g'day all, had a bit of fun catching herring on flick baits but wasn't happy with jig hooks I had bought and was using. The SP's were squidgy flick baits, 70mm. The herring were going nuts over them but the SP was getting damaged when I was pulling it up onto the grub to secure the bait and the fish were hitting it pretty hard so I was only getting maybe 2 casts from each bait. Is there another type of jig hook that will be a little bit lass damaging on the SP when I pull it up? I figure if the bait is secured a bit better, then the bait should last a bit longer. 

 doing the family trip to exmouth staying at Yardie homestead from the 9th till 21st april. Taking up the boat 5.3mtr trailcraft and as its a family trip there maybe afew days the family wont come boating. I will have all the gear from billfish to bottom bouncing.

If anyones up around those dates and wants a day on the boat fishing let me know. 

Cheers Paul

Just wondering whos using them, how they go and how the assist hook set up goes thinking of adding a few to the kit for a kalbarri trip coming up target tailor and pelagics

 Hi all, I'm new to Fishwrecked.  My partner and i are going up to Exmouth for the first time at the start of May, and i am looking for some advice. Unfortunately due to funds I am not going to be able to rent a boat while I am in Exmouth, so I will be aiming at doing lots of land fishing, with the odd spearfish in between. 

So what gear should I bring? I have lots of different set ups when it comes to rod and reels. What tackle? Should I use bait? Is there any point in balloon fishing?

Also what fish are about during this season? (sorry I sound like an amateur, but I would prefer to be 100% ready).  I would love to get onto some GT'S and gold spot travaly. And also catch some edible fish along the way. I am staying on the canals, and would also like to know if I am allowed to fish in there and what fish there are in there.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Gday guys,

I have aquired some new / secondhand Lowrance Electronics for the tinny.  Does anyone else run this gear or similar and can you tell me which version of Navionics you are using.

I beleive that they can't support some of the newer Gold / Plantinum versions or so I told. I want order it but want the right version.

Thanks in advance

Jared

Hi Lads,

Silly question but are there many good spots to catch a few Roe Abalone in Albany??

PM me if you have any ideas.

Cheers

 gday just lookin for a bit of info on fishing off carnarvon, got a 24ft bass straight so will probably head to the islands. Just wondering if its worth chucking some poppers for GTs anywhere and also if theres anywhere abit closer we can get squid for bait. 

Cheers

 Can someone please tell me the difference between a Stella SW & SWB?

 I have been enquiring about prices and types of trips etc this week as a couple of friends and I want to get out on one in the next couple of weeks. Just after any good experiences (or bad to avoid) people may have had and maybe which ones are more reputable for their demersals as we are keenest for this. Thankyou in advance ! 

 Just wondering if Paul N should get a bit of Mr Sheen sponsorship. How many cans do you reckon have been purchased by Fishwrecked members this weekend. I've bought one! Clears come up a treat.

 swam off happily, went 40cm

 Hopefully the link works.
It is vital that if you think you have snagged gear on a cray pot you mark it by tying a knot in the float rig or similar.

A decky hospitalised in Lancelin today, hit by a sinker.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1263529597096895&id=428946703888526

 hit a bump last weekend and now boat will not steer the wheel would spin but motor didnt move with it so replaced the helm took it out sunday worked fine come into boat ramp and bang wheel gave up and would just spin without the motor moving again big thank you tot he guy that grabbed the rope off me if you are on fishwrecked anyway if any one could point me int he right direction of some one who can fix this problem would be great thanks

 Anyone point me in the right direction? Can't seem to locate them anywhere.

 Heading up to Exmouth later this week and will be fishing shorebased, staying in Cape Range National Park. Will be casting various lures around in different spots but will soak a bait or two in the evenings to try and catch spanglies for a feed.

Anyone used the Octopus circle hooks for that sort of stuff? My go-to was always just a 5/0 Gamakatsu octopus but someone said try the octopus circles for better hookups.

Appreciate hearing from those that have used them.

Cheers

Was fishing in the Augusta Marina yesterday and my cousins were catching some skippy and undersized snapper and I had a little popper out and was catching a few herring on the light gear and caught one perfect size for a livey so I grabbed my beach rod I had been using to chase salmon earlier on and rigged him up with a 6/0 through the back and chucked him in.

I jammed my rod but in between some rocks and kept fishing for hezza and I noticed my livey started swimming up current very fast. As I put my small rod down I saw chaos on the surface and it was something fn BIG and before I could grab my rod my 5000 Biomaster started screaming and I couldn't get the bloody rod out of the rocks for a good 10-20 seconds.

I managed to get my rod out out and tighten my drag but the fooker was heading straight towards the rocks and the second I managed to turn him and gain some ground my line went ping and I reeled in cut braid. One thing I know for sure is that this was this fish's first rodeo in the marina!

I was in the bend in the wall and the boys were at the end closer to where it struck and my brother swears it was a Kingfish but all all agreed there was no way it was a salmon. Does anyone know if there are Kingies that enter the marina?

 A few years ago my brother in law managed to find a rock with our 150 hp yammie 4 stroke and bent the prop shaft. It took 3 weeks to get a spare from yamaha australia at a cost that was double the cost of getting one from the states.

We are now needing parts to rebuild the gearbox and have to wait at least 2 weeks for them to get the parts from Japan. These are parts that are very commonly needed as the problem we have got is quite a common issue with these gearboxes according to the boatshop that is fixing it.

Hope they get the bits before I go to coral bay.

 Just a thought, last time I used my boat was 5 weeks ago, it still has half a tank of premium unleaded in the underfloor tank,about 35ltrs , going to run the boat this week, is it better to keep the tank full or use what I have and top it up later?

Mal.

Recreational " Trigger Trap " Ocky Pots

Have you always wanted to catch octopus like the professionals? Do you like to pickle your own octopus? or do you want to stock up on fresh octopus for targeting dhufish etc?

Well now you can,after many years of research and development its finally been made. Cost-effective and eco-friendly octopus trap that is 70% more effective than the traditional shelter pots currently used by commercial octopus fishermen.

 So, whos heading out tomorrow?  What ya chasing? 

Anyone have any feedback on these reels? (Im looking at the Z-65S (meant to be 20kg drag)

These reels have a pretty good review from what Ive read abouth them and pretty well priced. Even more so with Okumas warranty.

Anyone thats one thats got one of these or the 90 model id be keen to hear your thoughts.

Cheers

Matt 

 Does anyone else think maybe something is a little off with the Fish Rocks wind direction indication on Seabreeze?

Seems like 90 and up to 180 degrees out at times.

GENERAL FISHING:

It is now April and the first quarter of the year has gone. The days are now becoming quite short and definitely cooler although the forecast for the early part of this week belies this. As we settle in to Autumn we will experience lower seas and swells and milder winds.

With autumnal weather starting to have an effect with cooler air and water temperatures, there are also other changes occurring. A quick read of the tide chart above shows some interesting tidal variations during the week. In the summer months high tides occur during the afternoon and evening. During winter months the tide is high during the morning with low tides occurring at night.

Bureau of Meteorology records show that generally in Perth in April we can expect to have a maximum daily temperature of around 26 degrees, with only 1 day over 35 degrees. We will receive an average of 8 hours of sunshine per day and we could receive a maximum wind gust of up to 115 kph as a frontal system passes through. On the rainfall front we generally receive around 38 mm of rain over seven days during April.

However it’s not time to pack your fishing gear away just yet. Just because the football is on television, doesn’t mean it’s time to stop fishing. April is still an exciting time for fishing. Cooler waters and air temperatures haven’t stopped the pelagic fish activity along our shores. Spanish and shark mackerel, bonito and yellowfin tuna have all been caught in metropolitan waters recently.

Several anglers fishing on charter boats have been having a ball with these fish. One boat had an absolutely mind blowing fishing session catching and releasing several spanish mackerel around Rottnest Island. Anglers fishing out at the West End of Rottnest have also reported taking wahoo, spanish mackerel, mahi-mahi and striped tuna.

Along the metropolitan beaches the recent swells have brought in the weed and there is plenty of it. The beaches between Moore River and Seabird were almost unfishable due to weed earlier this week. This in turn is not a bad thing as all sorts of insect life use the heat generated by the decomposing weed to lay their eggs and the larvae become a prime food source for herring and garfish. These in turn provide a source of protein for larger tailor and there are reports of several very large tailor of 4 kg being taken from both north and south metropolitan beach locations. On the Moles at Fremantle, bonito have been turning up in good numbers and anglers have had a lot of fun catching these speedsters. Large salmon have been making an appearance along several southern beaches and from the rocks at the North Mole. There have also been reports of fish being caught at Trigg Island and North Beach and the Hillarys marina.

There are reports of a very large school of salmon being spotted out from Margaret River early last week and moving north. Several schools have been reported around Albany and we can only hope for a local salmon season like we had in the metropolitan area last year. Only time will tell.

Along with the recent swell activity and the resultant weed there has also been an increase in snapper captures from local beaches and groynes. Boat anglers fishing in Cockburn Sound have done well as have beach and rock anglers from Rockingham to Scarborough. Several fish have also been taken from the North and South Moles. As is normal in winter when seas and swells pick up on frontal movements, snapper come on the bite. Last week saw some large swells over a period of days and the snapper responded. Anglers who were prepared reaped the benefits.

School holidays are not far away as is Easter. Many people use this time to take a break and head south. Many also want to get amongst the salmon. Please plan your trips and take care when fishing in unfamiliar waters. If you are fishing from the rocks – wear a life jacket. There is a list at the end of this report where you can obtain a free loan life jacket – please use them.

Following the recent passage of Cyclone Debbie the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a safe fishing warning for the NSW coastline for this weekend.

“Weather on the coast this weekend is affected by ex-tropical cyclone Debbie gradually moving southeast with a trough of low pressure extending southeast across the Tasman Sea. This will cause strong to gale force southerly winds over the northern half of the coast, easing as the low moves further east. Cold fronts in the Southern Ocean followed by a high in the Bight will push a south-easterly airstream up the coast between the high and the low through to the early part of next week.

BOM has issued rock fishing/boating alerts for Hunter to QLD border on Saturday and for the Coffs and Byron coasts on Sunday. Seas of around 4 metres plus swell of 3 to 4 metres will affect the Coffs/Byron coasts, slightly less seas and swells further south. Flooded rivers will cause additional dangers for boaters at the moment with large debris being washed into the ocean and limited visibility in dirty waters. Maybe we aren’t too badly off in WA!

If you have some fishing information, have caught a good fish 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

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS

If you are going to fish in open ocean waters or from the rocks, please - wear a life jacket.

MANDURAH:

Beaches to the north of Mandurah are still producing some good mulloway and tailor as well as salmon, herring, skippy, whiting and tarwhine. Singleton Beach and other beaches in the area have had some nice mulloway landed in the evenings along with tailor and herring most nights.

There are still a few tailor being caught along the Tim’s Thicket to Preston Beach stretch but catches are slowing down. Good news is that there have been a few reports of an occasional salmon being taken from these beaches. White Hills has had moderate numbers of tailor, salmon and herring throughout the week. A few mulloway have come from this area but sizes have been smaller than usual. The beaches between Halls Head and The Cut are providing a feed of herring, tailor, salmon and some good whiting. The Cut is still fishing well with plenty of herring, a few tailor and some tarwhine being taken. The occasional yellow-fin whiting is also being caught. The traffic bridges are also worth a try for herring and bream. There are also reports of mulloway in the canals.

Bream fishing in the Murray and Serpentine rivers continues to be productive with good sized fish being caught regularly. One angler recently spent the weekend on a houseboat on the estuary and noted several kayak anglers chasing and catching bream on a variety of tackle and rigs. He caught tailor on a trolled lure on light tackle from the area as well. It would appear that the river and estuary hold good numbers of bream and that water quality is also quite good. There are  a few crabs still being taken in deeper water. Some crabbers are still getting their bag limit.

SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY

Long Point and Warnbro beaches have been producing tailor, an occasional salmon and herring. Tarwhine have been taken in good numbers this week. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some nice flathead and sand whiting. Early morning anglers fishing the jetties have been doing well. Palm Beach jetty seems to be the pick with good numbers of herring and whiting at the moment. There are also some good King George whiting amongst them. A few squid have also been taken at night. Anglers fishing in the early morning have been catching some big herring. There have been a few tailor and mulloway taken from the jetty.

COCKBURN SOUND:

Trolling a lure along the Causeway will produce some nice herring and the occasional tailor in the evening. Whiting are on the bite near the Bent Pin and also in the Mangles Bay area. King George whiting are in great numbers between Garden and Carnac Islands at the moment. Skippy have also been reported from the same area. Best baits have been squid and prawns and remember to throw some chook pellets around to berley up. Squid have been in good numbers along the weed beds in the upper reaches of the Sound and herring have also been in good numbers here. Tailor numbers have slowed down in the past week but with a few reports slowly coming through, it’s still worth a try.

KWINANA / NAVAL BASE / WOODMAN POINT / COOGEE:

A few tailor have been turning up from time to time usually surprising most anglers targeting herring. Squid numbers have also been on the rise in the last week with some nice results coming from the deeper water in front of Coogee Caravan Park. Herring have been in great numbers lately with everyone getting in on the action. Small metal lures have been producing most in the afternoons and prawn and squid have been the best baits at night. Reports this week tell of good catches of big garfish. Amongst the garfish there are also plenty of herring. Kwinana Beach Jetty has been holding good numbers of herring and garfish.

FREMANTLE / INNER HARBOUR / LOWER REACHES OF SWAN RIVER

Anglers fishing the South Mole have been catching some nice King George whiting using peeled prawns. Be aware of the problem associated with white spot disease in prawns for human consumption. They could cause a major problem if introduced into W.A. waters. There are reports of good numbers of tailor most evenings with unweighted mulies for bait working well. Herring and tarwhine have also been caught in numbers at times and again a good berley trail will bring them around. The North Mole is still producing some good fishing with an occasional bonito being taken this week. Tailor have been a little spasmodic this week with some days firing well and others as quiet as ever. Several larger salmon have been taken at varying times during the day. Just before sunset, yellowtail are coming on the bite. Burley seemed to send them into a frenzy. Almost every night this last week anglers have been catching mulloway to 10 kg along with small whaler and hammerhead sharks, often using them as bait. Once the sun had set the tailor moved in. Bait of choice was lightly weighted whitebait or bait cast mulies with a small piece of lead wrapped around the shank of the first hook in the gang.

Beaches south of Fremantle have produced some good tailor and herring on most evenings. Whiting are also being reported from the beach in the early mornings. Sizes are still small but there are the bigger ones hanging around too. Another location producing some good fishing is Catherine Pt and Coogee Beach. Anglers fishing here have been catching reasonable numbers of tailor most evenings with some being reported over 50 cm. There are plenty of reports of big tarwhine, whiting, skippy and slimy mackerel being caught upstream of the traffic bridges.

ROTTNEST ISLAND

Rottnest beaches have been producing some good tailor over the last few weeks and it seems that poppers or chrome/gold twisty lures are the go-to-lure. The south east corner of the island has been producing nice big King George whiting and plenty of herring as well for land based anglers. Boat anglers fishing the south west corner have been catching break-sea cod and Westralian jewfish in depths of 30 - 40 m of water with size improving over the last few weeks. Anglers have been quite successful using lead head jigs with soft plastics tails for jewfish and snapper with these have taken several good fish. There are plenty of tuna still about and out at the FAD’s there are some excellent mahi-mahi.

PORT BEACH / LEIGHTON / COTTESLOE / SWANBOURNE:

Cottesloe groyne is still providing late night tailor action for anglers prepared to put in some time and effort. Early morning anglers are taking plenty of herring and garfish with an occasional skippy and tarwhine for good measure. Salmon have also been taken from the groyne as well as the beach to the north of the groyne. The Grant St area has gone a little quiet for big tailor with only stragglers coming along in ones and twos. Leighton has been better but still nowhere near as good as a few weeks ago. Weed has also sprung up in the last few days. Leighton is well worth a try for small sharks. Whiting numbers and size have improved over the last week. Early morning has produced better fishing for them with prawns and ox heart being the best bait.

CITY BEACH / FLOREAT / SCARBOROUGH / TRIGG ISLAND

Swanbourne Beach right through to Brighton Road beach at Scarborough has held moderate numbers of herring and tailor. Sizes have been down from previous weeks but definitely still worth the effort to get a feed. Unweighted mulies are the go in the mornings with the easterly behind you. City Beach and Floreat Beach turned on some excellent tailor fishing at night during the week. Salmon have also been taken from these beaches during the last few weeks. Anglers fishing Trigg Island area have been taking a few larger salmon during the day.

NORTH BEACH JETTY / HILLARYS / OCEAN REEF / MINDARIE:

Popular fishing spots in this area have been fishing well over the last week for tailor, herring and some nice sand whiting with mornings being the best time. There are reports of some tailor being taken along the Marina Wall at Mindarie at sunset and after dark. Bait casting small garfish on a gang of five hooks will attract bigger tailor and there are reports of fish over 2 kg. Several salmon have been taken during the day. At Hillarys Marina near the disabled platform this week there were reports of a good mixed bag of tarwhine, skippy, whiting and herring. Tailor have been good from the beaches again this week with most people going home with a feed. Sizes have been down a little but some bigger ones are still hanging around. Usually the late evening has produced the big ones. Pinaroo Point has also been producing some good sized skippy and tailor along with plenty of herring.

QUINNS ROCKS /YANCHEP / TWO ROCKS / MOORE RIVER

The section of beach to the south of Two Rocks is producing some excellent fishing for tailor at the moment. Preferred baits are small garfish and fish captures up to 2 kg are not uncommon. The Lagoon at Yanchep has been producing some good fishing for herring and garfish when berley has been used to keep them interested. Overuse of berley generally turns them off and puts them off the bite. Moore River mouth is producing a few tailor from sunset through to the early evening. The river is also still producing some good bream for anglers in the know. Further north the beaches from Moore River through to Seabird have had a fair bit of weed making fishing almost impossible.

SWAN AND CANNING RIVERS:

Anglers fishing for bream in the Canning River have been catching some good fish with spots such as the Mt Henry Bridge and Deepwater Point being the better spots to fish. The Shelley area has also produced good numbers of bream in the morning. Anglers fishing around the Narrows report quite a few chopper tailor with most being released. Mulloway have also been reported from the Causeway and some nice size bream as well. Tailor have been quiet in the lower reaches of the Swan this week, and flathead have also slowed although a few reasonable fish have come from the East Fremantle area. The river flats in the lower reaches are the better spots. Mulloway are still active in the lower reaches and in the Inner Harbour and anglers using small live baits seem to be doing quite well. Generally it is an accepted fact that most mulloway anglers will only land one fish for every ten ‘runs’. It is the way that mulloway feed that causes this. Mulloway have a very hard palate and use this to crush their prey before swallowing it. They will often pick up a bait and then move off fairly slowly but steadily as they shift the bait around so that they can crush it in their mouth. If you ‘strike’ at this time more often than not the fish will just open its mouth and drop the bait. It takes a lot of patience to be a successful mulloway angler and you need to walk away from a rod when a run is happening and leave it alone. Another tip is to use hooks that have been sharpened to ensure a better hook up rate. This is vital if you are to hook up in that very bony mouth. I strongly recommend the use of ‘circle hooks’ as I believe they are a better option when fishing for mulloway. It takes a change of tactics when fishing with them and one rule is do not strike. Just hold the line and let the hook do its job. Hook up rates have increased when anglers are using ‘circle hooks’. Anglers fishing the area around Tranby House have been catching a few black bream to 1 kg. There are reports of good fish from around Ashfield and also Ron Courtney Island and a little further upstream the area from Barkers Bridge down to Guilford Rd Bridge has produced some great bream fishing at times. In the lower reaches of the Swan River, better bream catches have come from the around Claremont and Nedlands.

BOAT FISHING:

Some big skippy have been coming from around the Stragglers and Mewstones, and various lumps in around 30 m. Fish to 3 kg seem to be more consistent in the deeper water. Offshore in small boat territory there are consistent reports of some good sized yellow-finned whiting being taken between Ocean Reef and Burns Beach. Over the weed beds in the same area anglers are catching some excellent snook. Westralian dhufish are still being taken from the reefs offshore from Two Rocks. Indications are that they are in water around 40 m with snapper and skippy being caught in shallower water around the 30 m mark. Other reports indicate that there are still good King George to about 45 cm around Little Island along with a few skippy hanging around the rocky bottoms. Further offshore south of the Island there are breaksea cod and harlequin fish.

Reports of good fishing was found about 15 km offshore with Westralian dhufish, baldchin and breaksea cod. Some nice size pink snapper were taken from the Gemini Wreck. With a good berley trail and the right wind to drift with, you should be in for some fun. Samsonfish have been taken in great numbers at the wreck with anglers chasing the snapper usually hooking up on some nice sambos instead.

Offshore anglers fishing along the Murray Reefs have caught good numbers of skippy and herring. Whiting have been caught from behind the Sisters and Passage Rock. Westralian dhufish have been reported about 500 m west of Coventry Reefs in the drop off from the 10 m mark to about 30 m. A few salmon have been seen out behind Coventry reefs. Whiting, flathead and herring have been caught from the weed beds once again, straight out from Bent Street boat ramp in Rockingham. Tailor have been caught out behind Penguin Island on the breaking reefs and also a few big King George whiting have been landed in the southern holes.

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA:

DRONES TRIALLED IN WA FOR ROCK FISHING RESCUES

From NSW Recfisher Email Newsletter Of The Recreational Fishing Alliance Of NSW April 2017

The first test of drone technology to rescue people at sea in Western Australia has been hailed a success by volunteers in the Great Southern, who say it could help save lives. The experiment, led by the Albany Sea Rescue with no government involvement, was conducted at popular fishing spot Salmon Holes in Albany — one of the WA coastline's most notorious sites for drownings.

In the past three decades, 13 people have died at the beach, with many being swept from the rocks into the ocean. Volunteers braved the windy and overcast conditions to locate and recover a black wetsuit using a drone and rescue craft.

Albany Sea Rescue (ASR) co-ordinator Chris Johns said drones could prove to be a game-changer, especially for regional areas. "It's technology that can be deployed as quickly as our boats and that story alone is something that's quite unique," he said. Mr Johns said combining the drone technology with other rescue equipment would help ASR maximise its efficiency.

"Albany Sea Rescue has $1 million worth of boats, there's a lot of technology on these boats," he said. "We believe drone technology is another advancing piece of technology that we should be embracing." Mr Johns also dismissed concerns that drones could get in the way and become problematic during rescue operations. "We're remote, we don't get chopper support here that often ... so [the drone] will be deployed in a period where there's the chance of saving a life or finding what we're looking for," he said.

"If a rescue helicopter or fixed wing comes down, we put it [the drone] on the ground, it's that simple." Mr Johns said the weekend trial was a timely opportunity to iron out any problems with the technology in preparation for the Easter long weekend.

For the full article on ABC News website go to this link.

Lives put at risk by dodgy skipper training
Exclusive, Kent Acott || The West Australian
Saturday, 1 April 2017 12:55AM

Mike Beanland, president of the WA Boating Industry Association. Nic Ellis
Hundreds of lives are being put at risk on WA waterways because recreational boat skippers are being inadequately trained and examined by some shonky and incompetent assessors.

And according to the head of WA’s Boating Industry Association, very little is being done to stamp out the bad eggs who have been accused of refusing to conduct proper training, cheating on assessment tests, forging documents and taking cash payments.

“This is dangerous,” Mike Beanland, who also runs Perth Boat School, said.

“Members of the public are driving boats after no training. Or, worse still, driving boats after very dangerous training.

“And the public is left to think they have been properly assessed and given a skipper’s ticket because they are competent — but they are not.”

A student taking a written examination, takes the exam sheet and goes to an area where most of the answers are displayed. The assessor sits there and does nothing. Supplied
A person seeking a recreational skipper’s ticket is required to be assessed by one of more than 300 authorised assessors in WA.

Mr Beanland said he had become aware of poor and fraudulent training and assessments in 2009 and began reporting them to the Department of Transport soon after. But verbal and written complaints did not lead to action.

It was only after Mr Beanland obtained CCTV vision last year showing a number of breaches that action was taken against one assessor — but that was only a 24-hour suspension.

In recent times, he has sent local backpackers to act as “moles” and get their skipper’s ticket.

Mr Beanland said these “moles” witnessed assessors who failed to train them in all the required tasks and told them the answers to some theory questions.

“The department is aware of these concerns and what is going on but have done little, if anything, to make moves to prevent this abuse”
Mike Beanland

One assessor did not even conduct a practical test but ticked off the practical assessment sheet and presented the backpacker with a skipper’s ticket.

Another assessor admitted forging the signatures of students.

“The department is aware of these concerns and what is going on but have done little, if anything, to make moves to prevent this abuse,” Mr Beanland said.

“In one incident, an assessor told one of our moles to reverse up to a simulated person in the water during a man-overboard exercise.

“This is about as bad as things can get — reversing up to a person is the single most dangerous thing that a skipper can do because it can so often cause death and serious injury.

Play Video
Video: Evacuation is underway and hundreds of tourists are boarding boats to leave
“Propeller strike is a major cause of death in boating incidents.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that for years and years this assessor is allowed and encouraged to operate in this industry that should only have the highest standards.

“His business of cheating with incorrect assessments for years and years has earned him hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The department’s general manager of marine safety, Ray Buchholz, said it enforced a rigorous audit regime for training and assessment services in WA.

Since the inception of the skipper’s ticket in 2007, the department had suspended 16 assessors and cancelled the authorisation of another four assessors.

Two recent formal complaints were being investigated.

“The department is committed to ensuring the integrity and standards of the recreational skipper’s ticket program are maintained and will continue to take appropriate action against those who fail to meet these standards,” Mr Buchholz said.

Mr Beanland is seeking a meeting with Transport Minister Rita Saffioti to raise his concerns.

Recently we have noticed an increase in request’s for Assassin Tackle products instore.

After reviewing the range again we are proud to say Oceanside Tackle and Marine are now an Assassin Tackle Stockist.

Now stocking;

 Currently looking into family holiday up north, for next year (may or June) for a 3-4weeks, was thinking of staying in shark bay for a week and Exmouth for a week, is there anywhere else I should also stay like coral bay, or stay longer in in shark bay or Exmouth?? Will be hiring share houses as will be with other young families with us. I will be taking a 20ft pacemaker ranger, any info (where the better fishing is etc...) would be great so I can start organising accom and a rough plan!!

Cheers and have a great weekend!!

 FishWrecked's Wicked Week - 01/04/2017

 Hit the S bend with a few boys seaweed was thick but managed this nice tailor just on sunset measured 74  nice fat fish not sure on the weight great decision to head up after work for the weekend !

6kg line class double wammy