Fishing Discussion
Two Rocks Marina - advice sought
Submitted by chris1108 on Fri, 2017-06-09 15:21Hope everyone is looking forward to a good weekend of fishing.
I'm heading to Two Rocks Marina for the entire day tomorrow and I just want some advice on fishing the outer wall.
Firstly, are there any restrictions on where you fish along the wall? I've found an old post about restrictions on fishing on the West side, but I'm not certain this is still relevant or has ever been enforced.
Secondly, if I use a paternoster rig am I likely to get frustrated by snags? I'll be doing a bunch of rigs, including unweighted and floated, but I often use a classic paternoster because it's been my most reliable rig overall.
Thirdly, any tips on specific spots? From what I've read, casting NW near the mouth promises a catch of bread and butter species. I'm really, really hoping I can land my first lb snapper but that aside, would be glad to catch some herring, skippy and tailor.
Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
Marine Alert- Next week: Big swell coming.
Submitted by Moking on Fri, 2017-06-09 14:33I don't think I'll be fishing around the reefs next week:
**MARINE ALERT**
PLEASE SHARE
A massive storm currently off South Africa that is generating huge damaging swells and 100km/hr+ winds is set to deliver large swells towards Western Australia.
A super-charged open ocean swell is expected to develop, resulting in XXL waves across the South West coast of Australia.
18-20ft waves are expected to arrive in WA on Tuesday, building rapidly into the afternoon ahead of a peak Wednesday.
WE STRONGLY ADVISE BOAT OWNERS SHOULD CHECK MOORING LINES AND PENS AND ENSURE YOUR BOAT IS SECURE PRIOR TO TUESDAY.
MARINERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.
Image/info courtesy of Swellnet
(http://www.swellnet.com/…/large-swells-inbound-australia-an…)
Perth Weather Live Perth & WA Fishing Reports
- 31 comments
- 4959 reads
Getting into the bigger Swan River tailor
Submitted by 20307391 on Fri, 2017-06-09 09:27Hi all,
I've been lurking on the forums here for a while, and I must say there is a lot of helpful information! Kudos to you all.
Recently I've been flicking lures beneath the Narrows bridge once or twice a week and have been getting amongst a few choppers, but thus far all fish are under size.
Do the big fish flush out of the river for the winter? Or should I be using the bigger lure-bigger fish theory?
I've mostly been using 20-30g metals and a few small bibbed minnows.
I've had mulies out on a paternoster rig simultaneously most times, however this has not been as successful. It does seem to keep the fish around though.
The little guys are good fun to catch, but would be nice to walk away with a couple in the bucket.
Cheers
C
- 12 comments
- 7666 reads
Red Freshies
Submitted by sharkbait13 on Thu, 2017-06-08 22:53G'day guys,
Quick question about how the Waroona Dam fishes for redfin at this time of year and how is it best to go about it as a beginner? Any help appreciated for the Pinjarra upstream area too.
Cheers
- 3 comments
- 3144 reads
EOFY SALE
Submitted by Oceanside Tackle on Thu, 2017-06-08 17:17EOFY SALE
30% OFF Storewide SALE until Sunday 11th so 3 Days ONLY!!
30% OFF STOREWIDE SALE on all gear instore excluding: current specials, bait and reels. If you’re wanting a reel we have plenty in stock and happy to do a discount.
EVERYTHING else Storewide > 30% OFF
Starts Friday 9th June @ 8.30am
Finishes Sunday 11th June @ 5pm
The shop is FULL of gear so get in fast, in store stock only – don’t miss out!!
_________________________________________________
* Excludes Bait
* Floor stock only.
* No Holds.
* No Lay-by's.
* Country purchases can be made via EFT (postage cost needs to be applied)
* PM us, call on 9337 5682 or Pop in for more info
* OPEN 7 Days
- 7 comments
- 3480 reads
Bottom Trawling Rottnest
Submitted by swoffer on Thu, 2017-06-08 08:02 Hi all , been a long time for me on here but you can all relax , I'm back 
So , my first question for this return is , "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH FISHERIES ALLOWING DESTRUCTIVE TRAWLING OF THE BOTTOM FOR SCALLOPS OVE NEAR ROTTNEST ? "
Havent we learned anything from our past ?
Remember , these boats drag very heavy chains and boards over the bottom , it is probably the most destructive form of commercial fishing there is and fisheries have decided that it is ok to do off the metro coast agin . those with long memories will remember trawling was banned around the metro years ago because among other reasons it is just to destructive .
I wonder how MG Kailis , the company that is doing the trawling , was able to convince fisheries that they should be allowed to do this ?
TBH , I'm gobsmacked that there has been no outrage from rec anglers or environmental groups on this .
Come on fishers get active , trawling chains over our seabed , especially metro is NOT ok .
- 38 comments
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Looking for a new rod/reel combo - Casting weight ratings. What am I missing.
Submitted by selthy on Wed, 2017-06-07 21:35I have read many posts on this site about beach rods, however none seem to discuss casting weights to any real extent. Those that do talk about throwing out crazy big baits.
I'm in the market for a new rod/reel combo. I have plenty of light gear and an 11' rod that I'm very happy with for throwing out lures or mulies with a light running sinker. The max lure weight on the 11' rod is 75g.
I'm keen to start chasing some Mulloway and the occasional snapper or shark at night from our local beaches and rock walls. In my mind what I am after to compliment my existing setups is simple. A rod strong enough to cast out a decent sinker and or a live bait.
I have been to a number of retailers including current and ex site sponsors. I have been reccomended everything from an 11' Assassin Amia through to a 14' fibreglass Ozflex. I'm confused as to what is the best way to go. My preference is for a shorter and lighter rod. The one thing most of the retaillers agree on is that a Shimano Saragosa reel 8,000 or 10,000 is the way to go with quality 50lb braid.
I feel I am down to deciding between an Assasin Beachmaster Lite (2oz-4oz sinker weight) or Medium Spin (5oz-7oz). If I go the lite, will I likely feel the need for a stronger rod in the future if I head up north to the likes of Wagoe etc.
or a Penn Prevail 12' with a cast weight up to 240g.
What would you choose, what size and why? Am I over thinking sinker/casting weight ratings on the rods?
Any other suggestions welcome including shorter rods and lighter reel that would suit the fishing I am wanting to do.
- 28 comments
- 5023 reads
Fremantle Recreational Fishing Club
Submitted by Oceanside Tackle on Wed, 2017-06-07 15:39Recently we were approached to sponsor a fishing club and having several of our customers in that club it was a no brainer for us as a tackle shop to be involved!
Oceanside Tackle and Marine are proud to be the Tackle Shop Sponsor for the Fremantle Recreational Fishing Club. This club was established in 2008 and has a lot of dedicated boat anglers including some lady’s and kids etc!
Fremantle Recreational Fishing Club has a solid member base and they enjoy all fishing activity’s including competitions like; Crabbing, Mixed bag, Squiding, Seafood extravaganza, KG whiting, Sand whiting and more. The club is wanting to expand its members including kids & juniors involvement and across the board it’s a diverse fishing club!
Recently we attended a meeting at the club house and whilst not all members could be there it was great to meet a fair few and my staff Callum and Ben were also part of the get together. We just wanted to say thanks to Nobby Verran, Charles O’Donnell and Mark Peacock for this opportunity to sponsor a great fishing club (Thank you)
So, if you’re wanting to mix with like minded fisho’s, wanting to expand your fishing knowledge, meet more fishing mates and enjoy some trips away you should really look at becoming a member. If you’re not sure then why not pop down to a meet at the clubhouse and go from there!
Below is a link to the Fremantle Recreational Fishing Club Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/Fremantle-Recreational-Fishing-Cl…/
Cheers from the Oceanside Team – Ryan Thipthorp, Callum & Ben

Yanchep weed report
Submitted by chris1108 on Tue, 2017-06-06 13:50I'm heading to Yanchep Friday and maybe also early next week.
I'm just keen to know beforehand whether weed is much of a factor at the moment. If so, I'll switch to a better spot.
Thanks.
- 1 comment
- 1579 reads
Arrow head squid off freo
Submitted by Son of tomcat on Tue, 2017-06-06 11:38Got my first arrow head squid off freo over the weekend i do a lot of squiding and have been for a long time but never got one down here before you guys think its rare or not
- 13 comments
- 3754 reads
Squidding - I need help !
Submitted by smidsy on Mon, 2017-06-05 20:45Hey All,
So from reading on these forums & elsewhere, it seems squid are a bit of a bycatch around here, and can be plucked out any time you want.
So I decided to give this a real go, not doing my normal fishing and focussing only on squid, in cockburn sound. I only caught a squid once before, off a jetty many years ago.
I'm normally a lazy fisherman, put the bait in, sit on your arse, contemplate the world ! But I was committed ! I have a light spin rod & a packet of squid jigs.
Anyway, left at 11 am, drifting around Henderson sheds for about about 2 hours, nothing. The went over to garden island, and did a good 4 to 5 hours of casting my jig and trying lots of different grass beds, nothing !
I was casting the lure, then pulling it in by letting it drop, then pulling it up, then winding in the slack while its dropping. Over and Over again and again. Trying different speeds etc.
I was thinking maybe there's just no squid, or bad time of day or something. But, in the last hour or so the sun was coming down, so I could see in the water quite clearly. Every njow and then, the squid & cuttlefish were grabbing the lure I was casting, and then letting it go as they pleased.
The 4 or 5 times I managed to snag one, they fought a bit, and got away.
I also had a rod in a holder with a jig dangling in the water, while I was casting, a few times I seen cuttlefish go up & grab it the dangling lure, then change their mind and just swim away freely.
What am I doing wrong ??
Frustrating day, lots of effort, and nothing to show for it.
- 35 comments
- 5764 reads
Point peron winch handle found
Submitted by avatinni on Mon, 2017-06-05 20:18Hi all if anyone was down at point peron boat ramp this arvo 5/6/17 and has lost a winch handle or knows someone that did you can call me on 0418 933931 cheers Mark.
Foundation Day Date
Submitted by Jackfrost80 on Mon, 2017-06-05 19:39The plan was to take the Mrs and kids out of Hillarys and chase some hezza and whiting but the old lady fresh from holidays was keen to see the kids so a plan was hatched and the Mrs and I went out for our first boat ride without the kids after the previous attempt being ruined by a mulie bag on the intake followed by a huge front that came through.
She was keen to catch a snapper or a dhu after only catching bread and butter fish before so I decided to try a spot in 30m I sounded out last Sunday with my brother where we caught a nothing but Sgt Bakers after heading back in from a fruitless trip to the 40's.
We pulled up and I really liked what I saw and better yet the wind was also playing nice so no use for the sea anchor so we set a drift and dropped a couple of jigs and got a couple of hits and I pulled up a monster skippy only to drop it pulling it into the boat. I loaded up my Catalina rod with a circle hook to have some bait in the water and pulled around for another drift and as soon as we passed the ground it bent over and I told the Mrs to grab it and the following conversation ensued:
"She's all yours, just don't high stick it, that's a $500 rod"
"You paid $500 for a rod?"
"No I got it on special and it's worth about one and a half haircuts. Don't worry about the rod, worry about the fish on it"
She battled it beautifully and landed an undersized snapper which was one of about 12 that we landed today. I managed to hook a nice Black Arse and an undersize Baldy in amongst them and we should have moved but the Mrs was having a ball.
I mentioned to the Mrs that along with the Mile High Club there's a thing called the 3 Mile Club but the look said it all and we headed back to the ramp at 30 knots.
Didn't load the esky like I'd hoped but a magic day all the same and happy to be pulling fish off my own spots.
- 3 comments
- 2168 reads
leader knot help
Submitted by barcelona125 on Mon, 2017-06-05 19:02hey guys,
I am currently a bit lost at the moment, i have just bought my self a new light baitcast outfit which i have spooled up with 6lb frog braid
when trying to tie my 8lb leader on using my normal leader knot the leader always brakes.
i have tried about 10-12 different knots, starting with my normal fg knot and ending with putting a bimini in my braid and tying with that
it always ends up with the leader being cut half way through the knot (fg knot) or the leader braking at the start of the knot (improved albirght, gt, slim beauty, etc)
the leader is fine as i have used it numerous times before on my stradic with 8lb frog braid on it.
any ideas on what i can tie would be appreciated, cause i am stuck completely :)
thanks,
Nathan.
- 21 comments
- 3113 reads
Gnaraloo from the air
Submitted by Jc85 on Mon, 2017-06-05 18:06Hi Guys
Just finished another good trip up in Gnaraloo at the end of may.
Took the DJI Mavic pro drone up and took a few pics of the station and bay.
Cheers JC85
- 9 comments
- 3970 reads
Long weekend Dawn result
Submitted by z00m on Mon, 2017-06-05 16:35I had it all planned, had the bait in the esky, drinks sorted, lunch packed, rigs made, reels serviced and ready for a full day fishing today given the forecast.
Early morning and headed for the ramp in the dark when 2 k's from home it all went wrong. Trailer felt a bit rough compared to normal so pulled over and saw this. No spare so I limped back home. Yeah I know, a simple spare would have had me underway again if a flash. Replacing all 4 tyres as all the tyres look to be of the same age/brand tomorrow.




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- 2362 reads
Wish it was always this easy
Submitted by deep south on Sun, 2017-06-04 22:45After a bit of a sleep in thought I would head out for a quick solo mission .Hit the water around 10 and after a few stops on a couple of spots for squat all I shot out to a spot that holds a few fish through the winter months . Well the sounder lit up like lunar park so down went the vexed dhu drop and all hell broke loose, could have filled the boat I reckon but I was happy with this one and let multiple big boys go to fight another day ( makes you cry letting 12to 14 kg dhuies go ) !!
- 5 comments
- 3022 reads
Winter Trading hours @ Oceanside Tackle and Marine
Submitted by Oceanside Tackle on Sun, 2017-06-04 13:55Just a heads up, our Winter Hours have started and finish 31st August (3 months only).
No major changes but in short Monday to Friday > we normally finish at 6pm but now 5.30pm
Don't forget winter is a great time to;
Target Pinkys landbase and out of the boat.
Dabbing for king prawns in the river.
Squiding gets even better including for landbase anglers.
Maximise the low wind days to go offshore targeting Demersal species.
Maximise the low wind days to go offshore targeting Super Deep species.
Head North and escape the cold haha
Cheers from The Oceanside Team
- 1 comment
- 1621 reads
carp and quenda?
Submitted by anypuddle on Sat, 2017-06-03 18:32Took my boys carp fishing in the metro area, got 15 or so unharmed in a few hours, only small up to 2kg. I crossed a water covered sandbank training 2 border colllie pups and got on a peninsula on the lake. While fishing off it i saw a bandicoot but different- walk up and down 10m a few times in front of me, i now reckon it was a quenda. Called my boys over and we watched it for a few minutes together. Great to see. If you recognize the spot please keep it to yourself. Really hope it doesnt get eaten by a fox.
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Fishing with John Curtis - 03/06/2017 (Final Report)
Submitted by Ashen on Sat, 2017-06-03 06:24GENERAL FISHING:
This week’s report is a special report as it is the last one that I will be producing. I commenced my work with 720Perth on Friday night with Michael Schultz way back in 1998 when I would gather up all of my notes and materials and drive into the Adelaide Terrace studios and talk about what was happening in the fishing world and what was biting. Michael moved on and the program segment was shifted to the Saturday Morning Breakfast time slot. There have been many other presenters that I have worked with over the years some whose names escape me, so I won’t try to list them all. Along with the on air presenters there have been those producers working behind the scenes ensuring that you get to air on time and pass information on.
It has been a fun time in preparing and presenting the reports each week but the time has come to move on and follow some other dreams. Over the years I haven’t missed too many programs and have reported back from places such as Singapore and New Zealand and from the eastern states. In this time I can only recall a couple of situations where I didn’t go to air as phone lines were too bad to hold a coherent conversation and once when I was hospitalised.
Each week it takes around 6 to 8 hours to prepare the report collecting and collating information from a number of sources. To those who have willingly and freely provided me with the information goes a big thank you as without your input my report would be nothing. Also I have to mention my long suffering wife who has also spent countless hours proof reading and correcting my notes ensuring that my work is mostly free of typo’s and spelling errors.
To all of the readers of the blog who have assisted in making this column one of the most widely read fishing blogs around I thank you. Just remember to take care when out fishing and stay safe and enjoy you fishing.
It has been fairly cool this week and only the brave have endured the chilly mornings to get a feed of fish. This is not all that surprising as we are only a couple of weeks away from the winter solstice and so after that we can start looking forward to longer days and warmer weather. Seas and swells have also been up a little and this has precluded a lot of smaller boats getting offshore to get a feed of fish. Interestingly the sea surface temperatures are still up a little, all along the coast at the moment and this is brought about by both the Leeuwin Current and the East Australian Current bringing warmer water onto our coastline. The Leeuwin Current brings water out of the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea, while the East Australian Current come out of the central Pacific Ocean bringing warm oceanic current to the Australian mainland and down to Tasmania. This will have a definite impact on species caught both inshore and off shore.
During the last week, anglers looking to get a feed have had to work fairly hard although some anglers are catching good bags of fish at many of our popular metropolitan locations. The good news is that there are a lot of hungry herring along almost all of our beaches. The really great news is that many of them are big bull herring. I don’t know why they are called bull herring as all very big herring are females!
Fish from any of the beaches or rock platforms in the metro area and you should catch a feed in reasonable time. Along with the herring there have been a few yellow-eyed mullet, or pilch as they are more commonly known, starting to appear more frequently. There are also plenty of skippy around for both beach and boat anglers and there are some good pike being taken by both beach and boat anglers.
As the winter chills really set in, many of our senior anglers (aka grey nomads) head to warmer climes in the north. Those who have waited a little while are now possibly regretting the decision to leave a little later as the winter chills set in. Many of them head for fishing locations such as Carnarvon, Dampier/Karratha, Point Sampson and even Broome. These are all great angling spots when you want to escape Perth’s cold weather.
With winter now well under way many anglers have hung up their gear and have retired to the armchair in front of the heater and television screens. Here are a few tips on preparing your gear for winter storage to save you a few problems for next summer when you want to get the gear out again and catch a few fish.
Most of us clean our fishing tackle and equipment after every fishing trip, but many times we neglect our fishing reels. Failure to clean your fishing reels can lead to a short life span. But it doesn't have to be this way. Reel cleaning is easy and everyone can do it given a small amount of time and some basic tools. You can visit the manufacturer’s web site and download a parts diagram of your fishing reel if you don’t have one. This will help in disassembly and re-assembling your reel.
Here are a few quick and easy tips for cleaning your fishing reels.
Prepare a work area:
If you have a work bench, great! If you don't, not a problem. A table top makes a great place to clean fishing reels. You'll need an old rag or cloth to put the parts on while you clean them. I suggest that you spread out several layers of newspaper to protect the work surface prior to commencing as it can get a bit messy. Also an old egg carton provides a handy storage for parts as you pull a reel apart, as you are able to keep the parts in sequence for easy re-assembly.
Remove the reel from rod:
Never try and clean a fishing reel when it's still attached to a rod. Always take the fishing reel off and put a rubber band around the spool or tie a simple overhand knot in the line to hold it on the spool. This will prevent it from springing off and tangling. Rinse reels off with some warm water with a little liquid soap added.
Cleaning fishing tackle, especially saltwater fishing tackle, is very important to get all the corrosion causing salt from your reels and rods. Never leave your saltwater fishing tackle lying around after coming back from a fishing trip. Tighten the drag system to prevent water from getting in and remember to back it off before storing the reel away. Wash and rinse immediately or risk permanent damage from salt corrosion. Use a spray bottle with plain water to rinse down and then dry the reel off using a piece of toweling.
Avoid using pressurized water like that from a garden hose to clean reels. I once saw someone at a car wash cleaning his boat and then he laid his rod and reels against the wall and used the high pressure wand to clean them. A sure way to ensure that water gets inside the reel and emulsifies the lubricant and wets the drag washers and damages the reel.
For an annual clean up where you are going to strip and re-assemble a reel, use a container of warm water with some soap like dishwashing liquid to clean the outside of your fishing reels as well as the inside parts. Then dry them before lubricating and re-assembling them.
Use an appropriate grease specifically designed for fishing reels, not spray lubricants. Spray lubricants can leave an oily residue which attracts dirt. Use a high quality reel oil and grease. My recommendation is to use a light coating of outboard engine grease as this is designed to operate in a hostile saltwater environment, is generally waterproof and is also viscous. This means it sticks and stays stuck to the surfaces it is put onto. Some proprietary oils and greases are not good for use on reels as they readily emulsify and lose any lubricating properties that they had.
More grease is NOT better!
I once opened a reel to service it and found that it was literally packed with grease. The owner had used a huge wad of bearing grease on the inside. It's no wonder it wouldn't work. It's been said before but deserves saying again. You just need a tiny bit of reel oil and reel grease to get the job done. This is one time when "More Is Not Better!"
To do this I use a small artist’s type stiff bristle paint brush and dip it into the grease and then ‘paint’ a fine covering of grease across all surfaces. This provides a protective coating and lubricates working surfaces and provides adequate protection for your gear.
Beware of anti-reverse pawls particularly in spinning reels, as often they won’t work if you use a viscous good quality grease and put a thin layer of grease on the anti-reverse pawl. The hair spring that operates it often is not strong enough to overcome the friction caused by grease and they don’t work.
Don't be a Drag
Make sure you clean and thoroughly dry all of the drag washers (metal and other) in the drag system. Then apply a tiny amount of P T F E (polytetraflouroethylene) or ‘Teflon’ grease to them. This is available from most good tackle shops. Once re-assembled, tighten them down and then release them. Tightening them down will help spread the grease evenly and then releasing them will not cause them to stick together and lock up when you next come to use the reel. They are best stored with the pressure backed right of.
Use proper sized tools for the job.
Pliers and one-size-fits-all screwdrivers are a sure way to mess up your fishing reel. You can find a small set of screwdrivers at most tool outlets or hardware stores. If you can't find the tool that came with your reel, order another. Pliers are not spanners and are not a substitute for them. If you use them to loosen nuts you risk damaging them by burring the edges and then it will require more work to remove them. They will also have to be replaced and this could be expensive.
If you're not the mechanical type, that's all right. You can send your reels off and have them professionally cleaned. Many tackle stores also offer reel cleaning and repair. The small amount of money you pay now will help your reel last a lifetime. Regular maintenance of your fishing reels is essential for a long, trouble free life. (both for the reel and you!)
If all else fails – see a professional.
If you have some fishing information, have caught a good fish and have a picture of it and want to brag, or have an item that may be of interest to other anglers and wish to share it, you can send the details to abc720saturdaybreakfast@yahoo.com.au and I will try to incorporate it into the blog.
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS:
MANDURAH:
Anglers report that there are herring all over the place in and around Mandurah. The Dawesville Cut is producing good numbers. There are plenty of tarwhine and whiting being caught near the river mouth. Anglers fishing from the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut have been catching a few King George whiting, lots of herring and a few garfish, along with a few skippy. An occasional salmon is also turning up along with some good sized tailor along the local beaches. Nowhere stands out as a prime location, however I would suggest Tim’s Thicket and White Hills as good options. Pilch are also being taken in numbers from locations south of Mandurah. The Old Traffic Bridge is still a spot worth trying. Anglers this week have been taking some good-sized tailor, herring, skippy and some smallish tarwhine. There are still a few good crabs in the deep water and it is worth spending some time dabbing prawns from the bridge or from a boat moored just up from the bridge on a run out tide. The Cut is probably the best producing location for those dabbing from boats. The Murray and Serpentine rivers have been producing some excellent catches of bream from most popular spots.
SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY:
Occasional salmon are being taken from the beaches and jetties early morning and evening. Tailor are also an option at the moment with some big fish being taken in close to the reefs. Poppers, bait cast mulies or garfish will do the trick. Long Point, Point Perron and the Rockingham jetties have been producing consistent catches of yellow-finned whiting, big herring, chopper tailor and skippy and tarwhine. There are still some salmon coming as well but their numbers are thinning. Jetty anglers are catching good bags of garfish in the mornings. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some excellent fishing producing good catches of flathead, flounder and whiting.
COCKBURN SOUND:
Cockburn Sound is currently holding good numbers of big squid and getting a feed of these succulent cephalopods requires not much effort at all. They have been taken in numbers throughout the Sound from the Causeway in the south right up to the South Mole. The southern reefs of Garden Island have been producing herring as well as large King George whiting. Plenty of wrasse are around as well as herring and garfish. Michael sent in a picture of a recent snapper capture in Cockburn Sound capture, along with the note “Southern end of the Cockburn Sound near a ship loading facility, last Thursday night. Measured in at 107cm, weight unknown - but heavy. Caught on first bait which was a lightly weighted mulie on a single hook. Cheers from Michael, Seville Grove.” A picture of Michael with this fish is at the end of the blog.
KWINANA / NAVAL BASE / WOODMAN POINT / COOGEE:
There are regular reports of big tailor being caught from the Ammunition Jetty as well as the rock groynes. There have also been a lot of large sand whiting taken from the jetty as well some good sized squid being landed at night. Anglers fishing from both shore based and boat based locations have been catching pink snapper on a regular basis. A couple of locations that keep on coming up in conversation are the groynes and the rock walls in the area.
ROTTNEST ISLAND:
Anglers fishing from the shore on the island have reported that herring are prolific at Rottnest. They are being caught everywhere. A few salmon have also been taken out at the West End of the Island as well as an odd samsonfish and yellow-tail kingfish. A few big tailor can also be found in the white water wash around the reefs surrounding the Island. Last weekend one lady angler put the guys to shame by landing the biggest kingfish of their annual trip, a great fish of 9kg. She also out-fished the men with the heaviest bag of fish for the weekend. Other notable species captures were herring, large skippy and a dhufish.
FREMANTLE / INNER HARBOUR / LOWER REACHES OF SWAN RIVER
There are still numbers of snapper around inshore waters, with several being caught from North Mole over the last week. Small schools of salmon have been visible cruising along the rock walls at North and South Moles, Some larger tailor have been taken from the North Mole along with pike and skippy. In the Inner Harbour and around the bridges there have been some big tarwhine caught in the mornings. Out on the North Mole it has been a bit uncomfortable on a chilly morning, but the rewards are there for applied effort with big sand whiting, tarwhine and skippy as well as some good winter tailor. Indications are that there are still some mulloway around and they are not too small. Upstream, tarwhine have again taken up residence around the traffic bridges.
LEIGHTON / COTTESLOE / SWANBOURNE
The beaches were thick with weed last week making it hard going for beach anglers but there are reports of good catches of herring and whiting. Cottesloe groyne has been producing an occasional big tailor and the odd salmon. This makes it somewhat exciting for the herring anglers when they hook a salmon unexpectedly. The Cottesloe groyne has fished well for smaller species such as herring and whiting, but most of the excitement has been from the beach near the surf club. Anglers fishing the beach in this area last Saturday were rewarded with several salmon and tailor. Many were lost in the weed and it was an effort to get a bait out to the fish but when it got there it was instant action. The northern Cottesloe beaches and Swanbourne have been producing some good tailor of an evening with fish to 2 kg being taken.
CITY BEACH / FLOREAT / SCARBOROUGH / TRIGG ISLAND
Out along the beaches there are reports of some big herring being taken between south City Beach and Brighton Road. Wogs are the go as the preferred bait but marinated prawns also work wonders. After dark, Floreat is still producing small whaler sharks early in the evening, along with herring and tarwhine in good numbers. Rumours are that there are still some salmon around after dark. It is definitely worth a look at night. Anglers fishing the area last weekend report that they only managed one tailor and a large sand whiting between them from this area. Many fish were caught but were too small and were returned to the water. Anglers fishing from Brighton Road fared a little better with several good tailor being taken.
HILLARYS / OCEAN REEF / MINDARIE
The marinas at Hillarys, Ocean Reef and Mindarie have been producing a few herring, an occasional large tailor and a few skippy. Anglers fishing from the south side of Hillarys have been catching some excellent tailor of an evening, while anglers fishing from the northern side have been catching herring and garfish from the walls opposite the yacht club. Tailor to 2 Kg have been taken of an evening with some bigger fish coming to the beaches around Mindarie.
YANCHEP / TWO ROCKS / MOORE RIVER
Yanchep Beach has had a few problems with weed but has also turned on some good tailor action with fish up to 2 kg. Pilch are starting to appear in numbers around the area, so use of a little berley and small prawn baits fished under a blob will reap rewards. Mulloway have also been active along these beaches and several fish around 8 – 10 Kg being taken south of Yanchep.
SWAN AND CANNING RIVERS
The river is really settling into a winter pattern with good fishing throughout. Good bream have been taken from areas between the Causeway and Windan Bridge. Anglers fishing this area have found that small pieces of Perth herring have been a top bait. Another top location is in the Canning River between the Canning and Mt Henry bridges. A few good sized bream have also been caught from around the Sticks area.
In the lower reaches, flathead numbers and size are on the improve and there are also plenty of squid in the same area. There are reports of juvenile samsonfish being caught in Freshwater Bay, Mosman Bay and Claremont.
Regular river anglers chasing bream on lures have run into fish of up to 2 kg. An acquaintance reports that there have been several good bream and mulloway caught in the Maylands area over the last couple of weeks. Several of the mulloway are over 10 kg.
There have been good reports of bream captures throughout the Swan from the Narrows Bridge down through into Claremont. Mulloway numbers are down a little over the last week, however there are plenty of bait fish around at the moment in the river and I would suggest that the mulloway are feeding on them rather than on dead bait. Use a fresh bait for a better than even chance. Try around Claremont jetty after dark for bream and whiting. Beat the blowie hordes by fishing after dark. Other spots worth a look for bream are near Jo Jo’s and up in the Canning River around ‘The Sticks’.
BOAT FISHING:
The offshore reefs have been producing big skippy, very big herring and some good sized snapper. Anglers fishing the southern metropolitan area out from the Woodman Point ramp have been taking some excellent sized snapper with fish up to 80 cm reported. King George whiting have also been taken from areas adjacent to broken ground and weed beds. Large skippy are also a feature in areas adjacent to reefs throughout the metropolitan area. Snapper and samsonfish have been taken from these areas as well.
Several anglers fishing for whiting out from Hillarys earlier in the week bagged out on some very big sand whiting with several fish in excess of 30 cm. Offshore anglers are reporting excellent fishing for snapper, tailor and Westralian Jewfish. Snapper are the main catch with some fish being taken up around the 90 cm mark. The earlier that you get out onto the water the better your chances of catching bigger fish. The use of chopped mulies and old bait as a berley also enhances the catch rate. Anglers fishing the reef systems around the Alkimos have been catching some excellent tailor, with many fish in excess of 2 kg. Casting either minnow pattern or metal lures into the white water adjacent to the reefs will solicit a strike from either a large tailor or a samsonfish. Out in 40 - 48 m of water there have been some good Westralian Jewfish along with baldchin groper, King George whiting and an occasional breaksea cod.
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- 3764 reads
Two rocks tomorrow (Saturday)
Submitted by Mark-GSOC on Fri, 2017-06-02 20:46hi all, anyone heading out from two rocks tomorrow morning? The Mrs & I are heading out around 7.30 and have never launched out of there so would be nice to follow someone out who knows the area regarding reefs. Happy to hand over 6 beers for your trouble.
- 4 comments
- 2578 reads
OPEN ALL Long weekend
Submitted by Oceanside Tackle on Fri, 2017-06-02 14:13Just a heads up we're OPEN ALL Long weekend for your convenience!
We stock a large range of fishing tackle,rods,reels,lures, tackle boxes and plenty of bait!
So come on down for all you fishing and tackle needs this long weekend!
Opening hours;
Saturday - 8.00am to 5.00pm
Sunday - 9.00am to 5.00pm
Public Holiday Monday - OPEN 9.00am to 5.00pm
Tuesday as per normal
- 1 comment
- 2301 reads
Fish id
Submitted by Pedro the fisherman on Wed, 2017-05-31 22:23Ok I know the top fish is a goldban but debatable about the bottom fish
- 1 comment
- 2464 reads
The Baldy spot produces again!
Submitted by z00m on Wed, 2017-05-31 20:58For the last few years I have fished a spot I call my baldy spot as it seems to produce size fish every now and then. I pulled my PB from the spot at 64cm but was (un)fortunate enough to have one of my deckies pull a serious horse from the same ground. It has also produced Dhu and Pinks yet there is no real rise discernable on the sounder. I even went out today and mapped it with the Garmin function to make your own maps. Fairly flat country.
Anyhow, The plan was to get out for a quick sesh this arvo since I missed it on the weekend. Stopped by ShoreCatch to get some Berley as I already had some baits and headed for the ramp. Nice and quiet at the ramp but still a few boats coming and going. Wind was dropping and matching up with the forecast nicely so it was looking good.
Outside the 3 mile I decided to troll some skirted lures to see if I could hook a Tuna that everyone else seems to get while I ran up and down at around 6 or 7 knots to map the ground. It all worked out well and after about the third pass past the bait balls I managed a 65cm 3kg fish that would do nicely for bait.
Picture of the fish highway in 30m.

I finished mapping and decided a quick drift over the ground to see if that worked was in order. I managed an undersize Dhu (46cm) and a king wrasse so I knew I was in the right place. The drift was pretty quick even without the wind so I went back and set the anchor. I had a run on my floater that didn't connect and while I was reeling that in I had my other rod go off. Up popped a nice 43cm Baldy so in the ice he went. I managed to fight with a couple of small reef sharks that eventually ran off with my hooks in their mouths and then a very young Tiger Shark of about 6 feet turned up in the berley trail. Wonder if it had something to do with the fresh Tuna frame I had put in there. He buzzed the berley bucket a few times and was gone as quick as he turned up. The water clarity was unreal and I wish I had taken a phto but he was gone very quickly.
Next hit on the Tuna bait was an undersize pinky (49cm) and I was cursing these small fish! ha ha. The sun was setting and I was ready with anticipation and not long before sunset I was on. It had that familiar bump and run that the pinks do and after a short battle he was in the net. Not a big one at 61cm but it was a quick selfie and he was in the ice with the Baldy.

Bagged out and ready for home I took a quick snap of the conditions before getting underway. When the weather and the fish line up it really is a great place to fish from! 28 knots all the way in so it was only about 15 mins to the ramp. Happy.

- 7 comments
- 3206 reads
Out in the skippy hole this evening
Submitted by uncle on Wed, 2017-05-31 20:34Had some fun fishing with bigjohns small bucktail banana jigs.skips an small pinkies loved them. Then went fishing for pinks. Couple of undersize and 1 ytk to the crewie released about a meter long.few bust offs but it was very nice out there
- 2 comments
- 2358 reads
Hopetoun fishing (near Esperance)
Submitted by Curndog on Wed, 2017-05-31 19:30hey guys,
anyone know what the fishing is like down in Hopetoun? My wife's sister lives down there working on the nickel mine and she is trying to convince me to go down there for a week or two with the kids. I told her only way I'm going if I can take my boat and fish every opportunity I get. The deal has been done. Now I'm wondering what the fishing will be like? Probs be going solo so won't stray to far out. Maybe 10km max. What sort of species do they catch down there? Any information would be great
cheers
- 5 comments
- 4380 reads
Cheap Kalbarri Accomadation
Submitted by brownie2 on Wed, 2017-05-31 12:00hi all, heading up to Kalbarri 1st time for a couple of weeks (dates not fully sussed)
just wondering if fellow fishos know off any half decent accommodation/holiday houses etc thats cheap! Or know off any good sites to suss some out! any info would be a help!
cheers
- 5 comments
- 2093 reads
Bait vs Aritificial
Submitted by Bradmac73 on Wed, 2017-05-31 09:58After people opinions on baits v artificials of any persuasion in Shark bay or similar waters. Will be targeting (or trying to) baldchin, coral trout, emperor and of course pinkies. Dependant on the weather will be fishing both deep and shallow water. Never fished anything but bait up there before but been loading up on jigs/big soft plastics etc as I'm keen to give these a crack. Any thoughts/advice appreciated guys.
- 7 comments
- 2582 reads








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