as well as pike and herring. The odd squid has also been taken from the platform. Herring have been in better numbers at the end of the wall near Seal Rock, along with chopper-sized tailor. In the Fishing Boat Harbour a video has emerged of a young angler tussling with either a giant trevally or a big-eye trevally of around 60cm on light gear. The same spot also produced respectable whiting and a few tailor have been caught in the late afternoons, but weed has been annoying at times.
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.
How’s this for an absolute chunker of a yellowfin tuna caught recently by Lewis Tutt! Jurien Bay once again producing the goods on the pelagic front!
Boats
Pelagic fishing has been improving, with dolphinfish and wahoo reported around the FADs. Schools of baitfish have been moving through the 18–22m depths, which has also proven to be a productive area in trolling for Spanish mackerel. Inside the Bay, anglers have been enjoying a consistent run of mixed species. Flathead, yellowfin whiting and King George whiting have all been caught in good numbers, along with skippy and herring providing regular action. Both Saturday and Monday morning look best for a launch.
Beach fishing has continued to offer a good variety of species and it wasn’t uncommon for anglers to pick up half a dozen different species in a single session. Dart and yellowfin whiting have been active along the shallows, while the deeper gutters have been producing greenback tailor and mulloway. Areas with nearby reef have been holding skippy, tarwhine and snapper, while the more open stretches of beach have seen catches of chopper tailor, herring and sharks.
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.
Another successful adventure for @gidos_fishing_adventures alongside his mate @saltydavenport saw some lovely Samsonfish and pink snapper landed recently, with this fish cooked fresh over the fire. If you’re ever attempting fishing off the rocks on the South Coast, make sure you always wear a lifejacket like Gido does.
The ripper run of gummy sharks has continued with plenty being pulled up from sandy patches in 20m or so. At Giant Rocks nannygai to 60cm have been caught in 50-80m, while sizeable Samsonfish and yellowtail kingfish have come from Mondrain Island. Plenty of pink snapper have been caught at Baynes Reef and big queen snapper have been landed at Observatory Island. Blue groper and harlequin fish have been caught at Cull Island. Tuna have been plentiful at Black, Charley and Cull islands and out to Sunk Rocks. Cook Rocks has produced plenty of squid, while West Beach and Twilight Beach have held lots of decent sand whiting and a few King George whiting. Herring, squid and garfish have been caught in Esperance Bay. Saturday should be manageable to duck out although keep an eye out for lightning on the forecast.
Mulloway, gummy sharks and bronze whalers have been in good numbers at Israelite Bay. Thomas River has held gummy sharks and big skippy. Decent mulloway and large salmon schools have been active at Dunns Beach, while Munglinup has held mulloway and gummy sharks. Big schools of salmon have been present at Roses and 14-Mile beaches. Fourth Beach has been good for skippy and salmon. Flathead and King George whiting have been taken along the town foreshore. After dark saw Town and Taylor Street jetties producing herring, garfish and squid. Flathead and King George whiting have been in Bandy Creek Boat Harbour and Woody Lake has once again been the hotspot for bream.
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 trip down south for @hayden_fraser1 to Peaceful Bay produced the goods on this beauty of a Sambo, with the boys easily joining the metre club.
Wet weather curtailed boating over the weekend and early into the week, but before the wild weather hit crews had been finding a few salmon among the tuna schools at Bald Head. Whiting and squid chasers should be back in the game for the weekend with inshore waters remaining clear. A few King George whiting and the odd flathead have been caught in Wilson Inlet and drop netters have been getting blue swimmer crabs in the King River. As conditions improved later in the week crabs also turned up in Oyster and Princess Royal Harbours. Saturday is looking like a glorious day out on the water so make the most of it.
More than a few locals are miffed that big migratory salmon schools seem to have bypassed the Great Southern and are now well entrenched in the Capes region. Another school of thought is that they are the first wave and the bulk of the migration is yet to begin in earnest. Nevertheless, salmon have been taken at Bluff Creek, Cheynes, Back Beach and Cable Beach. They also turned up at Lowlands, Fosters and Reef beaches. Around Denmark, Lights and Waterfall beaches have yielded a couple. Herring have been thick at most beaches. At Waychinicup blue groper have been landed from the stones when the swells have been down. The King, Kalgan and Hay rivers have been fishing well for bream, while Oyster Harbour has produced small tailor, herring, skippy, bream, juvenile salmon and the odd squid. Squid have been in the town marina at night, while herring, skippy and bream have been caught there during the day. Squid have also been caught at Frenchman Bay and Flat Rock. Despite the rain the water is still clear in Oyster and Princess Royal harbours for scoop netters chasing blue swimmer crabs.
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.
The South-West came alive for fishing off the beach this week, with @livinginsalt_ taking advantage of the great salmon school action and @josephchapple landing this healthy pinkie after patiently soaking a bait.
A few tuna schools have been sighted offshore and before the storms Samsonfish were being pulled up from the lumps, although sharks were a problem. Water temperatures have remained high, so for those trolling Spanish mackerel are still a chance. Squid and King George whiting fishers have returned to Geographe Bay and have been doing well. A few tuna schools have been active but so far no salmon catches have been reported this side of Dunsborough despite some schools being spotted in Eagle and Bunker Bay. In the Leschenault Estuary drop netters have been working much harder for a feed of blue swimmer crabs. Both this evening and early on Saturday and Monday morning look inviting for the boaties this long weekend.
Salmon chasers around the Capes have held the bragging rights on the salmon run so far this season, outshining their counterparts in the Great Southern. Some of the more consistent locations have been Bunker Bay, Castle Rock and Injidup, but they’ve also been caught in Eagle Bay, at Point Piquet, Boodjinup, Gracetown, Yallingup, Boranup, Smiths Beach and Gnarabup. Hamelin Bay has been quieter for them than usual. Surprisingly, early-season hot spots further south such as Jasper, Yeagarup, Warren and Mumilup beaches have also been quiet. Salmon chasers from Whitey’s Tackle did well at the weekend at Injidup using 40g Ocean’s Legacy Slingshots. The weekend blow also fired up pink snapper with most fish being landed around Busselton and Dunsborough. A few good pinkies were taken from the end of Busselton Jetty, where squid fishing has been slower than usual. Salmon chasers using bait picked up a couple of pinkies around Deepdene as well. Around Bunbury big tailor were on the go in the afternoons with several fish around 65cm landed at Buffalo Beach. Herring have been thick at most beaches, while at Back Beach and the Bunbury Cut they’ve been keeping company with chopper tailor and whiting. Most scoop netters have called it quits in the Leschenault Estuary, as have yellowfin whiting chasers, while in the Collie River bream fishing has ticked up a little and soapy mulloway have remained in good numbers.
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.
Good rain has seen streams flowing in the Pemberton area and early into the rain front nice rainbow trout were being caught. Small rainbows have remained active around Honeymoon Pool in the upper Collie River with the odd brown trout showing up at times. Redfin perch catches have been steady at Wellington Dam and they have improved in the Collie River around town. Harvey Dam has produced redfin in a range of sizes, with some well over 40cm, while the feeder streams around Harvey and Waroona dams and Drakesbrook Weir could be worth a crack for trout chasers.
Things have been in limbo since the cold front passed through but although the water has been cooler, it’s possible the storm front could unlock a few of the Spanish mackerel that have been holding down south. With the help of burley, yellowtail kingfish and tuna could be a chance on the Five-Fathom Bank, which had held a few kingies before the storms. Inshore fishing has been business as usual because despite the downpour, the water has remained clear with plenty of sand whiting, a few King George whiting and lots of skippy on offer inside the Five-Fathom Bank and at James Service Reef. Squid have been going well close in off Falcon and Seascapes, while in the Peel-Harvey Estuary herring have been abundant, tailor have been about and juvenile salmon and skippy have shown up along the drop-offs. Drop netters are unlikely to have any trouble getting a feed of blue swimmer crabs over Easter.
In the Peel-Harvey Estuary yellowfin whiting chasers on the flats have switched their focus to tailor, herring, skippy and juvenile salmon. Some of the salmon have been pushing 50cm and are great fun on whiting gear. The crew at Tackleworld Miami reckon Bassday Sugapens will catch just about anything that’s swimming in the estuary and they recommend going for the UV options on cloudy autumn days. Bream and soapy mulloway have been active in the estuary’s canals and marinas along with the Murray and Serpentine Rivers. Scooping for blue swimmer crabs here has started to become hit or miss with some spots barren, so it pays to move about if you’re not having success. Skippy, tailor and herring have been consistent at the Dawesville Cut along with garfish. Juvenile salmon have started to show up as well and it’s worth noting that when good numbers of salmon get as far up as Bunker Bay a few adult fish generally push up to Mandurah’s waters, particularly around Tims Thicket and White Hills. A few squid should be kicking about in the estuary along with the Cut and before the rains a few were caught from the shore at Falcon and Melros. The local beaches have been pretty quiet this week, offering mainly herring. Drone fishers took advantage of the blow and landed a few pink snapper from beaches either side of town, along with one or two decent mulloway. A few chopper tailor have been among the herring at local beaches.
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 crews were mindful of the weather this week and opted to fish in close where they found good numbers of squid in 3-5m. Sand whiting, small King George whiting, skippy and herring were also in good numbers. Drop netters have been targeting blue swimmer crabs out a bit deeper in around 10m depths, but numbers have dropped off. Thankfully the next few days don’t look too bad on the forecast for the Easter long weekend.
With little weed about pink snapper chasers had high hopes of success and were out in force at the weekend when the cold front hit, but fewer fish than expected were caught. Those that were landed were mostly towards Secret Harbour and Golden Bay. Herring have been thick on most beaches and tailor to 50cm have been landed around Secret Harbour. Clean gutters from Secret Harbour down to Golden Bay have produced mulloway around the metre mark on incoming tides. The local jetties have been quiet, but a few herring have been burleyed up at times and scaly mackerel have shown up intermittently.
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’s no feeling quite like landing a metrey mulloway from the Swan River and it’s all the more impressive when it’s landed on soft plastic. Hats off to @oscarspearman_fishing on the capture and snap and it wasn’t the only impressive mulloway landed in the Swan this week.
Either side of the cold front saw a few crews battling yellowtail kingfish and decent King George whiting at the Three-Mile Reef and within the bays at Rottnest Island. Sand whiting catches have been reasonable off Ocean Reef, Cottesloe and City Beach, while squid have been in good numbers and sizes between Fremantle and Cottesloe. Inshore waters off Fremantle have offered herring and skippy and before the cold front arrived a few shark mackerel were kicking around the northern reefs off Mindarie and Two Rocks. Storm garfish have turned up off Hillarys at times. In the Swan River blue swimmer crab catches have started to wane with the 12-15m pockets in the lower reaches the best bet. This evening should be manageable for the boaties but the best windows this long Easter weekend are looking like Saturday morning along with Monday morning.
Pink snapper were heavily targeted along the metro rock walls and beaches during the weekend storm surge with drone fishers faring best. North and South Moles and the northern walls produced reasonable numbers, but it was quieter for snapper on the beaches despite some nice mulloway being landed. Herring numbers have improved at the Fremantle Moles and off rock walls further south, while small tailor have been taken in the mornings between Cottesloe and City Beach along with a few herring. Bigger tailor were landed from the northern beaches but not in great numbers. The odd soapy mulloway has been inside the northern marinas. Mulloway catches were widespread and saw a sharp increase in the Swan River with fish around a metre being caught as far up as Guildford down to Burswood. They also turned up in their middle reaches haunts such as the Causeway, Narrows, the old brewery, Claremont Jetty and Canning Bridge. Fremantle Harbour produced a few too. Bream have been a little harder to get a handle on, but they were holding between Guildford and Burswood. Either side of the rain front flats fishers had enjoyable afternoon sessions, landing up to half a dozen good flathead in the Swan’s lower reaches on micro jigs and vibes. The odd decent flounder turned up as well. A few flathead were also picked up around Maylands and Mt Henry in the Canning River, where they tended to favour soft plastics.
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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