Any time of the year is great for fishing mate. Not a lot else to do after travelling so far unless you like to sit around the camp fire 24/7 (something I can do easily) LOL.
Not totally sure about species but I would be having fun in the day on lite gear and setting some serious baits out early morning and after dark. It all depends on the weather I guess.
You get good black bream in jerdacuttup. Small ones are pretty thick so I used to use heads off herring and whiting to give the big ones enough time to nail them. Theres stonkers in there. The other rivers west are also productive. You can google earth roads and access right up to the banks with your car. Ive never had much success in the estuary's themselves.
From the town jetty the herring can be thick and you can also pick up squid in the evenings. Small skippy, garfish, leather jacket, snook and juvenile blue groper(actually green and way undersize.)
Theres a sand spit at the back of the caravan park which is productive for flathead, whiting and odd skippy.
At 5 mile on a very low tide you can pick up green and brown lip abalone. You will actually find these around the boat ramp groyne as well with a snorkel.
12 mile you might pick up a stray salmon. Also caught sweep and lots of herring and skippy.
The right spots in the National park will see skippy and whiting. Quoin Head is a great spot if its open to the public. The dunes on the way to hamersley beach is a lot of fun but might be too hard work for some. Waves here are pretty wild. Might pick up a salmon and have heard of Huge Tailor now and then being picked up as well as mulloway and sharks for those willing to burn the midnight oil.
I believe there are some holes between starvation bay and munglinup that is productive for mulloway.
Having a boat opens up a whole new world if the wind isnt blowing its tits off.
Those bream are super aggressive too. Fished a couple of spots in the Jerdacuttup about this time last year, and they weren't shy at all. Definitely a lot of smaller ones, but the big boys are there.
Where we were you could clearly see juvenile fish right up along the banks in the shallow weed.
They weren't subtle about taking a hit on small blades either.
Now I'm thinking I should take another visit down there to visit friends :)
Yes definitely. They have a reputation to be fussy eaters but the ones in jerdacuttap hit anything. Pretty much emptied my freezer of unwanted meats when I left town and they smashed them all steak, lamb etc. Same tactics apply as anywhere else in not striking too early and allow them to peel a bit of line first. Also a good place to try the plastics that dont seem to work anywhere else as theyre guaranteed to get smashed as well.
We must fish the same area cos I used to see the same thing with juvies swimming around the banks.
Would like to go back down and spend a week or 2 in sleepy hopey.
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
May well be there also
Any time of the year is great for fishing mate. Not a lot else to do after travelling so far unless you like to sit around the camp fire 24/7 (something I can do easily) LOL.
Not totally sure about species but I would be having fun in the day on lite gear and setting some serious baits out early morning and after dark. It all depends on the weather I guess.
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
Jakeu420
Posts: 270
Date Joined: 03/11/10
I will be heading down for
I will be heading down for xmas too
bod
Posts: 2318
Date Joined: 03/05/06
hopetoun
type hopetoun into search. quite a few threads on fishing there eg
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/hopetoun
Busted Arse
Posts: 253
Date Joined: 02/07/10
Landbased the options can be
Landbased the options can be limited.
You get good black bream in jerdacuttup. Small ones are pretty thick so I used to use heads off herring and whiting to give the big ones enough time to nail them. Theres stonkers in there. The other rivers west are also productive. You can google earth roads and access right up to the banks with your car. Ive never had much success in the estuary's themselves.
From the town jetty the herring can be thick and you can also pick up squid in the evenings. Small skippy, garfish, leather jacket, snook and juvenile blue groper(actually green and way undersize.)
Theres a sand spit at the back of the caravan park which is productive for flathead, whiting and odd skippy.
At 5 mile on a very low tide you can pick up green and brown lip abalone. You will actually find these around the boat ramp groyne as well with a snorkel.
12 mile you might pick up a stray salmon. Also caught sweep and lots of herring and skippy.
The right spots in the National park will see skippy and whiting. Quoin Head is a great spot if its open to the public. The dunes on the way to hamersley beach is a lot of fun but might be too hard work for some. Waves here are pretty wild. Might pick up a salmon and have heard of Huge Tailor now and then being picked up as well as mulloway and sharks for those willing to burn the midnight oil.
I believe there are some holes between starvation bay and munglinup that is productive for mulloway.
Having a boat opens up a whole new world if the wind isnt blowing its tits off.
Garrett
Posts: 67
Date Joined: 02/08/11
Those bream are super
Those bream are super aggressive too. Fished a couple of spots in the Jerdacuttup about this time last year, and they weren't shy at all. Definitely a lot of smaller ones, but the big boys are there.
Where we were you could clearly see juvenile fish right up along the banks in the shallow weed.
They weren't subtle about taking a hit on small blades either.
Now I'm thinking I should take another visit down there to visit friends :)
Busted Arse
Posts: 253
Date Joined: 02/07/10
Yes definitely. They have
Yes definitely. They have a reputation to be fussy eaters but the ones in jerdacuttap hit anything. Pretty much emptied my freezer of unwanted meats when I left town and they smashed them all steak, lamb etc. Same tactics apply as anywhere else in not striking too early and allow them to peel a bit of line first. Also a good place to try the plastics that dont seem to work anywhere else as theyre guaranteed to get smashed as well.
We must fish the same area cos I used to see the same thing with juvies swimming around the banks.
Would like to go back down and spend a week or 2 in sleepy hopey.
Garrett
Posts: 67
Date Joined: 02/08/11
I think there might be a
I think there might be a couple spots like that.
This was one pointed out to me by a mate who lives down there. A bit tricky to get down too, and the flies were horrendous, but it was worth it.
Got a feed after a couple of hours of throwing back all the rats.
Would probably not bother keeping any if I go back again though. More fun to throw them back and catch them again.
I don't think bream are a terrible table fish, but they're not KGs by any means.
Rik178m
Posts: 40
Date Joined: 16/07/11
Is there anywhere to hire a
Is there anywhere to hire a boat in the area?
Busted Arse
Posts: 253
Date Joined: 02/07/10
When i lived in hopey there
When i lived in hopey there wasnt any boat hire I can recall.
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Park Closed
I usualy go to Hopetoun at Xmas and fish most of the spots all ready recomended. But i think you will find the national park closed due to road works.
Because of DieBack in the area the road works are very slow . I doubt it will be open next year as well.
Make sure you burrly up when fishing any areas , the fish are there you just have to get them to come to you.
Cheers Grant .