South Coast (Esperance & Great Southern) Fishing Report

Western Australia South Coast Fishing Report

Albany Catches

Picture: Whilst the metro demersal closure is active you can still head down to the south coast where Pink Snapper numbers are healthy and open to fishing all year round. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Jarvis).

It may have not been the official start of spring, however in comparison to the weather the first seven or so weeks dished up, this past week certainly felt like it. Boat fishers – and there were many – who ventured to the coral stretches off Cheynes Beach, Two Peoples Bay, Cosy Corner and Albany picked up good catches of mixed reef fish, which included pink, red and queen snapper and breaksea cod.

Samson fish were encountered in parts and these freight trains ranged anywhere from 10kg to a back-aching 40kg. Sambos of similar sizes have also been hooked from the shore at Emu Point. Surf fishing has been rather hit and miss with herring and sand whiting the most common catches along most of the local beaches. The Bremer Bay coast still has salmon turning up while the beaches east of there are featuring big skippy.

Mulloway to a metre and the odd bigger fish have started to turn up in the Kalgan River. Several black bream of more than a kilo were caught in the Kalgan during the recent kayak competition. The inshore waters have plenty of King George and sand whiting on offer. Catches of flathead are increasing along these parts, however squid catches seem to have dived this past fortnight.

Esperance Catches

Picture: An interesting perspective of a hooked Samson fish, named for their incredible strength, samson jigging is a popular sportfishing technique in the south of our state.

The boats that headed out beyond the islands during the week scored queen snapper to 10kg, plenty of nannygai and samson fish. The dinghy and small boat fishers did well on sand whiting and squid. More squid and some nice King George whiting have been picked up at the Taylor Street Jetty.

Bandy Creek Boat Harbour is worth a try with herring and a few King George coming from there recently. Salmon continue to turn up at Salmon Beach and Fourth Beach. Fourteen Mile and Rossiter have small mulloway and skippy on offer. Flathead to a superb 1.5kg, small mulloway and gummy shark have been picked up at Israelite Bay. Plenty of black bream to 40cm and the odd bigger fish have been caught on bait and lure at the lakes.