Irishman Lost BUT Happy in WA ;)

Hi lads,

I posted here a few weeks ago in another thread but wanted to start a dedicated one instead. I've come from Ireland to fish the west coast of Oz and I need some help and advice! This place is bluddy huge!!!

I only have 2WD access but I am looking for any advice/tips on places where I can catch a few fish from the beach and rocks. I fish catch and release only and will only be in any one place for a few days at most and would appreciate advice on good marks where I can catch anything! PM me if you prefer, I will take any hotspots/info to the grave. I know how it is... I wouldn't tell anyone anything at home ;-)

I know you guys over here don't rate shark/ray fishing but I love it - god if we only had fishing like this at home! So good beaches for mulloway or bronzies etc. would be fantastic. I love rock fishing too and if there are rock ledges close to the water all the better. Not interested in gaffing fish, have a big net and want to return them if at all possible.

I'm up at Kalbarri right now and have been messing around with wobbegongs (uggggly) from Bluff Beach plus plenty of chopper tailor and small mulloway from Chinamans Rock. Lost a good fish there the other night fishing a whole sand whiting. Also looking for marks up along the coast in Shark Bay - went up for a look and had some small black tips from Goulet Bluff but got busted by much bigger fish. Came back down to get some bigger gear at Geraldton so after Kalbarri will try Shark Bay again!

Could you also recommend the best species I can catch for bait? Most of the mulies I get are mush just wondering what species I can catch that will make good cut baits?

Can I just say the fishing out here in comparison to home is out of this world, if you could only see what the waters of Northern Europe are like, look after it you guys are truly blessed. I have never seen anything like it.

Cheers,

Liam


Adam Gallash's picture

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:)

Thu, 2009-04-09 21:29

Just stay away from wolf creek. :)  Jks mate, great to hear you are enjoying it and sure someone will give you some worthy tips.

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UncutTriggerInWA's picture

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ROFL.. Only watched that 2 weeks ago. Missus Shitting Bricks LOL

Sat, 2009-04-11 09:31

 

Cheers, Vince

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Soak your mullies in a thick

Thu, 2009-04-09 21:34

Soak your mullies in a thick brine for a few hours and they should be a bit firmer.

Faulkner Family's picture

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at what date are you looking

Thu, 2009-04-09 21:52

at what date are you looking at exmouth, as there will be a few of us up there on the 2nd and 3rd of may and days either side of that, if your around then call in at the lighthouse caravan park as several will be staying there

cant help too much on beach fishing but you might want to try around steep point in shark bay if you can get there in your car

RUSS & SANDY

 

"A family that fishes together stays together"

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carnarvonite's picture

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Where are you heading

Fri, 2009-04-10 13:43

Where are you heading after Shark Bay?
If you're coming up this way[Carnarvon] you can fish from the flat rocks north of the blowholes quite safely with the low swell and the easterly breeze thats starting to blow.Expect to catch spanish flag,spangled emperor etc from the bottom and using normal balloons a chance of a spaniard ,tuna or sharks.Just pick a rock that has deepish water out the front.The ribbon of reef out the front of the rocks is only 50-100 metres wide then sand/weed out from there.
If you do come up PM me for a meeting and I'll draw up a mud map for you

W

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WA fearadh na fáilte Liam :)

Fri, 2009-04-10 14:36

Yes, quite a bit bigger than Ireland Matey Laughing

You have a LOT of territory and info to learn.

One of the bast baits to catch are 'yellow tail'

For package bait, squid are pretty good.

If you are heading down south (towards Albany) , then give me PM - would love to catch up.

Colin Molloy

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(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

 

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Hi, Might be in Exmouth

Sat, 2009-04-11 09:26

Hi,

Might be in Exmouth around the start of May alright, not sure... will take every day as it comes! Will definitely be in touch if I am! Will be in exmouth until at least June after that - it's my first big stop.

Carnarvonite - should be up your way in a week or so mate, few more days around Lucky Bay/Kalbarri and definitely a few more in Shark Bay, then Carnarvon is my next stop so will be in touch.

Oh guys... the flies drove me demented in Shark bay last week, crazy! Are they always this bad!? Any beach by the bush was just riddled with them all day, couldn't leave the van until after dark! Any advice/tips welcome on this one also!

 

Liam 

 

 

 

 

I fish therefore I am...

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More advice please!

Tue, 2009-04-14 17:53

Hi,

It's me again. Was fishing at Wittecara Creek and Red Bluff Beach in Kalbarri the last two nights. Went gung ho and had 10/0's and 100kg wire out for sharks. Got picked up a few times by Mulloway at Wittecara and then they dropped it.

Switched to 3 5/0 Mustad 7766D's and hooked up but lost the fish - don't like these hooks they make a very stiff gang and this isn't the first time this has happened. I've dropped a few good fish now because I "think" the gang is too stiff? Also, they're very very thick wire and would like something finer for setting hooks in fish. Can someone recommend a better pattern for me? Would love to just use mono and snell the hooks on but afraid a tailor will chomp right though them. Is there a solution or is it just me!

Thanks,

   Liam

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I would try and stay away from the wire Liam

Tue, 2009-04-14 19:45

The Mulloway are pretty good at feeling the wire and they will quickly drop your bait. Go for the snelled hooks, just use heavier mono leader.
Maybe try some circle hooks on your snells.
I am a Gamakatsu man when it comes to ganged hooks, but they are fairly thick wire also.

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LB's picture

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I find mullet are good

Wed, 2009-04-15 10:07

I find mullet are good bait for near on anything a throw net can be handy for some fresh bait as well.Wire Vs mono if you use wire that big mulla is going to pick it up and spit it out if you use mono your sure to hook a shark.(murphys law)

You cant catch all the fish all the time (:

UncutTriggerInWA's picture

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Shit Happens Mate

Wed, 2009-04-15 23:10

My report from the weekend typified the dilema of what's right for the situation. I go there in anticipation ... play the game and come away thinking about what could have been. At the same time I brought home some nice fish.

I agree with Colin here. Never had a good experience with wire traces and Mulloway.

Enjoy your stay Liamo and keep the stories coming mate :)

 

Cheers, Vince

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Fish ID Please!

Sun, 2009-04-19 12:27

Thanks for the replies guys!

Have given up on the gangs for now and using snelled traces which are softer and giving me much better hookups. Have been up in Shark Bay this week and by my standards the fishing has been out of this world! No choice but to use wire here!!!

I had to give up after 3 nights because there was so many blacktip reef sharks here after dark it was impossible to fish for anything else, was catching a dozen of them every night from 5kgs to 10kgs along with some good tailor to 4kgs, shovelnosed sharks and various species of stingrays between 10-20kg - 30m out from the beach! I can "see" them under the torchlight - incredible. No one at home would believe this.

Could someone id these two fish for me? Would love to know what I'm catching! Oh and a guesstimate on the weight of the shark would be nice (it measured 62inches long and 29inches in girth)

Liam

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Liam, I agree with you

Wed, 2009-06-17 22:40

Liam, I agree with you regarding the fishing in Aus. nothing like it in the uk.

I was there lat the end of last year with 3 mates and had some great fishing from beaches in Shark bay. caught shovel noses to @ 150lbs , Stingrays to @ 100lbs & various other types of rays during day-time. All released to fight another day.

Broke a couple of rods on fish we couldn`t stop & got wiped out a couple of times as well ! 

can you say whereabouts in Shark bay did you fish?

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Sorry Dave

Wed, 2009-06-17 22:42

Going to close this thread up.  Liam unfortunately passed away last month whilst in Exmouth.

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carnarvonite's picture

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Lemon

Sun, 2009-04-19 15:10

Looks like a lemon shark to me from what I cn see of it.Cannot help you on the ray

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bait advice

Sun, 2009-04-19 15:35

best hardy and great bait i can suggest is fresh whiting get up early and go fish the shallows for bait size whiting. Best part about it is if u teach your missus 2 catch them u can stay in bed. Nothing like catching fresh bait in the morning and turning them into one of those sharks or mulloway u have been hooking. On your way back try the north wall of the dongara denison harbour hundreds of rays and i,ve caught half a dozen mulloway off there before biggest of which was 25kg. Good luck and hope u enjoy the rest of your trip

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  great fishing there, i

Sun, 2009-04-19 16:15

  great fishing there, i would guess that shark would go about the 45 to 50 kg range

cant help with that ray but , there is too many species of them  

RUSS & SANDY

 

"A family that fishes together stays together"

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"I will take any hotspots/info to the grave" quote

Fri, 2009-05-22 00:26

tragedy